Evening star., 1938-01-30
ME responsibility Of driving, with
its attendant important knowl-
edge Of safe braking speeds

TINE responsibility of driving, with
its attendant important knowl-
edge Of safe braking speeds
and trafiic suggestions, is
shown in this special article prepared
for The Star by Phillip r. Wheeler
OF Alexandria, Va, well-known and
competent engineer. Mr.. Wheeler
has written other interesting articles
in the past dealing with aircraft en-
gine testing, streamlining and on the
Hopewell bus tragedy. Today,s sub
ject is most up-to-date and is pre-
pared in the interests of safety on
the streets and highways
The bullet from the cal. 80 service
rifle Of the United States Army has
less than 5000 foot pounds of energy
at the time 1t leaves the muzzle OF the
rifle. An automobile travelling at 20
miles per hour has about 1880 foot
pounds Of energy. This equals the
destructive force Of about IA rifle but
lets fired simultaneously.
A rifle is considered a dangerous
weapon! But few people seem to
realize that sitting behind a wheel,
guiding a ton and a half OF iron and
steel is also grave responsibility A
hundred horses leap to the slightest
touch of the toe on the accelerator
We should show proper respect for
those horses and for that bolted, weld
ed and riveted ton and a half OF
metal that makes up the marvellous
machine which we call an automobile
At automobile driven at the rate of
20 miles an hour is dangerous mat
ter, even If the driver feels that he
isn't moving at all" at that speed
At 40 miles an hour, the energy goes
up to four times that OF 20 m.ph.,
and at 60 mp.h.. 1t is nine times that
Of 20 m.p.h. At so mp.h. you are
guiding the destructive force OF 126
cal. 80 bullets, all fired at the same
time Your right toe. shutting be-
tween the accelerator and the brake
is all that stands between you and
your own destruction, and that Of
whatever may be in front on you.
That toe, in turn, is guided by this
thing We call an intellect, a thing
which has been conditioned by pas,
training, education and experience.
Perhaps that experience has been
hard. Perhaps we have been angered
irritated, frustrated in our efforts to
make light, to get a parking space
or to get to work on time. Our emo
tions representing anger, fear, etc. are
intimately tied up with this thing
called the intellect. When aroused,
the emotions overshadow the intellect
and our actions are no longer entirely
rational. Thus impatience behind the
wheel may be as dangerous as alcohol,
even though we may have more than
enough reasons for impatience.
Pedestrians, for instance. They are
the bane Of every drivers life. They
are careless. ignorant. friendly toward
danger and wi!fully uncautious of
their good health. Some step from
the curb with the head down. look
neither to right nor left and march
out into nc-mans land with FOOLS
faith and firm belief in the life here
after-after crossing the street
And they pay for it here in the Dis
trict with death toll that represents
three out of every four of the total
killed by automobiles and street cars
What kills these pedestrians? Is it
the car or the man behind the wheel?
On the whole. probably car drivers
are more considerate than the pedes-
trians. But they should be- The
pedestrian walks out into the street,
often in the rain, slush or cold. prob
ably without even an umbrella to
defend himself with.
The driver, behind the wheel. sits
comfortably on plush seat with plenty