Evening star., 1926-10-24
BY WILLIAM ULLNAN,


That driving in heavy traffic no
longer is good experience and that it
coddles modern drivers to a point
where they are unable to meet driving
contingencies Ia the firm belief Of a
new school of students of safety and
sanity in automobile operation.
Traffic, once the great automotive
teacher, is now the chief obstacle to
good driving, according to the new
view
With powerful engines. power
brakes and easy steering gears. mod
ern driving instructors maintain traf-
fic driving is now the simplest of all
forms Of automobile manipulation.
1T is simply a case of follow the
leader to quote one of the exponents
of the new theory. Out on the open
road, in the tight places. and under
the unusual circumstances. motorists
are having their troubles. Traffic has
pampered them to a point. where they
no longer are resourceful.
A recent check-up of drivers re-
vealed the surprising fact that most
Of them would rather drive down
Fifth avenue in New York City tha n
negotiate an unfamiliar square" in
a small town. They admit enjoying a
certain amount of comfort in being
where the crowd is, for the crowd
is a mere procession with little for any
driver to do but start, stop and steer
straight ahead.
Explanation for Change.
1t is not so long ago, when driving
instructors were throwing their STU
dents overheard into traffic when the
sink swim theory had many eX'
ponents. Today the most advanced in
structor does not consider his student
as having had more than an element
ary grounding in driving when sue.
cessful trip through the congested
parts Of the city has been made.
The explanation for the change In
attitude toward traffic as teacher is
the radical improvements in cars with
regard to ease of control. Traffic at
one time meant guarding against en-
gine stalling. Today the stalling en-
gine is quite the exception. even where
drivers forget to start in low gear.
With power to start or to stop on
an instant's notice, the average novice
at the wheel can make a mistake or
two in his driving and still have time
to stop his car before running into
the one ahead. And if he does bump
the other car slightly he doesn't worry
about 1t much. for he knows that
bumpers will cover his mistake. 1t is
this feeling that the car itself will
meet traffic contingencies which serves
to give the new driver confidence
when he is driving where the crowd
is thickest.
Most of the serious accidents are
happening where the driver finds him.
self more or less alone. Hills still
are a menace to the inexperienced and
grade crossings are more hazardous
than ever. because the new driver
knows SO little about the mechanism
of his car he does not know what to
cd to meet an emergency situation.
Falling Into Traffic Rut.
Most inexperienced drivers are
travelling around the congested
streets of the city. imagining they
are getting good practice. That 1t
is pampering and not practice. is
demonstrated clearly by the way they
go to pieces when they try to turn
around on a narrow road or shift
down into a lower gear when the car
starts running away from them on
steep decline.
Most of the drivers who follow the
leader on the nations busiest boule-
wards couldn't back up a quarter of
a mile over a country road If they
tried all day. They would be in the
ditch in no time. They imagine they