MOTORING NOTES

PROBLEMS OF ROAD SAFETY

ALTHOUGH the dangers of motoring are greatly exaggerated in the Press and in the Law Courts, it must be admitted that the figures which were recently issued by the Commissioner of Police for London make unpleasant reading. Accidents from all causes during the months of April, May and June were actually ten thousand more than they were during January, February and March. According to the official figures there were 20,725 accidents during,-the first quarter, and 80,717. during the second. The number' of deaths, toot increased greatly. During the three months ending March 3ise there were 187 fatal accidents ; during the quarter ending June 30th there were 254, an average of nearly 20 A _week. The full list of accidents was as follows :—

June quarter. March quaiter.

Private Motor-cars

8-

01.

Motor-cycles .. . .. 43 14 Trade vehicles ..

74 57 Oninibuses ..

26 33

Tram-cars.. .. • •

• • 6 8 Taxis ..

6 3

Trade Niehicles (horse-drawn)

-.-. 7 8 Cycles.. .. .. • • 6 3 Horses ridden ••

- COL

1 0

254 187 Discussing this matter a few days ago with a London traffic official, I was told that the large increase in the number of • accidents was due, not to careless driving, but to the fact that pedestrians had not yet become accustomed to the new traffic rules in the one-way streets. In those streets where traffic formerly faced them it now comes from behind, and stepping off the pavement without regard to this has involved a big toll of lives and injuries.

These figures, however, are not quite so serious as they appear at first sight. It is perfectly true that there are more accidents to-day than there were five years ago. There. are far more than there were fifteen years ago. But this is only natural when traffic conditions are taken into account. It is a fact that accidents are fewer to-day in proportion to the number uaing the roads. In 1921 the number of fatal accidents was 0.25 per cent, of the total number of motor vehicles registered.. In 1923 this figure was 0.28 per cent. In 1924 it was 0.26 per cent. In 1925 it had fallen to 0.24 per cent. Thus there were fewer accidents last year proportionately to vehicles on the road than in 1921.

The Royal Automobile Club has recently been making

careful- observations regarding the causes of accidents, and it has come to the conclusion that the chief are lack of proper care in negotiating corners and cross-roads and the failure to give or observe 'driving 'signals-. tile- increitaing number White lines at corners now gives a clear indication to every driver as to the course he should follow in rounding a corner, and if this course be followed the chances of coming into col- lision with another vehicle' are reduced to a minimum. It is not uncommon, however, for drivers to pull out -either when approaching a bend or even on the bend itself in order to pass slow-moving traffic ahead. This practice cannot be too Strongly condemned, and drivers should never in any circuin- Stances attempt to pass at corners, no matter how much they may be obliged to reduce their speed in order to _keep their proper place on the road. When entering a Main road from a secondary road, or when passing over cross-roads where it is not certain that it is safe to -proceed at the normal pace, drivers should invariably slow down to such speed as will

enable them to pull up within a few yards. .

The need for giving proper signals and for observing and acting on .those given by other drivers is as important as cautious driving at corners and cross-roads. Whenever a driver intends either to alter his course or to decrease his speed, he should indicate to the following traffic what his intentions are. When turning to the right the right hand should be extended at full length some distance before the turn is made ; and before actually turning it is advisable to see that no vehicle is overtaking. When a driver intends to stop he should extend his right arm with the hand lifted well up, and the signal should be given some distance before actually pulling Up. When slowing down, especially in traffic, the driver should extend his right arm and wave it slowly up and down a number of times before the operation of slowing down is begun.

A very prolific cause of accidents is the sudden pulling out from the kerb by a stationary vehicle, or from a line of moving traffic by a vehicle wishing to overtake, without giving warning to those behind. In either case the correct signal- is the exten- sion of the right arm by the driver as though 'he intended turning to the , rightw,hich effect,,,is, what, he porposes doing. And once again, ample warning of the driver's inten- tions should be given. To pull out and then give the warning is as bad as niirtri,iirieit at all. There. is no worse example of road manners- than-for--one vehicle to overtake another and in so doing to force;atiproaching traffic into theegutter, or to " cut in" in front ok.others and compel them to Slov4down or swerve to avoid a collision. It is not unusual for drivers actually to pass one: vehicle when that same vehicle is in the act of passing another. The result of this "treble banking" is practically to block the road to 'Oncoming traffic and is most reprehensible.

The danger of level crossings has been acutely revived by the Naworth disaster in which nine people lost their lives. It is all very well to demand their replacement by bridges, but there are great difficulties. Last year the Hull Corporation prepared a scheme to abolish its level crossings, and the estimated cost was 11,250,000. And there are between 4,000 and 5,000 such crossings in the country. At the same time, the railway companies should be made to insure the safety of all road users. The full danger of level crossings is emphasized by the fact that 19,000 persons were killed and 52,000 injured in level-crossing accidents in the United States during the last ten years.

THE SHOW SEASON.

• The date of the Cycle and Motor-cycle Show at Olympia is from October 4th to 9th, and that of the Motor Shoiv from October 22nd to 30th.

STANDARD MEALS.

The R.A.C. scheme for providing meals for mOtorists of

limited means is now in operation. • Altogether the names of approximately 5,000 inns have been submitted to the Club as being suitable for inclusion in the scheme, and of these over 1,000 have applied for appointment. Each one-of these has been inspected by an R.A.C. official, and 700 have been clefiaitely, approved. "Each approved inn carries the customary .R.A.C. diamond shaped sign, with the words " Approved Inn" in bold letters. The meals will he similar in every part of the country, and the charge will be the same everywhere namely; two shillings. • EDINBURGH-- TO MONTE CAR- 1.0.

' A vericinteresting.1,600'mile 'run from Edinburgh to Monte Carlo has just been accomplished FY a 9-20 h.p. Rover car. The car was selected from stock by an R.A.C. official, and was' the same as would have been supplied to any ordinary pur- chaser. A load of four adult passengers and baggage was carried, a total weight of 57 stone, more than equal to four 14-stone passengers. Over the English section of the run the petrol consumption worked out to approximately 40 miles per gallon, and the oil to 1,246 miles per gallon ; over the French section, where a considerably higher speed was main- tained, the petrol consumption was 35.85 miles per gallon, and the oil 1,327 miles per gallon. No repairs or adjustments were necessary throughout the entire trip. These results are exceptionally good, especially in view of the facts that the trial was carried out under conditions similar to those of the average private motorist, and that the car was new and was not prepared in any way.

E. T. BROWN.