SHORT CIRCUITS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 256, 21 June 1932, Page 2

SHORT CIRCUITS

Some men take good care of a motor car, while others treat it like one of the family. * * Illuminated ignition lock lceyholes are a feature of some new models in the United States. | * * * | In South Africa there is now one ! petrol-filling pump for every 66 motor i vehicles in the_country. * 'I* * I, In the U.S.A. the merging is announced of the Oldsmobile and Buick 1 divisions of General Motors and of the Chevrolet-Oakland divisions. j * :|: * | The highest total of tho cars re- ! gistered in England for the first time in the year ended Septemher, 1931, was 37,747 in the 8h.p. category. :|: :i= An English coroner statSs that [many accidents are caused through j people being startled by hooting. The 1 mora! is, hoot wisely. * * * Ten new members were elected to the Canterbury Automobile Association last week. This makes 267 new members since the year started. J): * * As a result of the increased number of accidents the municipal authorities of Constantinople have issued a regulation that no one under the age i of 25 years may drive a motor vehicle, * * * A new idea in sunshine roofs was recently devised by an English designer a large non-splinterable glass window, fixed in position, taking the place of the usual sliding panel. A movable section of hood-lining works like a blind, and covers the window from the inside when necessary. * -1= We hear now and then startling stories of how cars depreci^ite in value (says the Motor). Here is one of a famous Mercedes car which was used during the World War hy the Archduke Frederick, Commander-in-Chief of the Austro-Hungarian armies. (In Gilbert's time dukes were three a penny, but he never put a value on archdulces. Anyway this car was auctioned recently, and the highest bid was £1 17s 6d. It was withdrawn. * * * A very wise procedure and one which every motorist should follow, is not to stop too close to another | vehicle, especially when on a gradient ' and where the use of the brake to j stop the car has been found necosi sary. It is often seen that when a 1 car is again put in motion after being | | at rest it may run back somewhat, j ! and it is quite obvious what would ' j happen were a car drawn up very j i closely to it. i I A Masterton motor mechanic of j i

long experience, who was called to give evidence in the Supreme Court in Wellington recently in actions arising out of a motor collision, was nothing, if not frank. Replying to counsel, he said that the reconstruction by experts of accidents after they haJ . happened was mere guess-work, in his opinion. '*' 'Expert' means quite a lot to me, but I have never seen one yet," witness added. =!: * =!: Not many car owners know it, but the tone of the horn can he changed by a simple adjustment of a small screw. However, the horn, while rugged, is a -deviee which should not he tampered with, and changes of its "voic,e" might well be turned over to the deft fingers of the expert in this particular field. In the interest of better traffic noise, it is suggested that a rasping, angry note he made smoother, more coaxing, rather than a vihrant demand.