New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

ali
accident prevention.
n. large number Of automobile ac-
dents reported each week, particular
!, In the territory within one hundred
alias of New York, indicates that the
..sy;px drive of New York's auto
so,res has not been wholly successful
4side from the accidents reported
rh.rs there have been casualties OF
CIRCUS injuries, there have been lit
.,,l]y hundreds of lesser nature, each
,f which had dire potentialitiess A
rerussl of the Monday papers usually
.ends q thrill through one because of
,Ae large number of these accidents
reno,ted, and owners, therefore, are
;sterested in the causes for all this
trouble and how it may be avoided.
His a perfectly natural thing that
ihese accidents should be more notice
Lille this spring than usual. We had
,uch long period of real winter and
Ind roads that few people went out
driving, certainly not into the coun-
try. unless it were necessary. With
he coming Of fine weather every one is
e.eer to get out, and the roads around
lie city are quite crowded with cars,
rsrsieulsrly on Sunday. In fact, on the
main roads it is very nearly q con-
tinuous stream of cars.
Some Drive Too Slowly
New York State roads are notorious
for their curves; that is one factor.
Another is that there are a good many
drivers who like to drive slowly. and
mother set wants to step on the gas
al the while-always seem in a hurry
10 "get there" l do not know which is
ihe greater menace, the man who drives
TOO fast or the man who drives too
slowly, because even the man who
drives we'll within the legal speed
limit may desire to go faster than the
slow driver. Where there are so many
,ars on the road it is very difficult to
pass slow-moving car without doing
il on or very near a curve. A curve
shich one cannot see around is always
point of danger and should be ap-
preached we'll under control.
Now where there are two streams
sf cars going in opposite directions.
Unless the slow driver pulls we'll over
10 one side and they do not seem to
bs eager to drive there, the car be-
aind must wait until there is no car
coming from the opposite direction be-
ore he can safely pass, except, Of
curse. in q very wide roadway. The
sonsequence is that his first oppor-
unity is likely to be just before reach
lg a curve. He speeds up and meets
mother car doing the same thing and
here is smash. He may start to
. by some distance from the curve,
VT it is rather difficult to get back
~ the right side before reaching the
anger point. The same thing applies
o grades which are steep enough SO
lat one cannot see the road ahead un-
ii be goes "over the top"
Right here is time to register q kick
against the kind of driver who drives
long slowly until some one comes up
bshind and blows the horn as signal
si passing and who waits until the
automobile is even and then steps on
!he gas to have a little brush. This
sort Of man is responsible for more
trouble than almost any other. l pre-
sumo it is the sporting instinct, but
The man who does it on crowded road
IS mighty bum sport and he ought
70 be compelled to take his sport on
4 race track or inside the grounds of
IN institution for the mentally in
competent.
Watch for Stalled Car
0f course. a car should always be
driven at such a speed that a corner
o. curve may be turned on the right
side Of the road The man who drives
% fast that he has to swing wide of
'ae turn courts accident. But the car
should also be kept under full control.
keause jus. around the curve there
nay be a car stalled on the right side
Ut the road which will be hard to
s,vid if driving fast
Probably a great many Of the ac-
sldents in the springtime are due to
the fact that many drivers have not
Nd their cars out during the winter,
q they have been driving wholly in
ne city, but when they get out on the
md speed up little, they are awk-
49, A0004tiiE a S6L. <1S q Ats . l
y fact the man who has done on,y
sisy driving during the winter ought
. get out and practice while be
lofe he attempts any touring; he
sasule take an unfrequented road until
e M gets his hand in again. This ap-
russ, Of course, to the man who has
ast been driving at all because of the
I'D winter.
:. Few drivers appreciate tho fact that
ue ear acts In an entirely different
asaner when driven at fifteen and at
twenty-five miles an hour. especially
saere the car is a little heavy. For
- Ie thing, driving at the higher speed,
Aere is much greater momentum
sla tho car will not round a curve
sitnout sliding or side-stepping, or
= 8 least swinging wide, and 1t cannot
stopped nearly 30 short When
m'ying at fifteen miles an hour car
an ordinarily be stopped in twice It's
sag.h, but In driving at twenty-five
" y snirty miles an hour, even though
.as brakes hold we'll enough TO locs
~ sas Naseis--and there would be grea.
ager Of the car overturning IL this
s'e done-the car cannot be stopped
= several times its own length, ard
usss skill in manipulating tho brake
sao steering wheel Is necessary TO
"0p It successfully.
Hogging tho Road
Il. aany accidents might be avoided il
~ driyer did not insist upon his
s.sat Of way" 1t should not be taken
- granted that the fellow who keep
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