Evening star., 1923-09-30
THE OWNER-DRIVER'S
COLUMN.

Good lights are absolutely necessary
in night driving on d dark roadway.
Yet the present headlight. if it is
to light the road a safe distance
ahead of the car and if 1t is to show
the ditch on either side of the road
It the same time, is sure to blind
drivers coming from the other direc-
tion. No matter What color the lenses
used or how the light is diffused, if i.
is strong enough to light the road
properly it will bother the other
fellow. They may not actually glare
into the meeting drivers eyes, ex-
cepting when two cars meet on a
that for few moments ones own
headlights are out when meeting
another ear.
These are the danger moments. and
If one is driving on a crowded high
way then one is continually doing
with the road or has had a good
look at it and if he does not drive
too fast he can pass through the
instant of darkness and get his
bearings when his own headlights
again become effective. On strange
road, however, he must take chances
and sooner or later he will mis-
judge the distance to the ditch on
+ the one hand or that between him
self and the meeting car and
smash occurs Engineers have done
great deal to perfect headlights,
which are as effective as it is pos
sible to make them without impair
ing their usefulness in showing us
the road. To cut down candle power
or to impose still more stringent
regulations on focus and lens will
surely make present lights inefficient.
1t is impossible to light a road prop
danger whenever we meet car US
ing similar lights. Direct lighting
is not the solution of this problem.
Use of Spotlight.
On many roads the spotlight is for
hidden. Yet it contains the only So
luton to this problem. 1t is fastened
higher UP on the car than are the
headlamps and sends a narrow beam
of light ahead of the car. If this
beam is properly directed it will show
the road and the ditch on the right
without at any time binding the
meeting driver. Engineers argue that
the spotlight will always be abused
by some senseless drivers and must
be ruled out. This objection can,
however, be readily overcome by pro-
hibiting the manufacture and sale of
spotlight holders which allow the
light TO be adjusted straight ahead
while in it's socket. 1t can be made
so that only the right half of the road
will be Illuminated, and this should
be done. The writer has made ex-
periments with strong spotlight and
when the spotlight was directed over
the right fender and from twenty
five to fifty feet ahead of the car there
was no binding of meeting drivers
and clear view ahead for the user
of the spotlight. The spotlight with
headlights dimmed is the only solu-
tion of present night driving hazards.
Carburetor Kinks.
Sometimes the best Of carburetors
will buck and cut-up" as the say
in is, and certain attentions must be
given them. Perhaps you have tried
to start the car some fine morning
and found the gas tank empty. The
float had become stuck and the gas
leaked out. You may have stepped
on the accelerator for a quick pick
up and did not get it, but the engine
back fired into the. carburetor in
stead--this is failure on the car
buretor's part to supply the gas when
it was needed. This is usually due
10 dirt or water in the nozzle.
~ The thing to do for a float that
suddenly allows gasoline to leak
away Is to rap the carburetor smartly