The Washington times., 1913-03-22
.SK|DD|NG CAUSES
MOST ACCIDENTS
Lack of Equipment Responsible
for at Least Ninety Per
Cent, Report Declares.

THE usual increase in the number of
automobile accidents is shown in the re-
ports of commissioners of highways and
other officers having duties of a similar
nature" said +. w. Muller.
With the rapid increase in the num-
ber of automobiles this result was, to
certain extent. inevitable, but the
number of accidents seems to have in
creased out of proportion to the num-
ber of motor cars, and the causes of ac-
cidents are now being more carefully
investigated than they have been in the
past.
"The commissioner of highways Of
one county, who is himself an enthusi-
astic motorist, has gone into the mat
ter with great thoroughness. and. after
carefully analyzing the reports on au-
tomobile accidents in his own and
interesting recommendations. As usual,
the first recommendation Is for more
stringent enforcement of the laws to
check excessive speed and racing on
the public highways.
His next recommendation is that
the wheels of all motor cars be equip
ped with tire chains In rainy weather.
or at any time when the roads and
streets are in a wet, slippery condi-
ton.
Equipment Lacking.
The commissioner finds that 30 per
cent of the automobile accidents re-
ported to him were caused by cars not
equipped with tire chains, skidding in
to collision with other vehicles or sta
ley poles, trees, etc. The commissioner
believes, moreover, that a considerable
number of the accidents classed un-
der speeding could have been averted
had the drivers Of these automobiles
had the adequate brake control over
their cars. which can only be obtained
in wet weather by the use of tire
chains properly fitted to the wheels.
''The following from mis- report should
be of interest to every one who drives a
motor car:
"'It is surely self-evident that no
one may properly be called an efficient
and safe driver Of a motor car unless
he has at all times complete control
over the machine which he is driving:
No person driving over a slippery road
has complete control Of a motor car
with wheels equipped with nothing but
the ordinary rubber tires. In an emerg-
ency he cannot apply his brakes with
full force without starting his car
land in the ditch or against the near
est tree.
SHdding Real Cause.
Amy man who will take the trouble
to study the reports of automobile ac-
the figures, that at least 80 per cent
of all accidents to motor cars are pri-
marily caused by skidding.
1T Is often difficult to tell after an
automobile accident exactly what was
the cause When a car skfds into a
ditch and is found with a broken axle,
there is often doubt as to whether the
breaking Of the axle sent the car into
the ditch. . ...
There is just one way in which a
motor car can be adequately controlled
on a slippery road. and that is by trie
chains properly adjusted to the four
wheels of the car. Equipped with tire
chains, not the slightest difficulty
will be experienced in gaining complete
control. and such a thing as skidding
will be impossible
The approach of spring weather alters
materially the conditions under which
motorists have been operating their
Martin. manager of the Buick Motor
Company was discussing the subject the
other day.
'One important thing to do" he said,
lis to reduce the richness of the gas
mixture, otherwise the motor will suf-
fer from carboniZation. As a matter of
fact, the rich mixture used during the
winter usually does cause some carbon
deposits in the cylinders and on the pis-
ton heads. These should be removed by
the use of kerosene or denatured alcohol
injected into the cylinders at night or
when the motor is warm, and allowed to
softened and blown out through the ex-
haust when the motor is started. Or
there are several good carbon removers
that can be used"