The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-04-29
ENCLOSED AUTOS
Add TO DANGER
Drivers Must Recognize COndi-
ton Brought About
by Change

Washington, d. C.-Mlsuse OF closed
cars and unfamiliarity with the rules
Of safety for the new CLOSED a era"
are declared to be an u~nrecognized
cause of many automobile accidents,
according to a bulletin just issued by
TIC Al.erican Automobile association.
Accidents viii Decrease.
In the opinion of A. A. A. officials,
accidents will decrease as soon as the
motoring public learns to operate
closed cars more safely and at the
same time revises its ideas of caution
to fit the new conditions.
Coming at a time wnen the auto in
dustry is preparing to meet an I'M
p~recedented spring demand for closed
cars, which are becoming more and
more popular, the A. A. A. bulletin
is expected to be the subject of con-
siderable thought and discussion
among safety advocates who are said
to have overlooked the significance
Of the public change over from the
open car to that Of the inclosed type.
a leading cause of the high auto
mobile accident rate" the A. A. A.
paper states, els the failure of the
average driver to recognize the new
type Of caution necessary with the
new type of motoring.
Accidents will be on the decrease
as soon as the public learns to ope-
rate closed cars more safely. At
present hundreds Of thousands of driv-
ers are misusing their closed al and
ignoring the new rules of safety that
go with the new type of motoring. AS
a matter Of fact, they do not appreci-
ate the fact that the new rules are
necessary.
New Type Of Danger
"They have gone suddenly from
their open models to their closed cars
without approaching the new type of
danger that is always associated with
anything one is not familiar with
They feel that what they have learned
with regard to safety in it's connec.
ton with open car driving will suf
flee for their new type of motoring
They allow this ignorance to win fOl
them the reputation of being careless
Visibility in closed cars is actu
ally better than IN curtained opel
cars, but the closed cars shortcOm
ings are of a different kind. Tn
problem is for each driver to diseOve
this difference and act accordingly.
"By taking undue liberties with tn
advantages Of the closed car much Q
its inherent safety has been nullifieC
Drivers have felt that because the
were shielded against the element
they were immune from danger. Thu
We have found thousands of motorisr
venturing forth in storms that won.
take so great a toll of human life
motordOm were still on an open G.
basis.
Motorists have taken great hberti
with the speed which closed cars maj
possible by reason of their ext
weight and their ability to SHE
against the wind. Many persons a
driving far faster than they imagi
and are thus unprepared for the ds
GERS which invariably accompa
cne's ignorance Of speed. The A.
s. agrees with engineers that hig
way speeds viii be materially high
within a very few years, but such
creased speed cannot be safe III
drivers are prepared to handle it.
THE landslide to closed cars Is
full swing, but accidents viii not
materially lessened until the aver;
motorist becomes familiar with
new surroundings.
Offers Suggestions.
With a view to f~amiliarizing
motorist with these changing coz
tons and to emphasize the point t
it is ignorance more than carelessr
that occasions the present high
Of accidents and fatalities, the A.
A. outlines the following suggest
for the average driver who buy
new car:
Learn that you may be trave
at a higher rate Of speed without r
ling It, particularly where the q
is slightly downward. Speed IS
ways a hazard when you are
aware Of your actual speed.
Learn that physical comforts
fered by the closed body in adv
weather do not alter the highway
ards. Your hands may be warn
there may be just as much ICE on
road as when you formerly shiver'