Evening star., 1927-07-17
IMPROVED ROADS
ATTRACT TRAFFIC
Motorists Avoid Highways
That Cause Wear and
Tear on Cars.


those that are paved or have smooth
surface--trafffc is assuming steadily
broadening proportions.
This is due primarily, of course, to
the drivers desire for comfort. In
the second place, it is traceable TO the
greater attention paid by the present
day car owner to saving his automo-
bile by careful selection Of the roads
over which he travels.
Highways commissions in some
states have taken to planning their
new roads TO take care of much
larger percentage of traffic than they
do now. as it has been learned by eX-
perience that as soon as a road has
been improved the traffic passing over
it increases to much greater proper
ton than that road handled before inn
provement.
The selection of the type OF road
over which the motorist travels plays
a large and important part in the life
and preservation of the car. A bad
road always is menace to the auto
mobile and is responsible for many of
it's ills. And it also is indirectly the
cause Of many of the accidents which
occur, even on good roads, as the un-
improved highway wears out certain
portions of the car which are likely to
fail at subsequent time.
Crowned Road Passing.
AS to what constitutes q good road.
there is, it seems, considerable mis-
understanding. Road builders, how.
ever, now generally condemn the
crowned road, the type that slopes
down from the center, to permit the
shedding of water. The water may
be drained effectually by other means,
and this type of road gradually is Civ
ing way to newer and improved meth
DDS of construction.
Progressive motorists hail the pass
ing of the crowned road as a boon.
They always have considered it
dangerous, in dry weather as we'll as
wet, for the reason that the driver
continually is forced to cling to the
wheel in order to stay on the road.
An excessive amount of steering is
necessary even to remain in the mid
die Of such road and the possibility
of skidding and side-swiping other
cars is ever present.
Experienced motorists discovered
years go that the crowned road was
responsible for the throwing of grease
at the right rear brake drum. With
the rear axle at an angle all the time,
any thin lubricant that worked past
the rear axle bearings passed on to
the right rear brake band.
The crowned road also is respon-
sible for much of the wear on the
front tires which in effect continually
are being forced to keep climbing
back onto the road. This results in
excessive double motion of the front
wheels, especially the right one. An
other objection to crowned roads is
the danger of being caught in the
center of the road by another car
which approaches unexpectedly. On
the hatter roads, drivers are enabled
to keep to the side without any in
convenience. Many of the accidents
at curves occur on the crowned roads
as drivers unconsciously cut the
corners, which is the only way these
roads may be taken with comfort.
Destructive to Cars Life,
Rough and uneven roads are de.
structive to the life of the car. With
the introduction of balloon tires, the
habit of driving over rough roads at
a higher speed than before developed
quite extensively. but it soon was
found that this was done to the detri-
ment Of the unsprung weight of the
car. Consequently, the thinking motor
lst gave UP entirly the practice of
travelling over rough roads, except
wnen the circumstances absolutely
forced him to use them.
Much or the wear on the front bal.
loon tires is traced to shimmy. or
wheel wobble, which is produced by
the rough roads. This is not the or
dinary shimmy, but a wobble which
passes almost unnoticed. The driver
realizes that he is traversing a rough
road, but he is not inconvenienced.
meanwhile the treads OF the tires are
wearing "spotty."
The keenness to avoid bad roads
may easily be seen by observing the
increased traffic which passes over inn.
proved roads as soon as they are omen.
ed up. One of the causes to which
touring and motor camping owe their
great popularity is the vast increa Sc
IN the mileage of paved roads through.
out the country. It is safe to say that
more than one-half of the motorists
TO be met along the highways of the
coutry would be spending their va
catlons otherwise if the Nations roads
were unimproved as they were in 1912.
Good Roads Draw Traffic.
Some ardent lovers Of nature would
venture forth, but to many it would he
a financial impossibility, as the ex.
pense Of repair bills along the way
would be excessive.
That paved roads and streets will
draw traffic to the almost complete
desertion of those that are rough, even
at the sacrifice of the motorists time
easily is proved by observing city
traffic.
Fifth avenue in New York is one of
the heaviest Travelled streets in the
world. This is true in spite of the fact
Inat there are plenty of parallel
streets where motorists would be able
10 make better time, but at the sacri-
nee Oh their car as we'll as their com.
tort. Michigan boulevard, in Chicago.
Is another notable example of a
smooth street carrying an exceptional.
~ heaVy traffic while parallel streets
are relatively untraveled.
Rough roads decrease the effective.
ness Of chassis fabrication. That ;s
over a rough road one greasing lob
VIII be good but for one-half the mile
age possible when the car is used over
good roads. Especially is this true of
the ends or the springs where the first
lear rubs against the master leaf.
Such points must be fabricated far
more frequently when the car is used
over rough roads.
Increase Pleasures of Trip.
Motorists should make it a point to
watch out for good roads, to learn
where they may be found and then
use them. The distances may be a
little longer than over the main route
to their destinations. but the higher
speed at which they may travel and
the longer life of the car which will
result from choosing smooth roads
will more than repay the car owner.
The principal cities always are con.
nected by more than one route.
Among these routes there will usually
be found several which are good prac-
tfcally all the way. While it will be
difficult to choose the proper road in
a strange part Of the country, yet in
practically all cases such vital infor-
nation can be had for the asking.