Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-19
Hidden Hazards Slow
Our Efforts 10 Curb
Accidents, Fatalities
BY Carter Walker

Few motorists realize it but
hidden hazards within their cars
are handicapping efforts to cut
accidents and fatalities.
Mechanical defects in cars and
highway dangers have had their
full share of publicity, but to
this must be added 'awareness
of risks that Turk in faulty de-
sign. awkward controls and in
correctly placed equipment.
Unless it is a dream boat,
your car has hazards of it's own.
Are you aware of them, or are
they on the list of those things
that may trap you into an &C
cident?
Let Some One Else Try It.
One way to get a better line
on these dangers is to let some
other motorist try your car.
Or, you can check with the
fellows who move cars on park
ing lots.
Not all Of the hazards are due
to newer features of driving con-
troll or equipment. Danger turks
in many Of the older cars as well.
If you happen to be in low
gear when cranking some of the
prewar cars. millions of which
are still in operation, they may
lurch ahead Unexpectedly.
Slow control of the windows
presents hazard when a hand
signal must be given quickly
on an older car. Risky, too, are
the wide doors which swing wide
open without halfway check.
Errors Turn Up.
While every effort has been
made by car designers to elimi-
nate danger spots and to SIM
pity driving control many err
rors have turned up even in
the latest models.
One Of the most obvious, al
though widely overlooked as I'M
important. Is the placement Of
the inside rear-view mirror. It
acts as a real blind spot in too
many instances.
Outside mirrors are becoming
more important because they do
not obstruct vision. Sometimes
the inside mirror blots out pedes-
TRANS who actually are in the
act Of crossing the street. not
just approaching the intersec-
ton.
Back Seat Shelf.
One insidious danger is the
inside shelf behind the rear seat
where motorists are invited to
carry various and sundry articles.
ranging from tour books to
vacuum bottles.
According to alarming tests
made by Motor Vehicle Research
In Boston these times are hurled
forward with terrific and often
lethal force during a collision or
even a panic stop.
Something few drivers take
into account is excessive rear
end sway from the longer rear
overhang of some of the current
cars. This rear-end sway IN
cleases when there is a heavy
passenger and luggage load
Thus. the driver who makes
only one or two long trips
year is apt to be caught with
poor control when rounding
curves during slippery weather.
Window Controls.
One of the simplest of all
driving hazards are window con-
trolls which catch in coat sleeves.
The horn ring which goes but
half way around the wheel Is
another bad actor for it means
that during a turn if the driver
wishes to sound an emergency
warning he may find his hand
hitting blank space.
Too much emphasis on making
sure that cars are mechanically
correct in design and not enough
experience with the way a driver
handles new car is cited as
one reason for the abundance
Of hidden hazards.
This has been well demon
started in the number Of fatal
tiles and serious accidents that
have followed errors in the use
Of automatic transmissions.
These devices are almost fool
proof so far as their liability
goes but are far too easily mis-
handled. Some of the selector
levers on the steering post, for
example. are without lighting for
night use.
tThe Russell Service)