The Washington herald., 1921-10-23
SOUND ADVICE ON
DRIVING MACHINE
Proficient Pilot Learns to
Watch Road Far In
Advance of Car.

Some motor car drivers run their
cars along the road at nearly uni
form speed, preserve an almost
straight course with scarcely per-
ceptible deviations when the road
is straight, avoiding small obstruc-
tions on the surface as IL by good
luck more than by intention, and
never getting into tight places in
traffic that requires sudden dexter
Gus movements to prevent collision
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 treat
ing their companions in the car TO
thrilling moments Of suspense as
they narrowly avert the running
down of a slower moving pedestrian
or a cyclist.
Looking Ahead.
These differences are noticeable
alike on city streets and country
roads, and are amply sufficient to
make 1t 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 or the pre-
else reasons that give you conf
dence in the one and make you ap-
prehensive with the other, yet the
feeling Is there. In all probability
the secret lies in this fine point in
driving an automobile-the distance
head 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 a straight
level road this may be several miles,
on winding course as far as the
next turn; on q billy road the crest
Of the next rise, and on the 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 sur
face Of the road are seen long be-
fore the car comes to them, and
almost unconsciously the car is
steered to avoid them. The action
begins SO early that the movement
is practically imperceptible to other
and the driver does not
md 1t necessary to keep his eyes
fixed upon the spot or object until It
has passed: he has early. insured
that 1t 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,
practice that becomes wearisome to
the driver and gives rise to urex-
pected emergencies
Indifferent Drfvernl
The novice or Indifferent driver
who concentrates much Of his at
tention on the road directly in front
Of his wheels does not see impede
ments far enough in advance to be-
gin a gradual movement in advance
of them, but must make quick turns
to swing out around the holes,
stones and other distractions. Then
with his attention fixed upon the
thing or place he Is
avoiding, he Is unprepared for the
next one, which he has not seen.
The human eye Is like a camera in
this respect that when focused upon
the distance the immediate fore,
ground is also In fairly good focus,
but when focused only q few yards
or two or three yards ahead, the
is very indistinct. Con-
sequently the motor car driver who
watches the road at the point of
disappearance finds that the fore
ground takes care Of itself.