TOWING AND SAFETY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 664, 17 October 1933, Page 7

TOWING AND SAFETY

Nearly every motorist finds it necessary at some time to have his car towed. This seems a simple operation, but may easily lead to an aceident or cause damage to one or both of the cars concerned, unless a few simple precautions are taken. To avoid straining the chassis of the cars the tow rope should be fastener around the shackles of the cars; on no account should it be fastened to the axles. The rope should be at least 20 feet long, to allow time for the driver of the car being towed to pull up if the driver of the towing car should apply his brakes suddenly. 'Before starting, the drivers of the two cars should arrange a code of .signals, the most essential of which is the "stop at once" signal, whieh can •be given by two short blasts of the horn. When moving off the driver of the towing car should let in his clutch! gently, and move forward slowly until the tow rope is taut to avoid a sudden jerk which might break it or damage the cars. He should change to second gear at half the speed at

I j which he normally does, and should j engage the clutch very smoothly | whila keeping the engine running faster than usual to provide the addi- ! tional power ' necessary to pull both | ears. | At all times a. strain should he kept I on the tow rope. This can be done ,* only by very smooth clutch operation and by the driver of the car being I ; towed applying his brakes gently ias"1 ' soon as the rope shows any tendency i to slacken. Corners should he taken very slowly, and both' drivers should keep well to the left of the road. i At all times the driver of the towing car must remember that the total length of the vehicles and rope may be 40 feet or more. Because of this, extreme caution must be taken at cross roads, and wben overtaking another vebicle. The driver of the car being towed must do much more than steer; he must watch for every- signal of the front driver in front and be prepared to follow his directions closely and to apply the brakes instantly in an emergency.