Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-09
SOME SECRETS
OF KIDDING"
NON-SKlD DEVICES HAVE 0BvI-
ATED RESEARCH
Driver Should Understand Mechanical
Principles Which Cause Skiddine,
and Thus Be Able to Avoid
This Danger

We have entered on the side-slip sea-
san, SO that few words to the novice
on skidding may not be amiss. IL is 10
be feared that the almost universal use
of>pon-skid devices has to very great
extent prevented the latter day motor =
list from properly approaching the
causes In operation, and the efract they
produce when a motor car is being
driven over a greasy surface, says
Motoring illustrated. This is to be re-
GREETED, since knowledge and expert
ence of these things make for careful
and efficient driving-which, in the end,
means economy and motoring ENJOY
ment.
We do not suggest that motorists
should not rely upon non-sk1d devices,
or, indeed, can afford to dispense with
them, but non-skids are more expensive
than mere rubber faced tires; they 90
not yield the same mileage, nor does
the engine, on a small car, give the
same driving results with them as COM
pared with the rubber faced tires.
There are other reasons why the mo-
torist should not use non-skids more
than he Is compelled to do, but they
do not come inside the scope OF this
article
The cause of side-skidding is insult
fcient FRACTIONAL contact between the
wheels and the road surface. This gen
orally arises from mud or slime on the
latter, but can also be caused by loose
road surface or speed, while steering
out of the straight line of flight, In ex-
cess of that at which the road friction
is greater than the centrifugal force
brought into operation by taking the
corner or curve.
Up to Drivers Sense
The latter does not require treatment
here. so we will confine ourselves to
the effects created by mud or slime
On Shiny surface it is scarcely posi-
BILE to drive plain rubber tired wheels
with certainty: Grooved OF otnerWlse
indented or patterned tire covers
give an amount Of grip proportionate
to their condition; but 1t must De re-
membered that however well these per-
form their duties, there is a limit TO
the liberty that can be taken by the
driver when road conditions are ao-
verse. No matter in what conoltlon OF
grease a straight road is, the motorlst
can negotiate it with safety If he re-
duces his speed sufficiently. No mat
ter how bad the corner or curve, he can
crawl around in safety. Speed is the
bette noir on greasy going, ana is re-
sponsible for most of the contretemps
that arise in ordinary. driving. Inc
obvious moral is, therefore, to reduce
speed to suit the surface and the other
driving conditions. When roads are
very wet, driving is quite as safe as
when very dry. 1t is the midway con-
dition which creates the danger, such
as a slow thaw after frost, drying
road (Which carries much traffic) after
heavy rain. Some roads, the surfaces
of which. are made with oolite or lime
stone, become very treacherous under
the influence of even a sharp shower.
AS a rule, however, driving on ordi-
nary country roads is safe enough If
the speed is restrained and ordinary
caution observed. If another car is
approaching or desires to pass or has
to be passed it is unwise to occupy
the crown of the road up to the last
moment. This would necessitate a
sWerve more or less acute, according
to speed and. with risks of setting up
an uncomfortable skid. The side of the
road should be taken in good time, and
If the cars are approaching each other
both should slow down in case of ac-
cident. When the cars are passing the
car being passed should slow down and
give all the room available.
Deft Work at Wheel
Deft manipulation of the steering
wheel by an expert operator often Will
neutralize well-deVeloped sklo py
maintaining the car in approximately
its original line of onward movements
Thus, if the front wheels are steered
in the direction in which the rear
wheels are skidding, the tendency OF
the vehicle is to stay parallel to us
original line of movement, ready to re-
sumo it as the~skidding terminates. No
motorist can call himself an expert
until he can run his car backward as
we'll as forward without painstaking
caution or poor steering. 1t is not
often that this accomplishment is called
for. but when it is its exercise is
likely to prove of considerable advan-
tage since it may be the means of
saving considerable time in extricat-
ing ones self from traffic crush,
while there may even arise circum-
stances in which it will avoid positive
danger. Most motorists are not capa-
BILE Of running their car backward for
more than a few feet at time. A
genuine expert should be able to run
a car backward for a quarter OF mile
if necessary.
To take greasy corner. turning on
the off or right-hand side is easy
enough, siIice. being on our own side,
we can put the innerside wheels In the
gutter-where they act as non-skids