New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-28

those who make light of il 10 the con
trary. The slipping or skidding itself
Is not dangerous, but If the car
strikes anything, then there Is the
possibility of serious damage 10 the
car. as we'll as to the obstruction hit.
If a sliding movement occurs be-
tween two contracting bodies, the one
that is in motion may be moved at an
angle to its path or direction OF
movement Based on this fact, then,
skidding can be corrected If the driver
will but use his head. while, on the
other hand. skidding can be prevented
if again the thinking cap is used, IN
stead Of the FOOLS cap.
II by chance you are forced to drive
on slippery pavement, care should
be taken to avoid any sudden varia-
tions from the true forward rolling
motion of the wheels on the road. II
the engine is suddenly accelerated the
driving wheels may not secure proper
traction and will spin around instead
Of rolling forward.
Again, if the brakes be suddenly ap-
piled, the road wheels may rotate
slower than the corresponding progress
of the car-in fact. they may even
cease to rotate at all, merely sliding
along. Further, in passing over an
uneven road the car may bounce, so
that the wheels at times are actually
out of contact with the road surface.
Under any of these conditions a very
slight disturbing force will be enough
to defect the car from its straight
course and cause sideslip.
So long as the road is hard and dry
the friction between the tires and road
surface will be ample to prevent skid
ding; but if the hard, smooth surface
be covered with thin mud, or if com
paratively soft surface be covered with
thick mud, the car will not obtain a
sufficiently firm grip on the road and
may begin TO slide at any moment. The
same thing may, or will, happen on
roads that are deep in dust.
Another and very dangerous cause of
sideslip is found when encountering the
steel rails of the streetcar lines. The
tracks generally project above the gem
era level, or sometimes are depressed
below. in either case forming ridges
which tend to prevent the car travel
| ling at an angle thereto. The disturb
| ing effect is greatest when the rails
are wet.
Probably the fact that cars are driven
from the back and steered by the front
contributes to their tendency TO slip,
as the rear part has a disposition 10
push around the front, on one side or
the other. OF course, the greatest
tendency 70 sideslip occurs when the
car il being driven around corner,
as the centrifugal force then exerts
very great lateral pressure upon the
vehicle.
To avoid sideslip you may take GER
tain precautions. Not 10 take the car
out when the roads are slippery would
not be wise advice, because IL may not
always be possible TO follow that ad-
vice, and, further, though the roads
may be perfectly safe, as rule, you
may find that the sprinkling cart has
made them quite the reverse over more
or less restricted sections. But, when
y slippery stretch is encountered, pro
coed slowly, especially in making turns.
If the car begins TO slip, keep your
wits about you and begin 70 steer In
the direction of the slip. This may be
exactly contrary TO your inclination,
but it will tend TO restore the grip OF
:he wheels on the road, and, as soon
as this resul. is attained, you may be-
gin carefully TO steer again in the d.
rection you wish 10 go.
The reason for the seemingly unnat-
ural instruction TO steer the way you
are sliding is this: The car skids when
a certain momentum exerts itself, tend
ing 70 turn the car about its centre Of
gravity; when the forces surrounding
the centre of gravity are balanced the
skid is over. So that II the steering
wheel Is Immediately turned so that
the front wheels are headed IN tho d.