Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-09
Barney 0ldfee!d says:
PROMOTING SAFETY

We read almost daily in the newspa-
pers Of accidents that happen on the
road because of the carelessness of
3 driver in taking his eyes off the
road or in speeding or in not gaugipg
his parking distance. New means are
provided every year to make safer the
operation of an automobile and to Sc
cure safety for pedestrians. but first
of all, we must have the federal laws
and a general understanding of sig
pals. :. :,
As it is now, manysnArs are equipped
with so-called stop lamps which flash
the word stop on a red glass every
time the foot brake is depressed. This
10 q good move and has been undertak-
en- by car owners themselves because
they recognize the tneed for such a
device. Now if the federal govern
ment will make a stop lamp legal so
that every car must be equipped with
one, then every driver will know what
the driver in front of him intends to
do. AS it is now some cars have the
lamps and some have not. These lamps
as high as $50. The $500 lamps are
well made and are worth three of the
cheaper ones. The newer types COM
bine the signal lamp with a parking
lamp so that when the hand brake is
applied after the car is stopped the
parking lamp remains lit and the tail
lamp may be turned out.
In some states the head lamps may
be turned out also, leaving only the
parking lamp lit. In other states one
must have two head lamps or side
lamps and a red light in the rear
whether the car is standing or running.
Rear View Mirror
I consider as a most important
piece of safety equipment, the rear
view mirror. We used to mount all
such mirrors on the outside of the car
and extended somewhat sotthat a good
reflection could be had. The outside
mirror is fast being superseded by the
inside Or windshield type placed on
top of the windshield so that the
image is reflected through the rear
window of the car. This is a logical
type, for with the outside mounting
the mirror becomes notified during a
rain or snow storm and that is just
the time it is needed most. The trou-
BILE with many of the new type mirrors
is that they are not well b~racketed and
shake when the car is in motion. One
must purchase a good design. The
types for closed cars must be investi-
gated before being installed for some
of them cannot be conveniently put in
place. In some closed cars there is
not sufficient wood above the wind
shield so that screws cannot be used.
Many owners try to put such a mirror
in place only to find they have to take
it off and then u~nsightly holes are left
in the cloth above the windshield.
l hardly need mention slid chains as
devices that promote safety. There
is the bumper also which is rather a
protection to the car.
More than anything else safety of
occupants and pedestrians depends on
the driver. 1t ought to be his duty
to know that the fundamental units
of his car are always in good order.
This means the steering system. the
wheels and the braking system. If
the steering always responds, if the
wheels stay in place and the brakes
act quickly the driver need have little
fear. but when the steering has so
much play in it that the driver is con-
stantly Juggling the wheel, there is no
telling when something will happen.
When brakes are so poor that the car
slides through them for a block or
two, there is no sense in trusting one
self in such a vehicle. If a car owner
cannot afford to have brakes refined