Evening star., 1925-03-15
WILL PUT EMPHASIS
ON AUTO H|NDS|GHT
Motor Dealers Association
Starts Campaign to Cause
Profits by Mistakes.

Placing hindsight on par with fore
sight in the operation of an automo-
bile, the Washington Automotive
Trade Association offers the local car
owner some new lines of thought in
a bulletin just issued from it's head
quarters.
There has been too much emphasis
placed upon the value of foresight,
The association of local automotiVe
merchants contends, and not enough
upon hIndsight. The policy of the or
-anization for the time being Will be
% emphasize hindsight until it is
recognized by the car owner as the
equal of foresight.
According to the Washington Auto
motive Trade Association bulletin
more car owners will be able to look
ahead and cope with their various
problems far more successfully If they
H1uld keep in mind the lessons learn
"a IN the past. or at least the facts
upon which lessons can be learned.
"A large number of accidents the
bulletin reads, could be prevented
by looking back instead of looking
ahead speaking figuratively as well
rs literally. Safety is frequently the
ability to recognize danger Instantly.
Here is where the driver OF an auto
mobile looks ahead by tiguratively
looking back. Then there are the
actual instances where looking back
reveals an actual rearward danger
Avoid Duplicate Mistakes.
The WaShinst ton AutomotiVe Trade
Association is particularly interested
in helping the mOtoriSt avoid repeu-
tion of past mistakes by helping him
tn, l., to. ,fv,I
Eases have come TO our attention
where owners have made the same
mistakes over and over again. Lack
Jf foresight has invariably been cited
as the reason, but the truth of the
matter is that these unfortunate car
owners have simply lacked the ability
20 look back and profit by what has
happened in the past.
''PsyChologists tell US that the
human mind tends to forget the un
pleasant. Veterans Of the World War
talk of the lighter features of their
crowded experience, but frequently
forget the details surrounding their
terrifying adventures. Persons can
recall the great pleasures of their
youth, such as the first trip to the
circus, but they do not recall the
pain of q youthful injury. Similarly,
IN motoring people quickly forget the
recall only the pleasures.
Would Recall Old Mistakes.
But much of the pleasure in store
for the average car owner depends
very largely upon his ability or will
ingness TO recall his former mistakes
and their consequences. An accident
with the car that is fresh in mind
prevents a recurrence. An unwise
purchase acts as a guide to better
purchases in the future.
"Hindsight is on an equality with
foresight, and unless this point is
kept in mind there is very little
opportunity to make material prog
ress in placing motor car ownership
and driving on a safer and more
economical plane. Foresight is blind
unless the motorist is guided by hind
sight.
1T isn't merely a matter of apply
ing ones experience to new motor
problems as they arise from day to
day, but of applying the lessons
learned from the details of the un-
pleasant experiences, Experience
alone may be simply a memory with
out those fine details which mark it
as a mistake"