Smyrna times., 1935-10-17
SAFETY
COUNCIL NEWS
Warning AS to Accidents and
Care All Drivers Should
Take
WHAT TESTS SHOW UP

Studies of automobile accidents
have charged many of them to
poor driving, faulty brakes, and
bad weather or road conditions.
Yet, according to the Delaware
Safety Council, there has been a
large residue which, until recently,
have not been explained satisfac-
torily. Marked dullness or appar-
ent stupidity on the part Of a
driver who ordinarily is very alert
is a frequent aspect Of these cases.
Many have shown that the driver
apparently has gone to sleep, but,
Immediately after the accident he
was very much awake and fatty
denied that he had dozed off. Ex-
tensive tests recently have estab-
lished beyond reasonable doubt
that the presence Of carbon mon
oxide gas is a definite contributing
factor in this group of accidents.
Poor maintenance of cars was
found to be one of the principal
causes of dangerous monoxide con-
centration, the effects of which of
ten are manifested by headache,
drowsiness, or unaccountable laps
es of drivers which slow reaction
and interfere with coordination.
Employers who maintain fleets of
trucks or utilize commercial cars
in their business will find it profit
able to know the condition of the
cars their employees drive. Super
vised tests of exhaust systems, ad-
justment Of engines SO as to pro-
duce minimum of this deadly
gas, the stopping of cracks in floor
boards, and the systematic ventila-
ton of drivers cabs will help to
prevent accidents directly due to
this cause. Comprehensive tests
were recently made in Massachu-
setts of cars picked up at random
on two of the most frequented
highways. The majority of cars
thus tested had a measurable con-
centration of carbon monoxide gas
and some were found to have con-
centrations that were deadly. Of
those which were unsafe to oper-
ate because of the large amount of
gas present, the owners had no
knowledge that the natural ventila-
ton was inadequate, or that the
gas was being produced in danger
Gus quantities. During these tests
one car was found to contain con-
siderable quantities of the gas al
though it had ben completely over
hauled the day before. The owner
had complained of odors of burn
ing gas and headache after driving
only an hour. The engine was old
and the mechanic had presumed
that gas was being blown by the
piston rings and pumped out
through the breather pipe. (This
is a frequent source of gas in the
cab.) The engine had been rebor-
ed and diversified piston rings in
stalled. In spite of these repairs
the test for carbon monoxide re-
vealed fatal concentrations in the
body of the car. A careful exam
ination showed that the exhaust
pipe was not fastened to the muff-
ler and that a great deal of ex-
haust gas was being blown directly
upward through the floor. The ef-
fects of carbon monoxide gas in an
automobile where poor maintenance
exposes the driver to the deadly
fumes, even in comparatively small
doses, are comparable in import
ance to bad brakes. When a driv-
er faces an emergency he must be
able to stop quickly. If his brakes
do not hold, he obviously cannot
avoid crash. If his mentality is
dulled, he cannot react quickly
enough, and the effect is equally as
bad as if the brakes were faulty.
To assure safety for drivers the
Delaware Safety Council recon-
mends that leaky exhaust lines and
leaky floor boards in cars be re-
paired without delay.