Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-14
sTEERING MOTOR CAR FIRST
POINT FOR BEGINNER TO LEARN
~ Should Then Take Up in Turn Starting on LeDel Sbi;
Gears, Reversing, Starting on Hin and
Shifting on HdL

h.e,nner learn TO steer before
tho'le - etart and stop a motorear7
t karns " ',,sr which ls particularly in
Ihis q.,s,,, because Of the large num-
lgeftns s.o,,s buVing their frst cars, IL
sti o sfirmativeiy by a correspondent
Victor Print ,. .,oht a.,
lne ~ IN the order OF. their diihculty'
Inssid,is operations may oe grouped as
steering; starting on low seeI
i1lo,,.. ,sanipulation Of spark; reversing;
t1iune hill; shifting on hill.
HeIln,s iii an will agree that steering is the
Wnns ansration. most people will i'm
rmpis.i,, obiect that II is Impossible
ntas's., ,be least, dangerous-to allow
or 10 10 steer before he knows how
tsse y, sfop. However. II is perfectly
3 tu .iioVy the novice to take the wheel
sat 70 9..i unfreauented road with the car
msr slowly in high gear. Before
rln siven the wheel the operation Of
.eeIerator should be explained, and
tenl6 be firmly Impressed on him that
~ II should be. necessary to stop, this
~ sseompilshed by pushing out hard
!. scth big pedals
y, reason for teaching steering be-
,,s asrtlns and gear-shifting is because
lNg t,ftsr for the beginner to learn one
l...snsnt AT a time, so that when he
~. n start he is master Of the wheel
.,.4rs without thought or effort.
wv. w ,i,ows him to concentrate all his
.4.,lrn Luz on starting. To ask novice
. iasrn starting and steering at the
N. ,,nne Ia too big a task: when the
.,ere 1ets the clutch in for the first time
a ,ba car moves off he is sufficiently
a..yissd and generally excited without
MAG unon him to guide the car at the
e,fne time.
rmsIly the novice has difficulty in
...sp,ilatinE clutch and accelerator
.~ootbly. with the result that the motor
,seed or allowed to labor, and a jerky
.,.rt results. Truly this is enough to
NJ him TO learn at one time, without
,,o requiring him to guide the car.
fhsra IL virtually no danger in allow
n the beginner to take the wheel with
4 further instruction than to push hard
a the two big pedals to stop. providing
IA road is level and unfrequented, and
s,eh . road can be found within or in
eose proximity to any city. Even sup
so,Ing that the driver should become
tsnfused in an emergency and forget
IN to stop. 1t is easy for the instructor
a reach over and take the wheel and
A tie same time place his feet on the
riis.
Low gear may be used instead Of high
in steering instruction II the latter sets
10 fast a pace. An alternative method
q teaching steering is to seat the be-
timer beside the driver and allow him
% steer from this position. The impor-
iant point is he should learn steering
fist
The next step is starting the car on
low gear, and unless the pupil shows
considerable lptitude, 1t Is best for him
to practice the movements several times
NTH the motor stopped, and in any case,
after the instructor describes the opera
ton to the pupil the latter should repeat
the directions without hesitancy before
he Is allowed to proceed.
The meshing Of low gear and the en-
gagement of the clutch should be DEM
onstrated several times, the movements
being very slow and deliberate.
Starting should, be practiced several