The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-12-02
GOOD ADVICE ON
DRIVING MOTORS
Proficient Pilot Soon Learns to
Watch Road Some Distance
in Advance of Car.
ALWAYS ALERT FOR DANGER
Some Drivers Dodge Every Little
Hole, Stone, Horseshoe and Broken
Bottle With Short Turn of
the Steering Wheel.

Some motorcar drivers run their
cars along the road at nearly uniform
speed, preserve an almost straight
course, with scarcely perceptible devil
ations when the road is straight, avoid
Ing small distractions on the surface
as if by good luck more than inten-
ton, and never getting into tight
places in traffic that require sudden
dexterous movements to prevent col
lision or other accident.
On the other hand, there are drivers
who dodge every little hole, stone,
horseshoe and broken bottle with a
short turn Of the steering wheel that
results in an unpleasant swaying of
the car body; who slow up and start
ahead with annoying frequency and
are repeatedly treating their compan-
Ions in the car to thrilling moments
of suspense as they narrowly avert the
running down of slower moving pc
destrian or cyclist.
Looking Ahead.
These differences are noticeable
roads, and are amply sufficient to
make it a delight to ride with one
friend at the wheel and almost tor
ture to sit in the car behind another.
You may be unconscious of the pre-
else reasons that give you confidence
in the one and make you apprehensiye
with the other, yet the feeling is there.
In all probability the secret lies in this
fine point in driving an automobile
the distance ahead of the car at which
the driver focuses his gaze.
The proficient driver has early
learned to watch the road far in ad-
vance of his car-as far, in fact, as
the road is visible. On straight,
level road this may be several miles,
on a winding course as far as the next
turn; on a billy road the crest of the
next rise, and on city streets as far as
the state of the traffic permits the way
to be seen clearly.
Following this practice, all bad
places and small objects on the surface
of the road are seen long before the
sciously the car is steered to avoid
them. The action begins so early that
the movement is practically impercep-
tible to other passengers, and the driv-
err does not find it necessary to keep
his eyes fixed upon the spot or object
until it has passed; he has early in
sured that it will not be struck by
the wheels, and so continues to keep
his eyes focused away ahead. Thus
he avoids dropping his eyes to watch
all such near objects and raising them
again to the focusing point, a prac-
tice that becames wearisome to the
driver and gives rise to unexpected
emergencies.
Indifferent Drivers.
The novice or Indifferent driver who
concentrates much of his attention on
the road directly in front of his wheels
does not see impedimenta far enough
In advance to begin a gradual move
ment in avoidance of them, but must
make quick turns to swing out around
the holes, stones and other obstruc-
tons. Then, with his attention fixed
upon the particular thing or place he
is avoiding, he is unprepared for the
next one, which he has not seen.
The human eye is like camera in
this respect that when focused upon
the distance the immediate foreground
is also in fairly good focus, but when
focused only few yards or two or