Road Lore

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 982, 27 May 1930, Page 6

Road Lore

HOW MOTORISTS BENEFIT

UNTIL a few years ago any motorist who set forth upon a 50-mile journey from this City for pleasure alone, was a hardy individual indeed—no amount of “head work” or local knowledge could prevent a goodly portion of the journey being over roads of the vilest description, Today the same journey would be over highways which, compared with the indifferent going of the past, represent a slice of a motorist’s paradise.

Roads and motoring are kindred subjects: one is of little use without the other. So it pays a driver to make a study of the latter as well as the former. Naturally, with the rapid increase m motors of all descriptions, congestion has become more pronounced, particularly in busy centres, and, as a consequence, there is an incessant demand for the general widening of highways. Now, in this regard, I am firmly convinced that the remedy—at least for some considerable time to come—lies, not in the expenditure of millions of pounds, but at the hands of road-users themselves. The effective width of any road is increased or decreased for purposes of transport by the behaviour of those driving over it, and if every driver were to drive as near to the left side as practicable, refrain from using the “middle half/’ then we would, in effect, widen our roads automatically “SELFISH AND SLOVENLY"' No doubt drivers of heavier vehicles are the worst offenders in this matter, and in many instances a vigorous offensive by the police authorities would be the only sure remedy. Driv ers of automobiles, however, have no excuse for this slovenly and selfish policy. From a purely motoring point of view the rebuilding of these roads in concrete and asphalt has introduced another factor for discussion both in regard to economy of running and in the factor of safety when driving. Many motorists, while agreeing in the main with the smooth travelling and consequent; economy in repairs to running gear, are inclined to hold opinions that tyres suffer rather more than they would expect. These folk lose sight of the important fact that speed is really the governing element in tyre wear, and few will deny that their road speed is invariably higher on good concrete than under old “dirt” road conditions. It may be that at high speed the “tar” type of surface would show better. results, but the actual difference under normal touring conditions would be so trifling as to scarcely be worth consideration.

As a set-off against any disability in this direction, however, the safety factor must be studied, for there is no shadow of doubt that the concrete highway in all or any weather is by far the safest upon which to drive. In midsummer, upon some of the smooth, tarred surfaces, a fierce appli cation of the brakes will provoke a vicious skid—the soft surface gives under the wheels, while on others of the highly polished type, a jab at the brake pedal during rain will almost invariably set the car in a hair-raising waltz. Strictly speaking, such a position should not arise were safety first principles carefully observed, but in practice this would involve such ridiculously slow speed as to render the car practically useless as a medium of transport. Personally, driving over this glasslike surface in wet weather is my pet aversion, and the only phase of driving that I can never undertake with any degree of confidence. ANYTHING MAY HAPPEN This is due to the fact that once a car begins to “waltz” at speed under these conditions, there are so many “perhaps” and “ifs” in the problem of regaining control that there is always a distinct possibility of serious damages to some person or property. And luck should never enter into the calcula tions of a careful driver. Unfortunately, motorists in country districts have as yet had little opportunity of sampling the undoubted benefits of permanent highways. Particularly in the case of minor roads, capital expenditure has so far been the insurmountable barrier. But experiments conducted recently wherein two concrete strips each two feet wide have been set in the roadway augur well for the future. The outlay in constructing a highway of this type compares very favourably with even the cheapest of metal road, and its wearing qualities and ease of maintenance, coupled witii the ideal surface upon which the traffic may ride, lead one to the conclusion that very soon a general plan of construction along these lines will be adopted in country centres.