The Washington times., 1915-12-11
BIG FACTOR
IN MOTOR SAFETY

What are the factors which make a
motor car safe?
This is a question on which motorists
are beginning to agree. although there
has been a great deal OF discussion re-
garding 1t during the past years.
In the first place. Is speed a danger
or a safety factor? At first blush. one
would be inclined to say danger" but
w. L. Stalnaker. of the Pathfinder
Company. makes the startling statement
that speed is one OF the most pro-
nounced contributors to safety that a
motor car possesses. providing. always.
that other essential conditions are right.
He cites. for example. the number Of
accidents in motor car racing when
motors were slow. as compared TO the
comparative freedom from accidents in
the recent high speed events where the
time ran higher than one hundred miles
peg, hour - 49,. ,,,
speed would not have been extremely
hazardous when cars were built poorly.
but with modern construction. which IL
the element Of speed has very little awe
for the average spectator or partici-
pant"
The old-fashioned narrow gauge trains
would have dashed off the track at
one-half the speed which today's trans
continental trains make every hour with
utter impunity. The railway has not
run away from the motor car in the
development of safety devices. While
the motor car has a great deal harder
conditions to combat than does the rail-
way. 1t has met them quite successfully.
1t does not take much of an imaRina-
ton to see that a motor car with the
give and take roads beneath II. tunc-
tioninR under all kinds OF conditions.
has a great deal more to do when It
comes to maintaining its course safely.
than has the railroad train. with its
perfectly true and unyieldinK steel track
and heavily ballasted roadbed. Then.
too. there is not the matter OF soft
resilient pneumatic tires to contend with
in the case of the railway train.
Tire Maker Did Much.
The tire maker has done as much to
make motoring safe as any one. Then
comes the spring maker, and the high
grade specialist, who Is responsible for
the little steering knuckles, which dare
not give way. You seldom hear OF a
broken steering knuclSle these days-tt
used to be quite common.
But while you are enumerating the
parts makers have contributed to safe
ty, don't forget the man who makes
the motor itself 4 wild unbalanced
motor is one OF the most dangerous
things that might enter into the con-
struction OF a motor car. II will rack
a car from rear to front. 1t will work
on every bolt and loosen IL in spite
OF fate and high water. There IL
nothing which weakens q motor caS
throughout its whole chassis 30 much
as a vibrant and poorly balanced pow
er plant,
Vibration Anti-safety Influence.
Vibration has been the anti-safety in
fiuence which ali engineers have been
striving to conquer. And the battle
was won when the multiple cylinder
motor attained a state of perfection.
am of the opinion that the height OF
smoothness has been attained in the
present valve-in-head twelve cylinder
power plant.
The inter-explosion lapse which has
made motors vibrant has in the good
twelve been entirely eliminated. And
the extra strength which a tWeTVe-
cylinder Valve-in-head power plant
calls for throughout the rest of rhe
chassis makes a car built along these
lines as safe as car can be.
Such q car the Pathfinder company
is turning out in the new Pathfinder
twelve. The car has attracted wide
attention wherever II has gone as a
result Of its hill-climbing power and
general road ability.