Page:Motors and motor-driving (1902).djvu/367

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MOTOR-DRIVING
333

car in an endeavour to cut through a solid inch and a half of iron with a very blunt hack saw.

Immediately the necessity for the use of the sprag has disappeared, it is as well to pull it up at once by the cord.

Going round Corners.—Always keep to your right side, remembering that in all probability you will find some other vehicle coming towards you from the opposite direction. It will generally be found that as the road slopes towards the gutter, the outside wheels of the carriage will be higher than the inside. This not only helps one round the curve, but at the same time lessens the risk of upsetting if the speed was higher than should have been attempted for such a curve. The novice in hugging the corner would only be following the exact practice of the railway companies in banking the outside rail up higher than the inside on rounding curves, but must keep a good look-out ahead, and in the event of not being able to see round the curve should not drive at a greater speed than that at which the car can be pulled up immediately, should occasion require it.

Descending Steep Hills.—When travelling down steep hills it is very easy to be deceived, as the nature of the district may make the gradients look very much less than they really are. A very striking example of this occurred in the Thousand Miles Trial of the Automobile Club, when the Hon. C. S. Rolls, in driving from the 'Cat and Fiddle,' was evidently so deceived by both the gradient and the corner that he actually threw his mechanic off the car, owing to the vehicle travelling at much higher rate than was allowed for, and the gradient keeping the car running at a great speed right up to the corner. The present writer himself, who was just behind Mr. Rolls at the moment, to a certain extent met with the same difficulty. It is always desirable, even when great experience is reached, to travel with the utmost caution under strange surroundings and to keep the car well in hand.

Using the Brakes.—A very good rule to follow is that under ordinary circumstances the brakes should not be used with