Evening star., 1927-05-08

the total value of automotive exports
at between $3S0000000 and 1875 5,0O0,-
600, provided there is no unforeseen
interruption in the present tendency
of the international automotiye mar
ket.
Summer weather, greater use OF
the automobile and the purchase of
millions of new automobiles are
here. Along with them is coming
the automobile thief, for when the
motoring season is at its height the
| auto thief is at his busiest. Each
succeeding year has shown greater
number of stolen cars. What will
the Spring and Summer of 1927
| show?
This year, more than ever, the an
swer to that question depends upon
| the individual motor car owner.
New weapons with which to fight
| the car thief have been placed in his
hands. If he uses them, the thiefs
path will be made infinitely harder.
ii he fails to use them, the thief will
find many more and many better
cars awaiting his pleasure.
III an effort to facilitate the motor
ist in keeping his property, the car
manufacturer has developed i'm
proved ways of locking his product.
A majority of the new cars employ
double locking devices. Some pro-
vide three or more ways of safe
guarding the machine >that is left
unattended. There are transmission
locks, door locks, wheel locks and
coincidental locks of all varieties on
the new cars.
None of them, perhaps, is abso-
lutely thiefproof. The car thief is
willy. adroit individual who can use
tools very cleverly. If the locks can
not stop him, however, they at least
can deter him and make his work
more conspicuous than it otherwise
would be. Even detcrring his get
away, however, is completely de-
pendent upon the owner making the
utmost use of the various locking
devices on his automobile. If there
is but one lock on the car, that
should be used every time the ma
chine is left unattended. If there
are two, so much the better. Three
are better still.
While locks are not certain pre-
ventatives of car thefts, they will
protect the car from that individual
who is almost as bad as the thief
the joy-rider. The joy-rider, who
gets most of the cars by the way, is
a creature of impulse. If lock foils
his impulse to take a ride in a GER
tain car, he will not attempt to get
around it. He leaves that car and
goes in search of another.
If forewarning is forearming, the
intelligent motorist should realize
that. the car-stealing season is at
hand.
The range of the automobile con-
stantly is expanding and the Ameri-
can motorist has no objection to
paying the cost of this expansion,
figures compiled by the United
States Bureau of Public Roads on
gasoline tax revenues for 1926 re-
veal. The data offered by the bu-
reau may be looked upon as just
another set of figures or may pro-
vide some interesting mental gym
nastics to determine how large a
part the motor car is playing in
modern life.
The total revenue derived by the
~ States which impose this form
OF tax reached the amazing figure
of $l87,603,23l. In these States
5000, 100000 gallons of gasoline were
consumed by motorists. Four States,
III some respects the most highly
motorized in the Union, do not i'm
pose a tax, and it is estimated that
car owners in them consumed an
additional two billions of gasoline.
The States which impose a tax
seem to be in no general accord on
the amount charged. The rates
range from ! to S cents a gallon.
The average is 2.38 cents.
Many motorists have overcome
their original fear of having other
persons drive their cars. Some arc
so proud of the performance of their
new automobiles that they invite a
friend to try it now and then. There
is ore test in connection with driv-
ing another PERSONS car that makes
the occasion more pleasant than it
would be otherwise.
The first thing the careful driver
does when he gets behind the wheel
of a strange automobile is to test
the brakes. They may work harder
or more easily than hrs own. If the
first is true, knowledge of it will &C
far toward preventing an accident.
If the second condition prevails, the
test will be the means of preventing
too sudden a stop with its consc-
quent discomfort to the occupants
of the car and possibly i'll effects
upon the automobile itself.
Because of the tendency OF many
motorists to follow the leader, there
is much that the first driver in
line can do to facilitate traffic move
ment, officials declare. If the first
man drives in the center of the
street, it has been found that a ma
iority Of those behind him will do
the same. If. on the other hand, he
keeps toward the curb, others will
do likewise.
The effect is to create additional
lanes of travel, and they are sorely
needed.
Where passing on either the right
or left is permitted, it makes very
little difference in which lane one
drives, provided there is no sudden
change of position.