Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-30
SAFETY.FIRST SLOGAN
SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND
Expert Tells About Learning How to
Operate n Motor Car
Properly.
by RAY M,NANIARA.


by RAY M'NAMARA.
Learning TO operate motor car
| properly and with a certain degree of
safety is very serious problem, says
| Ray Mcnamara. road engineer Maxwell
| Motor Company. and yet Il very simple
undertaking when tho safety frs.
slogan is kept In mind. The average
urivcr believes himself very cxpert af-
ter few weeks behind the wheel; be-
GINS 10 hit 'er up unconsciously. dis
regarding the safety of the public. and
very often comes to grief
| The writer. having driven somewhere
near 100000 miles in the last few years
MaSwelling through every State in the
| Union. eight transcontinental trips in
| the United States. also covering Il large
! portion of Canada, is still learning
something new every day about tho
operation of motor cars, and the Max
. we'll in particular.
/ In my opinion. there would be fewer
| accidents and less expense to motorists
! in general. and moro Joy to life Cor
both pedestrians and motorists il the
latter would exercise the same amount
OF care about learning, to drive a motor
car hc does about going into deep
! water when learning the art OF swim
ming. The risks are very much alike.
except with the motor car the student
ana other lcilo" safety liz III Nhe
; balance.
While this article aims TO instruct
Maxwell owners, any motorist follow
ing tho hints given will profit.
We will call. just for instance. school
districts. high speed. and conGested
traffic, deep water. They should not
he treSpassed upon by the student I'M
til he has that same confidence that
would carry him into deep water with
safety.
Select a wide city block. or good
country road free from dangerous
curves. at n time of the day when
traffic is light. for your first lessons.
The general practice is to famiiiarize
the student will; the stccrin: OF the
car first. letting him get acQua lint cd
by chance with the brakes. clutch and
gears. which is all wrong and dam
gerous.
Dealers giving Maxwell buyers in
structionS should see that the new
owner gets general idea OF ju:t what
each lever is for. Then take his posi-
ton at the wheel and learn 10 start
and stop first. \ dozcn---cven "a hum
d-ed attempts-shculd be mad until
the owner is thoroughly confident that
he can make a quick stop without get
ting ratified. When this is accom-
plished. then il is time 20 move along
az a moderate speed not exceeding fif-
teen miles per hour. During this trial
acquaint the driver with tho steering
of the car, judging distance. traffic. etc.
The instructor having acquainted tho
owner with tho operation Of gear
levers. brakes and throttle. practice
stopping at imaginary objects along
tho road. turn corners slowly, turn
around i'll tho road, and go tho other
way several times.
All OF this will aid the owner ma
,eriaily III learning the most important
feature OF driving. which is judging
distance. You will find yourself very
awkward at this for n time, hut rs
long as you keep your sneed down and
learn just how much space II takes TO
bring your car to a dead stop, you
will avoid accidents and gain confidence
very rapidly. The Maxwell owners
should learn more rapidly because OF
the easy starting and stopping OF their
car.
For the sake OF experiment and your
own information, draw two lines across
the road fifty feet apart. Then move
.hc Maxwell car toward the lines at
twenty miles an hour, crossing the
fi-st line. apply tho brakes and sec Just
how many feet il takes TO bring your
car TO 4 dead stop. Unless your brakes
are 100 per cent efficient, you Will find
il very difficult 10 stop we'll within
IL
idea Of just what speed is safe in APP
preaching railroad crossings and in
tersecting streets. and how near you
car go TO traffic obstruction before
stopping tho Maxwell.
Making dead stop in thirty feet
from speed OF twenty miles per hour
Is very good brake performance. for
any car. To stop in fifty feet is con
sidered O. X. However. nine out Of
ten cars will not accomplish this feat
without come preparation, excepting
some light cars under 1000 pounds.
Short tours OF few hours duration
each day arc splendid practice, too,
before exposing your family or friends
to busy city traffic and dangerous rail
be made over roads free from steep
hills, dangerous turns and at an hour
when tratti: is light.
Reliable information OF tho Maxwell
company tends 10 show that tragedies
OF railroad crossings, sharp turns and
bitches, in nine cases out OF ten. nap
pen TO the inexperienced driver or to
high spcedera.
always make it practice TO cross
railroads on second gear.
With this practice there Is less dam
ger of stallins your motor. Never
cross railroad unless positive that
the tracks arc clear. even II necessary
to get out Of the car and walk ahead
IN and about our large cities there are
many crossings where tho Eateman
or hagman Is off the job after $40
\. VI. In such cases 1t il necessary to
be ezra careful. and you arc almost
compelled TO get out OF the car Ia
see If III. rond is clear
Almost every driver Of motor cars
experiences "A marrow escape or bad
nishap before realizing the dangers
or wet or icy streets. Autisl.id tires
should he on the rear wheels OF Max
vel! cars and antiskid chains should
W "ronsht ihto use too. especially
"h"h travelling Oh snow or icy streets
or wet dirt roads