The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-13
PLAN VACATIONS;
AVOID RUSHING:
NV DEPT. SAYS

iationS Ee heard! You know the
onS.It goes, "Man what time
we did have. Drove down to
Florida for few days, then up
to Baltimore to the wife's folks
and then pllt. TO the Rockies for
three days Of sightseeing. Now
:, / need another two weeks to get
: over my vacation"
The stoaysis, exaggerated per-
] haps but 1t Is a pretty accurate
reflection Of the times. Nowa=
: days. living goes at such a fast
pace there's no time to really
life A tip dur grandparents
took 20 miles away from home
Iwas tHs1tsplc9of conversation for
20 years. Now vacationers drive
20OO miles in two weeks and
come back to tell about long,
white stretches of concrete, fill
ing stations, roadside beaneries
and, blurred scenery glimpsed on
the fly. They tell about it if they
get back at all of course. Others
spend their entire vacation and
longer in hospital bed.
Poweredyacations are phe-
nomenon of our motors age. It's
been estimated that better than
S5 percent of all vacation trips
are made in the family car.
Which suggests there's more to
it than merely piling into the
car and setting sail.
First, careful planning and
sensible, unhurried driving will
help any family enjoy restful
and zestful vacation trip.
There are many dangerous
factors involved in summertime
driving. The volume of traffic is
increased. Cars are loaded with
the whole family plus all the
vacation gear that can be jam
med into the trunk, on the back
seat, the parcel shelf and some
times on the roof Of the car.
Drivers usually are not as
alert to traffic hazards as they
are in their hometown. In
strange territory they're not al
ways familiar with local traffic
regulations. They may misread
{ traffic signs or get lost. They
don't know that "Route such
and-such is just over the hill and
before the narrow bridges" and
may find themselves floating in
the water before they expected
to.
Vacation drivers are usually
in a hurry. The wide open road,
the sunny clear sky, the mere
joy of living all tempt drivers
to step on the gas.
Fatigue too, is a common
danger. Drivers become drowsy
after too many hours at the
wheel. Research by the North
Carolina Department of Motor
Vehicles shows that a drivers
efficiency drops sharply after
about sn tours of unrelived
driving. Also, the majority of
fatigue accidents occurs after
25O miles of steady travel.
Highway hypnosis" is still
another danger factors in the
summer driving picture. The
mSeetony, Of the pace, the
steady hum of the engine, the
dr0ne Of tires and, in rainy wea-
ther the rhythmic slap-slap of
the Windshield wipers all help to
iffutce this potentially death
dealing hypnosis.
Motor Tificles Commissioner
Edward Scheidt, who keeps a.
breast of everything in the high
way safetys7field, makes these
recommendations for accident
free sunamer and vacation driv-
ing:
Start thinking safety before
you start. Make sure your car
is in topnotch condition. You
yourself may be in shape for
that long trip but what about
your BRAKES and tires, head
lights, steering gear and wind
shield wipers?
Makes sure you take every
thing--you'll need should an e
meregency arise. That includes a
good spare tire and tire chang
ing equipment, maps, extra keys,
first-aid kit, flashlight, aspirin
Leave word with neighbors or
friends as to your destination.
Plan your trip carefully, Don't
try to cram too much driving
into short time. Obey all speed
limit signs. Allow a good
nights sleep each night. And
plan to do most if not all your
driving daylight hours.
Load your car carefully. Car
ry luggage and vacation equip
ment in the trunk. Keep no
sharp or heavy objects inside
the passenger compartment,
Pack a bag for stopping over
night and another with items
you'll need enroute. Be sure your
vision is not obstucted by lug