MEMS. FOR WOMEN MOTORISTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 107, 27 July 1927, Page 5

MEMS. FOR WOMEN MOTORISTS

CARE OF THE CLUTCH j Motoring mishaps which have occurred recently suggest that even the most obvious precautions against accident are not always taken. In an accident which occurred recently, a driver was run over by his own car because he did not make sure that the gears were in neutral before cranking up his engine. The gear lever should automatically go into the neutral position the moment the woman driver stops her car, no matter for what reason. There* is often a temptation during a temporary hold-up in traffic to leave the car in gear, and to depress the clutch pedal in readiness to start the moment the block is over, but this temptation should be strenuously resisted. The engine may give out, and in the press of the moment it may be forgotten that the gear is engaged, with the result that the car may shoot forward and cause all sorts of trouble. The practice of keeping the clutch pedal depressed for longer than is necessary to effect a change of gear is not only dangerous, but it is very detrimental to the clutch mechanism. The clutch, with its springs, must be considered a delicate component, and it should be treated with respect. Many women drivers have a habit of resting their foot on the clutch pedal throughout a run, and sooner or later it betrays a tendency to slip of its own accord if the practice is persisted in. Incidentally, care should be taken to give a few drops of oil to the clutch mechanism every week, for it is a part that wears quickly if neglected. If shoes slip up and down through being too large, seccotine a piece of an old suede or chamois glove inside the heel.