COURTESY LEAGUE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 342, 1 May 1928, Page 7

COURTESY LEAGUE

AN AUSTRALIAN IDEA The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria has launched a Road Courtesy League, an action worth adoption in New Zealand. Here is the code of the league: All loyal members always: When walking: Make full use of footwaj'S and refuges. Look right and left before stepping into carriageway. Choose a safe place and await a favourable opportunity to cross. Cross by the shortest route. Keep a constant look out while crossing. Beware of stepping from behind one vehicle into the path of another. Rely on their own judgment (not on a vehicle’s brakes), particularly if the road be greasy. Realise the danger of boarding or leaving moving vehicles. Watch for traffic before boarding or leaving trains. Keep cool if caught in traffic, and avoid dodging about. Help the yoimg and infirm to cross. When cycling: Keep a straight course. Keep full control of cycle. “Hug” the left. Overtake with discretion and on the right of all vehicles (except trams). Signal clearly, and in ample time, before turning. Conform suitably to the warning signals of other road users. Avoid riding more than two abreast when other traffic is about. Carry adequate illumination at night. When driving a horse vehicle: Drive at a safe speed. Keep well to the left. Overtake with discretion. Signal correctly and in ample time. Conform suitably to the warning signals of other road users. When riding or driving a motor vehicle: Keep on guard against the

errors of others. Regulate speed according to all the circumstances. Exercise extra caution at road junctions. Keep well to the proper side of the road. Overtake only with safety. Use horn with deseretion and consideration.. Give signals correctly, clearly and in ample time. Change direction or pace without inconveniencing others. Conform suitably to the signals of other road users. Avoid needless dazzle to other road users. Leave vehicle only where no one will be inconvenienced. Maintain vehicle in safe mechanical condition. Drive only when physically fit to do so. Acknowledge the courtesy of others. And generally do more than theft full shares of preventing accidents to themselves and others, and so win the gratitude of all other true sportsmen of the road. MANUFACTURERS’ FAULTS INVESTIGATE BEFORE REPORTING Designers and manufacturers are often blamed for faults which, when investigated, are found to be due to the carelessness of repair shop mechanics is reassembling parts after repair or adjustment. In a large number of cases first-class workmanship in the overhaul of important units is found, but much of the detail work is treated indifferently. A fault with careless mechanics is that of fitting up a part so that it suffers an initial strain, which in some cases is the direct cause of fracture. Two examples were revealed recently, when a recently overhauled light van had been running for a few weeks. The first was a bad leak in the top water tank of the radiator, caused by a strain on the top tie-rod, which, instead of being properly adjusted, had been forced into position, with the result that the lug to which it was secured on the top tank had broken away. This caused a bad leak, and meant that the vehicle had to go for repair again. The other trouble, also due to the same kind of carelessness, followed the removal and replacement of the exhaust silencer. For some reason one of the brackets carrying the exhaust tail-pipe had become bent, and this, unnoticed, was bolted up to the frame. The difficulty in fixing it in place should have served as a warning to the mechanic that something was wrong, but by the exercise of force he was able to strain the pipe, and so get the bracket bolts into place. This initial strain, coupled with the flexions of the frame, soon had the inevitable effect. In this case the whole of the strain fell on a welded joint at the end of the silencer, with the result that the end plate broke away. WORLD S MOTOR CENSUS A census taken at the beginning of this year showed that 29,638,535 motorcars were in use throughout the world. This is 2,111,297 more than were operating in January, 1927, and. as the total production of cars last year was 4,147,313, more than 2,000,000 must have been relegated to the scrap heap during 1927. Of the total number of cars registered, about 78 per cent., of 23,253,892 are in the U.S.A.. which has one for each 5.1 persons. New Zealand has one to each 10. i persons and Australia one to each 13.4. —-•—-