Show I Are You Youx Witted Quick SS S x S x X X X S X Revolver Shots Test Braking Reaction Time L e t t tu the time It takes a driver to apply The distance between n the two spots measured mCl by the scientist here Is hh his brakes after he hears hean the warning shot Inset I t shows how the two pistols are attached one worked by bythe bythe bythe the passenger er scientist the other Item from the brake pedal by the driver By Dy NEA r-EA Service ASHINGTON AU Aug Au 20 What What WASHINGTON Is your jour reaction time v L In other words how lon long does floes docs H It t to think about be- be belore before take t you jou fore lore jou you ou begin bt gln Science to apply the brakes of your our car carl Science Is 15 trains tr to find out Your o reaction time and that th t. t ot of of the other driver may mean the dif difference dlf- dlf ference between saying y it withers with flow flow- flowers low low- ers and continuing the trip trip between between life lIf and death ca Recently e Uncle cle Sams Sam's Bureau au of Standards where scientists make it their business to get the answers to queer but important questions equipped a 1 car with two revolvers attached to the running board The f firing of the guns shows just how long It takes most people to begin to think about stopping MEASURE BETWEEN MARKS MARES By a I unique method one revolver revolvers Is s discharged to signal the driver that he must roust stop the car as soon as possible This Tills shot leaves lea a mark markon on the highway as the car speeds along The second revolver re Is con con- connected connected connected with the brakes brokes As soon as the driver er applies the brakes it is shot off of automatically It too leaves a a. red mark on the pavement Next the scientists measure the dis dis- distance distance distance tance between these two marks As they know the exact speed at which the car was tra eling they the can readily figure In seconds how long It took the driver to stop his automo automo- automobile bile So accurate were these tests that an ordinary speedometer would not do It was necessary to Install an Instrument that would be very cry ac accurate ac- ac accurate accurate curate at all times Some fifty college and high high- school students took the test There were also a dozen taxicab drivers as well veil as 50 soldiers and 12 officers of the Motor Mot r Transport Corps of the th United States All drivers ers were tested and ex examined ex- ex examined examined at five speeds They were warned HALF SECOND SECO D TO STOP Remember that tha t you jou are to lift your foot toot from the accelerator and put it on the brake the moment the first shot goes off and you are to act in every cery way the same as though a failure to stop would bring bring- about a serious accident It was discovered that It took the drivers driers on the average crage one-half one a second to hear the shot change their foot from the accelerator to the brake and press down This reaction time meant the scientists scientists scientists found out that If the machine was traveling tra at 30 miles an hour It would take approximately feet t to bring the car to a a. complete stop atop Some ome of the drivers tested had reaction times Umes as low lo as thirty-one thirty hundredths of a second and others as high as 1 02 seconds The a aver er average er- er age education and training of the driers Indicated that their ence was high which would seem to Indicate man people In this country who operate automobiles would have ha reaction times of from Irom 15 to 2 seconds These tests are of or double value slue They have provided our motor traffic traffic fic engineers with reliable tion They are also the first stand stand- standards standards standards ards which are being gathered lathered for establishing rigid tests for tor the drivers of the future |