New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-29
By c. E. T. SCHARPS

from the motor car their representatives very often "
more nonsensca than Occasionally is both Unless
carefully scrunzed such transformation gets WIDE publicity d
carries its harmful influence far.
An article in Lcss Weekly long spoke OF the eX
,avaVant claims of performance often published without the
censorship which socaed automobile editor OF newspaper
should be expected exert How this applies and also the
pennq statement about ha1muness ypaly exemPhed by
recent publicity by the bort Motor Car company
f Flint Michigan The built brake tests alleged
TO have been made by bort show the Pompness with
which if necessary might be stopped at grade crossings
The bort publicity article made the statement that the ear
stopped as folowsi
40 mile. an hour IS mile. an hour IS miles an hour
y feet Y feet rect
Recognized formula show that deceeraon rate OF to
10 feet second for the length of time to stop the
limit Of comfort and safety occupants of being halted
On the of 10 feet second giving bort the 0eneh OF the
more rapid of deceleradOn, the figures would be:
40 miles an hour Is miles an hour IS miles an hour
I72 feet 90 feet "a feet
In other words according real engineering knowledge and
not mere publicity cIafns it would take space safely and
comfortably to bring a halt ID miles hour than 1t
would according the bort formula to stop at ~ miles an
hour The peicious effect Of the statement made the bort
publicity clear enough especially when coupled with paragraph
such as this:
In addition to demonstrating the worth Of the bort in
bakins power the proves demonstration the general
proposton that the automobile driver is the who has
his power avoid crossing accidents he takes small
precautions The engineer of a train travelling at 40 miles
an the danger 900 feet he knows
the will stop. The driver OF the avoid the
danger when y feet away from the crossing At all speeds
Aexb of the the train places the responsibility
morally with the driver of the machine.
With the statement that the automobile driver by taking
precautions has it in his power avoid crossing accidents
properly quarrel That good doctrine and of
be recommended But the that the driver
the avoid the danger when y feet away from the
crossing vastly different 1t absolutely false his
~ travelling 40 miles an hour
The only way going 40 miles hour be stopped
in y feet wall that far off 1t will stop them but
perhaps the passengers won't And that would be about the effect
of suddenly locking the brakes when going 40 miles hour
The passengers would be thrown far from the they
lucky enough be tossed clear beyond the oncomng
the other side of the railroad tracks they would least escape
being hurt by the train landing head the road be-
yond killed them
What makes this the publicity
Two young who aided in the demonstration
the utility of the bort combination clutch and service had
difficulty making the quick stops and discovered that the de-
excitement proof If the idea is encourage
drivers the thought that they stop going 40 miles
hour in the of y feet the bad effect of the item
doubled although Of course uhfu they
just effectively driver for neither of them
don't know the author of the article which headed The
bort The Train but | will bet equal to the
surance his collects the he will ONE
up grade crossing 40 miles hour with headed
the spot and will put his brakes until z
feet away
The would inevitably slide much further than that dis
An automobile be much readily halted with
the wheels rolling than with them locked Remembering only
that 40 miles hour travelling nearly 50 feet
second that be brought safely stop the
y feet is clearly absurd.
But the absurdty only feature. The pencous effects
OF general in
readily stopped with safety the and by inference to the
occupants of the ncacuabe Yet if this publicity
general circulation sober number of personspa
icuay dvers-woud believe it and ghtful accidents
might well follow
Any who sends a story of this kind for publication
have profound contempt for the intelligence of the public
which his publicity is designed appeal He also have
decided indifference their welfare Furthermore he
low opinion of the nteects of the automobile editors
whom he sends such reading matter and they deserve the
opinion if they print the stuff.
Some reading notices only preposterous have said
Included in this division such that by Vee Motor