Arizona republican., 1920-08-01
GOOD DRIVING
 HABITS AVERT
 BAD ACC|DEN

BAD ACClDEMl l5' To begin with many. perhaps a ma 1or1ty of. drivers grip the steering Wheel in a clumsy and ineffective way Many of them hold both hands at the bottom of the wheels, where they will De able to exert little force in case of sudden emergency. Other drivers have a trick of constantly shifting their hands and stiu others have various personal habits Of hand holding that GO not give maximum control The proper way to grip the wheel is with the hands so placed that they make twenty minutes after ten, assuming for the minute that the wheel is the face or the clock The left hand, of course indicates the hour and the right the minutes On the few cars that have right hand steering the position should be reversed. This position allows one hand to control the wheel while the other is being used to shift gears. s.p- ply the brakes or for any other pur- poses
 Many new drivers make a practice of looking downward when they are try ing to shift gears. This is quite wrong. the eyes should be on the road al cad It is due probably to nervousness be- cause Of the uncertainty whether the
 
 Looking down doesn't help the opera ton at all and tends to let the car get out Of control Many drivers in shift ing from first to second do so with a quick pull of the leve- It is very much better to make the shift slowly; then if the gears clash the lever may be moved to obviate the trouble. On the other hand. with quick shift, injury may De done without time to avoid if. The new driver should try various engine speeds. making the shifts slowly and very soon there will come an almost instinctive gauging of the speed and there will be no furher trouble in mak- ing the changes Very soon one be- comes skillful enough to shift from one gear to another without even releasing the clutch, the relation between engine and shaft speed having been accurately estimated.
 It seems to me that the first lesson that should be learned in driving is how to stop the car. This may seem like putting the cart before the horse but the nature of the motor car and the state of modern highway traffic make IL imperative that the driver be able to stop his vehicle instantly and within the shortest possible space, and the welfare of the car demands that he be able to stop it with the least injury possible The usual method of stop ping the car is to throw out the clutch and apply the brake. This is very well in an emergency, but it's effect on the mechanism of the car when it is done as regular thing is obviously bad. The proper way to make stop under ordinary circumstances, when plenty of time is available, is to begin reduc- ing speed from a point 50 feet or more from the place where the stop is to be made Then the CT will roll up to the stopping place without need of brutal brake application. When the brakes are jammed on not only is the lining of the brake bands likely to be damaged, but the jolt is certainly not good for the rest of the mechanism. and the tires probably will be slid along the ground. to their decided detriment- It is a good plan when the brakes are used to apply them and re- lease them alternately, allowing the clutch to remain in engagement mean while As the ear draws near the stop ping place release the clutch. This method of applying and releasing the brakes is practised by lomocotive en- gineers, and it is more effective than jamning down and holding.
 Most motor car drivers have a horror of skidding, and in truth the expert ence is not a pleasant one. The best cure for the trouble is care beforehand If the brakes are accurately adjusted that is if both of them exert equa pressure when applied and if tire chains are conscientiously fitted ir slipery weather, the danger of skiddins is reduced to minimum When ons brake of a pair holds while the othel allows 1t wheel to continue revolving this sets up slide slip. which tn. slippery pavement accentuates. Whel the car starts to slide if the clutch i released and the brakes ar thrown vio lently on instead of stopping. the ski, is accelerated. It is important to keel the wheels turning, for then they hay some chance to getting a foothol again, whereas if they are locked the much follow the course of the skic The best way. and it is not always sue cessfu1, to check a skid is to turn tn front wheels in the same direction i which the rear is skidding. If a shii to lower gear can be made quickly so much the better, the engine bein accelerated meanwhile This ma cause the rear wheels to spin, but tends to right the car.
 The all too prevalent habit of motor ists of accelerating their engines at tn foot of a grade or hill and then tryin to get over the crest on high, no mat ter how the engine may labor, has bee preached against for years past. Nc only is this trick bad for the engin but accidents not infrequently occur a : result of it, the motor stalling an the car starting to roll down backwar. Incidentally, when the car is stoppiii
 
 wheels should be cramped that tn car cannot roll down hill in case th brake should fail to hold securely.
 Similarly when one is compelled 1 descend a steep grade with numerou turns, it is best to shift into first spec, keeping the right foot on the braE pedal In descending a long hill wheI there is little traffic and no turns speak of it is good plan to switch O the ignition and brake with the CT zine" that is to allow the resistanC within the mechanism to control u speed of the car.
 Many motorists drive over the cre of a hill on the wrong side of the roa This is an extremely dangerous prat tice, for there is no certainty what ma confront them as they come over II y, hill and being on the left side we over past the middle, they are legal in the wrong in case of accidents. TT