MOTORING NOTES
THI1 RISKS OF WINTER DRIVING
MoToancc is no longer a summer pastime, and the days are happily gone for ever when an owner-driver puts away his car on the approach of winter, not to take it out again till the 'following spring. Owing to the remarkable efficiency and 'reliability of the modern car, and the many accessories which have been introduced for the comfort of the driver and his passengers, motoring may safely be indulged in all the year round. The " all-weather " and saloon types of body have added more than anything else to the comfort of winter driving. The advantage which the former type possesses over the latter is that it can be converted at will from a shut to an open car, whereas the saloon is always shut. In my opinion, the " all-weather " car, with its detachable rigid side-curtains, which open and shut with the doors, is by far the best type for the motorist who possesses but one ear.
Another invention that has added greatly to the comfort— and safety—of winter driving is the windscreen wiper. To drive with a wet or foggy windscreen is extremely dangerous. Unless a wiper be fitted the windscreen has to be kept open. ,There are many excellent forms of wipers. In most cases they are operated by hand, but there are some which are driven from the engine, and others from the accumulators, both of which are automatic in action. The part of the wiper which comes into contact with the glass consists of an arm, about eight inches long, with a flexible rubber edge, and this works to and fro cleaning the windscreen as it goes.
There are, however, certain risks in winter driving for which the motorist should ever be on the look-out. One has only to realize what these risks are very largely to overcome them. Perhaps the worst experience is driving in fog. Even a ground mist is bad enough and necessitates the utmost caution. This is the only occasion when a car with left-hand steering is an advantage, for then one is able to see more clearly the left side of the road. Powerful headlights only tend to make matters worse, as the beam of light is thrown back into the driver's face. The stronger the light the more impenetrable seems the fog. It is an excellent plan to paste over the lamp lens pieces of yellow tissue paper, as this allows the light to penetrate for a much greater distance. But yellow tissue paper is rarely a part of the motorist's outfit ! If it be possible to direct the nearside head-lamp so that the beam is cast to the side of the road a little way in front of the radiator, more of the road can be seen. A spot light employed in the, same way is, however, better still. Another plan is to dip the head- lights until their main beam is thrown upon the road a few yards in front of the vehicle, while the upper rays are projected as nearly as possible parallel with the ground from the upper edge of the reflector. When driving in fog the right thing to do is to keep one foot on the clutch and one on the brake pedal, to drive very slowly, and, if possible, to regulate the speed by means of the hand throttle rather than by the accelerator.
When the roads are covered with snow and ice the greatest care must be taken, because the wheels are unable properly to grip the surface and a skid is likely. Steel-studded tyres are much worse in this respect than all-rubber. Sudden acceleration or sudden stopping should be avoided, while corners should be taken very carefully indeed. The greatest 'difficulty is experienced on hills, either going up or down. In
the former case the wheels revolve 'without moving the car, while in descending the hill there is a danger that the brakes will be use!ess. Chains can be bought for putting round the wheels, and these are very effective. Failing chains, a piece of rope fastened round and round the tyre answers the purpose almost as well. But rope cannot be fixed on to a wheel fitted with a disc instead of spokes.
Many motorists are under the impression that a skid— the bane of many an owner-driver's otherwise happy existence —is more likely in winter than in summer. But this is not always so, by any means. When the roads are thoroughly .wet a skid is improbable ; the greatest danger is when the roads are greasy. If one realizes why a skid occurs its proba- bility can be reduced to a minimum. The first thing to remem- ber is that a car will hold the road under normal conditions, owiag to the friction between the tyres and the road surface. This friction is considerable, and it takes a certain amount of force to overcome it. On a greasy road, however, the friction becomes less, and varies according to the special design of the tread and the weight of the car on the wheels. The force that will cause a skid can be generated in three ways—taking a corner at too high a speed, the sudden application of the brakes or too rapid acceleration, and turning the steering wheels too sharply and too far when travelling at all quickly.
To drive carefully is the whole secret of preventing a skid. Reduce the speed gradually and in plenty of time so that sudden braking is not necessary ; take all corners gently ; accelerate moderately ; and look well ahead in traffic, so that you have not to swerve quickly and suddenly to prevent an accident. No matter how careful the driver may be, however, there are occasions when a skid occurs, and it is then very
necessary indeed to know exactly what to do. Above all, avoid applying the brakes, since this merely makes matters worse. The instant that the car begins to skid the front wheels should be turned in the direction in which the rear wheels arc skidding, the clutch should be put out, and the brakes should be ignored. If this be done, the car will right itself very quickly and resume its normal course.
E. T. BnowN.
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