Evening star., 1935-07-28

December were the three high me
fatality reco, of 3.640.
Traffic volume undoubtedly is smaller
In the Autumn months, fact authen-
ticated by gasoline consumption fig
ures. which show a marked drop after
the peak of the Summer touring season
has passed. The explanation offered
for the upward bend in the accident
curve is that decreased daylight is
primarily responsible.
Dreary and diSquieting though they
may be. accident statistics are not
without their Illuminating aspects. To
study them intelligently is to acquire
wisdom in the art of being safe. This,
too. in spite of the fact that accident
figures would be greatly more valuable
were compilations and analysis Of them
made on some standardized basis.
In spite of this shortcoming. how
ever the figures are definite in their
implications of just what it is that
gets the average driver into trouble.
The commonest mistake, and the
most costly one which drivers make is
that of driving too fast for conditions.
This does not mean merely matter
of exceeding the speed limit, as many
drivers appear to think. In many OF
the miShapS analyzed, both fatal and
non-fatal, violation of the speed limit
is not involved even though the acci-
dent falls into the category of driving
''too fast for conditions"
Next on the list of trouble makers Is
violation of the right-of-way rule.
1t is followed, in the order given, by:
Driving on the wrong side of the
street or highway.
Improper passing.
Failure to signal.
Driving off the roadway.
In addition to dangerous months
and dangerous practices, the motorlst
can learn just what are the dangerous
hours of the day if he will but heed
the accident record.
Although again incomplete, the COM
pilation shows that the most dangerous
hours of the day are those between
S and 7 O'Clock in the afternoon, when
a tired human race is Fastening home
from its daily stint. Indicating that
there is a strong fatigue factor in
motordom's bad performance at these
hours are the figures which show that
the safest two hours of the day, from
a fatal mishap standpoint, are those
between and in the morning when
the world is going to work. There is
not enough difference in the volume OF
traffic to account for the difference in
the blackneSs of the record between
these two periods.
The factor of speed in accidents is
strikingly illustrated in another one
of the days most dangerous periods;
namely. that between midnight and l
am. In relation to volume of traffic
on the streets and highways, this is the
days most deadly single hour and it is
accounted for by the fact that both
physically and mentally the average
driver is at his super-worst.
From Detroit comes word that the
decision of the Contest Board of the
American Automobile Association to
allow superchargers on racing cars
that will compete at Indianapolis in
1896 has centered attention again on
this mechanism for automobile power
plants after lapse of five years.
The Rules Committee also has re-
moved all restrictions on engine de-
sign. A racing power plant now can
be equipped with as many valves or
carburetors as desired. This action
+olz ovflx 70 anv,onnncof0 for
reduction in next years fuel allow
ance from 4212 to 37l2 gallons, and
also to encourage European builders
to re-enter the 800" with a view to
stimulating international competition.
The consensus of the Contest Board
was that, if fuel economy was to be
further encouraged, no restriction in
the way of engine design should be
allowed to interfere with it. 1t was
agreed by representative drivers and
builders who were present, that the
race can be done by any wel-engined
ear on 37la gallons, with fuel to
spare.
Permitting the return of super
chargers will enable progress in this
1880. This applies alike to racers and
the semi-stock cars used for racing.
For passenger car power plants the
development has continued.
AS copied from racing cars and air.
craft, supercharger mechanism had a
reputation to live down. While it was
credited with making race cars Is to
20 miles an hour faster by literally
jamming the fuel into the cylinders
under forced draft, there was trouble
because gears working under terrific
pressure, approximating $4,000 revo-
lutions per minute, were hard to lubri-
cate. For this reason, there was
breakage that was costly and at times
disastrous to race cars in competition.
In spite of the difficulties, it was
conceded that supercharging could be
modified for passenger car power
plants in a way that would let it
build up fuel economy and accelera-
ton, aside from excess top speed.
Another problem that had bothered
supercharger designers was how to
keep the oil and gasoline from mixing
at SpeeOS Ol SOIuc oU,UUV I.P.ul. 4ulS
was overcome by putting in fixed
leak" in both directions, so that leak
age of oil led right back into sump,
and gasoline leakage went back into
the manifolding.
From the standpoint of taxes, Wash
ington motorists get break over those
elsewhere!
Motor vehicle operators in the United
States paid taxes of $45.41 per vehicle
on a national average last year,
study of automotive taxation by States
just completed by the American Petro-
leum Industries Committee reveals.
The highest automotive taxes are
paid in Florida. where each vehicle
4 IL