Evening star., 1932-01-24
SKIDDING PROBLEMS INCREASED
FOR DRIVER BY NEW MODELS
Speed, High Engine Compression and Gear
ing Require Special Care in
Handling Today Car.

the driver does not con
ters through bad steering
sonable speed The eXplars
in the fact that the engine dos not
add braking mower to the rear wheels
and thus does not upset braking equall-
zation.
Many cars still have too high pro-
portion of braking distribution on the
rear wheels. Even where distribution
is so per cent front and rear the addi-
ton of the engines compression braking
NAV raise rear-wheel braking to too
high a degree, thus encouraging sliding.
1t may, therefore, be poor policy TO
shift into conventional gear when the
need for sudden stop arises. This
will depend on the speed of the car, It's
weight distribution, brake equalization
and traction. Usually Il tho streets are
slippery any such sudden use OF the
engines compression will start O. slide
and possibly skid. Tests have shown
that where cars swing their weight for
ward freely on sudden stop the rear
wheels tend to lift of ths ground and
lose traction. Obviously it is better TO
stop such car while 1t is in free wheel
ing rather than to shift 1t 10 conven-
tional
For sudden stop on an upgrade
shifting to conventional may help.
Weight does not tip forward so freely
and the rear wheels maintain their
traction to better advantage.
Better Care of Brakes
1t has been found that cars with
free wheeling tend to have better-cared-
for brakes. This is the natural result
CT the drivers greater dependency on
brakes for all deceleration. The tend
ency Is for drivers who free-wheei TO
have less trouble with skidding, unless
they make the mistake Of misjudsing
their speed. When car coasts the
driver Is apt 10 think he Is going slower
because of the absence Of noise and
motor vibration. He must also be care
full where he coasts and under what
weather conditions.
A slide can occur without q driver
being fully aware of it. This explairs
many an accident because a skid w3ll
SO often develop from slide. Start
the rear wheels, or all four wheels,
sliding and it requires but slight veer
from straight line to make the rear
end swerve around. Some irregulartty
in the road often is sufhcient u throw
the car out of lis straight-line slide.
A Skillful driver can tell when his
brakes are locked or if his tires are
not getting traction, but if the less ex-
perienced operator ever is In doubt he
has but to glance at the speedometer.
If the dial suddenly drops to zero the
rear wheels have locked.
Being too eager u apply set rules IN
an emergency may Lc source Of addAp
tional trouble. Most drivers have been
told to steer in the direction the rear
end Is sliding, if they would bring tho
car out Of a skid. This rule Is reason
able, If the driver does not overdo 1t.
In too many cases the driver gives the
steering wheel too sudden a spin In the
direction of the skid-and the rear end
goes swinging in the opposite direction
so suddenly that the driver cannot
check it.
Skidding Characteristics.
Each car has certain skidding char
acteristics which can be appreciated
| only by familiarity with its behavior on
the road. Consideration must also be
given to vibrations in these tendencies
with changes In passenger weight.
Things can be done with q roadster
that would be fatal If attempted with q
| seven-paSSenger car. Watch balance.
Probably not until all roads are anti
skid surfaced and all cars are equipped
with low pressure doughnut tires can
there be reasonable expectancy of free
dom from skidding. Just now skidding
is the big problem in safety Slide
away from it. r
(Copyright, 1882, By the Russell servies.)