A.A.A. ACTIVITIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 94, 12 July 1927, Page 12

A.A.A. ACTIVITIES

Motorists are reminded that the annual meeting takes place on July 20. The retiring council has done very good work, and the incoming council will have to work hard to maintain the high standards set for the convenience of motorists. INFORMATION BUREAU An information bureau is being conducted by the A.A.A. at the Olympia motor show this week. The service officer will be in attendance to answer inquiries regarding the association and its work, and to supply information regarding roads, etc. ROAD SERVICE WORK The service work of the A.A.A. will benefit by the thoughtfulness of Mr. H. Butcher, a member of the council, who recently returned from a trip abroad. Mr. Butcher brought back with him an immense amount of information about service associations, sign-posting, road-mapping, etc., together with details of the organisation of automobile associations from England, the Continent and America. Mr. Butcher is standing for re-elec-tion to the council, where his experience will be very valuable. ADDRESS BROADCAST This evening the service officer of the A.A.A., Mr. Roy Champtalonp, will broadcast an address from IYA on “The Requirements of Motor Owners under the Motor Vehicles Bill.” Motorists would be well advised to listen-in as a good deal of valuable information will be given. HAMILTON BRANCH The annual meeting of the Hamilton branch was held last Tuesday evening, when a number of councillors of the parent body went down by motor. Addresses were given by Hr. H. Lawrie, president of the A.A.A., Mr. Geo. W. Hutchison, secretary, and Mr. M. H. Wynyard, motorists’ representative on the Main Highways Board. ANNUAL MEETING Several of the A.A.A. council are retiring from office this year, and some are not seeking re-election. One of those who is again offering his services to the association is Mr. Arthur Grayson. Mr. Grayson has been chairman of the Service Committee for the past two years, and has been responsible for superintending a good deal of the service Avork which has been so much appreciated by members. SPEEDOMETER TESTING The association proposes to survey a five-mile stretch of the Great South Road and to place posts at one-mile intervals for the guidance of motorists who wish to check their speedometers. It is expected that the section of highway in the vicinity of Otahuhu, Papatoetoe and Manurewa, will be chosen for the testing stretch. By driving over the full five miles the motorist will be able to arrive at a very accurate estimate of the error of the distance recorder ol: the speedometer. The testing of the speed indicator requires more care, and the assistance of a passenger with a watch is almost essential. If tests are made at 15, 20, 25 and 30 m.p.h., over the one-mile distances, it may be found that the speedometer has a constant percentage of error. On the other hand, the test might disclose that the error is different at every speed, and in this case the speedometer is hardly worth retaining. Care should be taken when making speed tests that the reading is kept steady. If a slight grade is encountered, the accelerator will require very careful pressure to maintain an unvarying record. When the road mileages have been checked, the A.A.A. will erect conspicuous signposts. This action is being taken purely for the assistance of the hundreds of motorists who are guessing at the errors of their speedometers. Drivers should appreciate the facility and not regard as a measure enabling them to test high speed capacity during busy week-end traffic. The introduction of this speedo-test-ing system will mean the elimination of a good deal of “cussing” while on tour at holiday time. Motorists who rely wholely on their speedometer and the road guide for getting them to their destination, often find that they can’t find the wide-road said to be four miles from the last signpost. This is probably due to the incorrect reading of their speedometers.- A run over the testing course before leaving on the tour will put things right. In explaining an English system for encouraging the “Safety First” principle in motor drivers, Mr. F. W. Johnston stated at last week’s meeting of the South Island Motor Union, held at Blenheim, that a Traffic Safety League was formed and every member who drove for a year without an accident was awarded a badge. His own idea was that a badge should be awarded to drivers who went two years without an accident and a bar to the badge could be awarded at the end of the third year. At the end of the fourth year the motorist could be awarded Furness, amid laughter.