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Show THE SAFEST PUCE FOB auto em Machines Are More Carefully Driven in the Congested Districts Dis-tricts and Pedestrians Are More Cautious Officers Of-ficers Are Always There. It has often been said that autolsts should avoid the crowded streets in the business section of the city, as there are so many pedestrians crossing cross-ing the intersections, but it is a wrong idea In most instances the driving of an automobile Is more safe In the congested than in the outer districts. dis-tricts. There is reason for the conclusion con-clusion in the fact that the driver of the machine Is more cautious and observes ob-serves more readily the traffic ordinances, ord-inances, and the pedestrian Is always on the alert in the crowded streets assiduously watching the approach of machines at the intersecting points of the streets. In sparsely settled districts, and on the outer street's of a city, autolsts auto-lsts are not looking for trouble and the pedestrians are not on the lookout look-out for autmobiles, the result being that neither is on the safety plan. Greater speed is given the machines In the outer districts and they never are so completely under the control of the driver as In districts where there are many pedestrians. So, taking tak-ing it all In all, the safest place for the operation of an automobile is in the districts of a city where there are many people, not only because greater care Is taken by the chauffeur chauf-feur and the pedestrians, but because traffic officers are always near-by to caution all travelers, whether afoot or In automobiles, to exercise judgment judg-ment In the observance of traffic laws. Writing in "Motor" on this subject Ray Harroum has the following follow-ing to say: "In city driving tho 6afest streets are those in the business districts, where traffic officers have charge and where all vehicles and pedestrians are reasonably careful. Accidents are far more frequent in the residential parts of a city. A large share of these are due to the irresponsible movements of children. "The experienced motorist fears ( more, than any other hazard of the road the child who stands on the curb and suddenly dashes into or across the roadway. He guards against accident not only by vigilance, vigil-ance, but also by sounding his horn, even at children who are playing on the sidewalk or near the curb. "In spite of his seemingly irrational irra-tional movements, the child Is thoroughly thor-oughly aware of the danger, and, if warned, almost Invariably will stay out of the street until the warning motorist has passed. Such precautions precau-tions reduce notably the percentage of accidents. "Careful driving of this sort becomes habit with the driver who cultivates it. Tho concessions to safety do not in the least interfere with his social or physical sense of enjoyment. And they add greatly to the comfort of those who ride with. him. ''The driver who Intentionally makes everything as close as he can and still avoids accident the kind that aims to take off the Tarnish now and then, but leave the paint never is popular with those who are his guests on street or road. This is the sort of driver who delights In taking a bump squarely, with both springs rising ris-ing together, his purpose being to jounce the occupants of his car. Some drivers do this because they never have been told that the jounce can be almost smoothed out If taken diagonally diag-onally so that the spring rebound on the two sides virtually balances. Ignorance Ig-norance of so fundamental an element qf good driving is not much of an excuse. ex-cuse. It is less blameworthy than pure mischief, however. Besides, the right way for the passengers' comfort Is always the best way for the longevity longev-ity and comfort of the car itself. "This Is equally true in city or country driving. A good driver "sorts his road.' When the going is rough he is continually winding in and out, now in the ruts, now out of them, always planning to take the bumps in a manner to radically disturb but one spring at a time. At first this process pro-cess requires a good deal of concentration. concen-tration. Later it becomes, like all other fine points of driving, a matter of Instinct. "In your progress through city streets, or country roads, it is interesting inter-esting to note the amazing amount of rubbish allowed to accumulate In the roadway. An absolutely clean street Is almost never traveled. Rubbish of, all sorts is strewn about, in the gut- wll ters and even on the crown of the "Dodge this rubbish! In the zeal 1 11 with which you cultivate this habit IH will rest to an amazing degree the 'M life of your tires. Dodge even the Jl apparently harmless things. Avoid flll spots in the roadway showing a dif- il f erent color from the surrounding sur- jfl Bm face. It's simply another case of get- 11 ting the percentage on your side, for il it's in rubbish that most punctures "A flat, hard surface seldom har- bors a nail pointed upward toward ilH one of your casings. Not every piece m H of rubbish shelters one, but if you jfl IH keep running over rubbish the law of II JH chance will soon find you a sharp 1111 In the country this habit will be an jfl H especially valuable one, as It will cause jfl fl you to dodge instinctively the hard, pointed pebbles which are often strewn fH sparsely over the highway. You won't jfl IH be able to dodge them ail, but every 9 H one you avoid lowers your percentage of accident, putting farther away the 9 H day when your tires will succumb to ifl IH wear and demand Tepair or re- Mil "Traffic laws In the country are 11 less rigidly enforced than in the city. jfl1: H Except In cases of malicious speed I'H traps, the driver who maintains a safe . nil speed is seldom called before the judg- jfl H ment of the rural authorities. M H "A good driver can make any reas- ifl H onable speed through the country if l H he Is only careful at what I may term M H the psychological points. These are jfl. H as a rule, tho small villages or four S H "The experienced cross-country driv- H er learns to recognize these little M H centers far off. He seldom slackens 9: H speed until he comes within 200 yards 9 H of them. Then he abruptly slows to 1 I eight or ten miles an hour. 9 ' H "There always Is a loafing place 9 H near the corner where they gather, 9 9 in pleasant touring weather, the fath- 9 9 ers of the town. This place may bo 9 9 the village hotel, the postoffice or 1 I the general store. Among the coterie 9 that sits discussing the good of the 9 nation or some other topic is almost 9 always a man with a star pinned to 9 his breast. 9 "Eight miles an hour past the star 9 and for 200 yards on either side will 9 carry you through without molesta- 9 tion, even though you may have been 9 doing thirty-five on either side of this 9 zone. '9 "Real psychology is back of this 9 theory. The constable probably has j9 his eye on the car as it approaches. 9 The margin I allow always permits 9 him to note that the car has been pulled to a ridiculously low pace. 9 |
