IT’S HUMAN NATURE TO SPEED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 390, 26 June 1928, Page 6

IT’S HUMAN NATURE TO SPEED

EFFECT OF A PASSING CAR It is a curious i.act that comparatively few motorists can remain totally unmoved and inactive while the car they are driving is being overtaken and passed by another. It may very well happen that a driver is in no particular hurry, and is out on the road chiefly to enjoy the fresh air. Yet, when a warning horn note is heard behind, and a car shows signs of passing, or actually goes by, it is fairly certain that the overtaken driver will press down his foot further on the accelerator and try to demonstrate that he, too, does not always keep strictly to 20 m.p.h. Without in any sense involving a race upon the public roads, this competitive spirit is noticeable among owners of all types and even ages. If the overtaken vehicle be of the sports or hot-stuff variety, caught in a moment of inattention on the part of the man at the wheel, it is a thousand to one that the temptation to speed up for a mile or two will be too great to be resisted. Particularly amusing are the instances in which a saloon of the 40 h.p. class is passed by an Austin seven, or other miniature car. Should this take place on an up grade as happens not infrequently in these days of the efficient small cars—the expression on the faces of the driver of the big car and its passengers is usually a study in astonishment and incredulity. Reliability runs, hill climbs and so on seem very popular just now with Sydney motorists. Conditions have now been issued by the Royal Australian Automobile Club for their annual contest to Robertson, on Jun© 30, one of the club’s most popular road events of the year. In addition to the reliability section, which vill carry 50 points, a slow running test (50 points), a flying half mile (100 points), anu a hill climb (100 points), wfil be held. Competitors will again k® _~ lvide<i int o three classes: A, up to •°°o p.c., 1,551 c.c. to 3,050 c.c., C. over 3, 050 c.c. The club’s old formula will be used to find the winner of the flying half-mile, and the hill climb—time multiplied by cubic capacitv divided into weight, plus ,71b a c.c.

rwired tb o2 ’ They say there are a M £* sand new motorists on t e jjg ss year. One of them was s erratic course along the hie tOsurprising things without w throwing those behind c o:jr:'fusion and despair. At ias drew up and the own ° . and lowing behind also BtoPPf r t T--“I’ve a jolly good mind to sir. What is your name. ~j s yd* sir,” replied the often ■ and I confess I’m onl nte d_' ? ■Yes, I guessed that, c , 0 expert bitterly, ‘'aud it g aa3g er»' that a Little learning 18 thing."