Evening star., 1933-12-31
Three Reasons Are Given.
For Unsafe Driving Speed
Failure to Know Speed in Foot Seconds and
Required Distance Stop and Re-
action Time Listed.
BY G. ADAMS HOWARD.

r UNSAFE speed is divided into
three causes, according to j.
Russell Craig, insurance safety
49, director of a Pennsylvania cor
poration, in a recent address
before drivers here of large fleet OF
cars.
The first is described as failure to
know how fast in feet per second any
automobile is travelling.
The second is failure to realize the
distance it takes an automobile to stop
after the brakes have been applied.
Third is the lack of knowing reaction
time, or in other words, thinking time.
Rate is SS Feet Per Second.
Relative to how fast in feet per Sec
ond, the speaker declared. an automo--
bile is travelling, moving at the rate OF
so miles an hour, means 88 feet per
second. Bringing this factor INTO the
congested areas where most OF inter-
section accidents happen while travel
ing 20 miles an hour, one finds the au-
tcmobie travelling approximately 20
feet per second
Relative to the distance it takes an
automobile to stop after the brakes
are applied, one must realize 1t taxes
% feet to stop. This is important 10
remember when one considers the pc
destrian hazard. One must consider re-
action time and in doing so one comes
to the most mysterious factor OF accl-
dent CausatlOn.
Most people feel that when they see
danger. their foot Immediately hits the
pedal. This is not true. because that
period of time from which one sees
danger until the foot actually hits the
brake pedal. commonly known as reac-
ton time. the car is still moving Tor
ward, practically out of control as tar
as stopping it is concerned. A good
driver has one-half second reaction
time.
This is a short period of time, but
when one considers moving approx
preaching an intersection, 1t means
that the car will go IA feet forward
after one sees the danger, before the
brakes begin to take hold.
These facts along with what Is
known as a hopeful driver, make a
danger situation. A hopeful driver is
one who. as he approaches an intersec--
ton. hopes that no other vehicle VIII
he there at the same time or any pedes-
trian to interfere with his movements
forward A hopeful driver eventually
hypnotizes himself into the mental con-
dition that no one is on the highway
but himself.
These views as above expressed are
interesting and bring to mind facts not
often considered. Keeping them IN
mind will prove helpful to all drivers.
Columbia Heights View.
Taking another view. the Columbia
Heights Citizens Association has gone
on record that there should be SLOW
Ing down Of automobile traffic IN the
District of Columbia. 1t appears that
the association is OF the behef that y
miles and hour and 80 miles in the out
living districts are too fast. In other
WORDS, that speed. per Sc, is dangerous
It has been ruled by the courts at
various times that such an opinion IS
contrary to fact Ten miles an hour on
r street during the rush hours might
prove dangerous Forty miles in some
places might be made without peril. IL
would seem that speed. to become dam
gerous, might depend upon the driver
or the condition of his car.
Therefore might it not be advan-
tageous to forget speed limits by law,
and in its stead impose a rigorous reck-
less driving law that could be applied
to all motorists in much fairer way?
November Factory Sales.
November factory sales Of automobiles
manufactured in the United States Gn-
cluding foreign assemblies from parts
made in the United States and reported
as complete units or vehicles, based on
data reported to the Bureau OF the