Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-09-07
Are Many Reasons For
Automobile Accidents

slippery than would be the case with
a heavy rain. This is due 10 the fact
that when the rain becomes sufficient
ly heavy it washes the mud off the
surface Of the road and takes away
the slippery mixture which is so apt
TO cause a skid at the slightest SEM
blance of locking the wheels.
The advice which is often handed /
out by people who are in a position
Of knowing, 10 put the chains on at
once" is no airy persiflage. The I'M
comfortable feeling of sitting in car
that has passed beyond the drivers
control and is swinging about end for .
end, has only TO be felt once TO con-
vince any one of the advisability of /
taking the little extra trouble neces- |
sary in putting on the tire chains.
If any definite proof of what expert |
fenced owners of large number Of
city going vehicles think of the advis- !
ability OF guarding against the fatal !
skid, it is only necessary to ask the /,
managers Of the large taxicab con-
Germs. The positive instructions is
sued by these people to their drivers
leaves no room for further doubt
Many drivers have the very pro-
nounced fault of speeding through
cross streets between avenues and
then when they reach the avenue, TAX
| ing a chance without slowing down.
{ As rule, the driver on an avenue or
a boulevard expects the driver on the
| side street to enter carefully and it
is up to him to do so, for the driver
going on the avenue has the right of
way over the driver on a side street
! This carelessness in entering the ave-
nue. causes so many accidents that it
is not far behind skidding for effec-
! tiveness in this direction.
CAUTION AVERTs TROUBLE.
When approaching an avenue slow
down to almost a stop if the avenue
is much travelled. If you intend to
turn into the avenue the hand should
be extended to signal a possible driver
behind that a turn is to be made This
will prevent him from coming along
side unawares and cutting into your
car by going straight ahead Just as
you are making the turn.
If the turn is TO be made to the
left the car should be driven straight
across the road past the center inter
secting point OF the street and the
avenue and the turn made beyond this
point. II the turn is to be made to
the right it should be made close to
the curb so as TO allow a vehicle com
ing straight down the avenue to pass.
Another way to prevent accidents
in crowded driving is to always sound
the warning signal when passing a
car. A driver will often make a sud-
den swerve TO avoid the deep holes
which are frequently found even in
the most travelled of the city streets.
Should another car be in the act of
passing as this swerve is made by
a driver who does not know that there
is car on his left, an accident hay-
ing serious consequences TO the run
ming gear of either or both cars may
ensue
Accidents are even possible when
the car is left standing Should the
car be left on hill without the emer-
gency-brake lever set as il ought to
be, II is apt TO gather momentum and
become a source of danger to other
cars as well as itself.
The condition in which the brakes
OF a car are kept is a factor that must
be considered. A car which cannot be
stopped quickly is q menace to the
public. Most states require that a
car should have adequate braking ia
cilities. but it is not a law that can
be enforced, as it is impracticabIe to
hold a brake test on every vehicle at
short intervals.
This should be a matter for the car
owner 10 take care of, not for the
sake OF others alone, as his own safe
y depends on the care expended on
this part Of the car 10 q marked ex.
tent Rear end collisions due 10 the
fact that The car behind cannot be
brought TO standstiIl quickly enough
are the cause Of many punctured radi-
ators and broken gasoline tanks. Wig
lance, regarding both vehicles and De
oestrians, is necessity in city work.
WHASfIer In