IN YOUR OPINION
Page 49
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Noise Levels
IN your issue dated October 18 Mr. John Connell, refer' ring to noise from vehicles, states "In other countries the maximum is 80 dB ".
It would be interesting to know to which countries Mr. Connell is referring, because so far as we know, in the countries where regulations relating to noise of vehicles already exist the maximum noise limits for commercial vehicles and public service vehicles are as follows:
France ... ... 90 dBA Italy .. 93 dBA Switzerland ... 90 dI3A
In Germany the measurement is in DIN phones and the maximum is 87. If measured in dBA the figure would be higher than 87.
The S.M.M.T. and its members are as concerned as anyone else to keep noise levels down, but they have to be realistic and deal with what is practicably possible.
It should be remembered that the figures quoted are maximum figures and in normal running the figures recorded would be considerably lower.
London S.W.1. E. WOODBRIDGE, Standards and Technical Manager, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Saving Life on the Roads F ROM a weekly perusal of your excellent magazine and I as a member of the public with no axe to grind save that of saving life on the roads I write to you more in sorrow at the increasing number of deaths than in anger at the thought they they could all have been prevented. The saving of life seems to be more of a secondary consideration than the pursuit of gain. Lives are being frittered away unnecessarily. On September 17 I had a discussion on the subject on the B.B.C. with Mr. F. R. Lyon and Mr. J. F. Cox, the London and Western representatives of the Road Haulage Association. Too little time was allowed for the actual broadcast but we had a long and amicable discussion beforehand at the rehearsal.
Is it really necessary to send so many goods by road— waste paper, bulk dry goods and the like ? Could they mit go by rail and relieve road congestion ? This would undoubtedly save many lives. We send about 70 per cent of our goods by road, while in France, a very much larger country, the quantity is less than 20 per cent. Why. For gain of course! In my opinion only essential goods for our daily needs should go by road; the rest should be carried by rail. At present there is no sense of proportion. Some 6+ m. private cars whose owners contribute about £500 m. a year over and above the cost of their road maintenance cover a yearly total of about 30 m. miles. Many of these only come out at the week-ends. But m. goods vehicles on the road every day and all day (except Sunday) travel nearer 50 m. miles a year. Their total taxes do not even cover the cost of roads specially built and maintained for them. They make no contribution to the Exchequer for the common weal. Without private cars the road tax on goods vehicles would have to be increased by 12 limes at least and fuel tax would be 7s. 6d. a gallon. Only then would
the Chancellor meet his Budget requirements. From this it can be seen that goods vehicles are very heavily suh. sidized by private car owners.
At present road transport is a real menace to our lives. Take three-quarters of it away and we should all live more pleasantly. Over 42 years I have driven all kinds of vehicles over all kinds of roads at home and abroad. Some of them were just cart tracks. But I've never had an accident yet. Intelligent anticipation coupled with care and control are all that is required. The roads are not to blame. Over 40 m.p.h. is not safe on any goods vehicle, they become unwieldy. Too much strain on brakes in an emergency causes skids and loss of steering control.
Melksham. Wilts. WG. CDR. E. V. HUMPHREY.
Experiment with Stabilizers HAVE only just come across your issue (September 27) •
containing a letter suggesting that stabilizers should be fitted to articulated vehicles and that a vehicle so fitted should be match-tested against one which was not fitted with a stabilizer. It may be of interest to your readers to know that such an experiment was in fact carried out some 10 years ago and was filmed.
My own conclusion was that jack-knifing was averted but instead the stabilizer introduced a greater hazard. What then happened was that the locked-up portion, which of course was carrying the bulk of the weight, took charge and the skidding outfit just would not respond to the steering.
Harrow, Middx. C. WINDUST.
Small Men Still Alive
WITH reference to the report of the Road Haulage vv Association Conference in last week's edition of The Commercial Motor, I regret to note that I am credited with saying that the days of the small business are finished. I appreciate that these reports must of necessity be condensed, but unfortunately in this case the words taken out of context are a direct negative of what I actually said. I would be grateful, therefore, if you would publish my full remarks which were as follows:— " It has been stated in many quarters since the war that the days of the small businessman are finished. This may be true in some industries, but it is certainly not true of the road.haulage industry. The service given by road haulage demands the flexibility and personal attention which can only be given by individuals and it is essential therefore that road hauliers retain their individuality and identity. However, to obtain the advantages of larger organizations (bulk buying, credit facilities, discounts, etc.), I am of the opinion that it is also essential for hauliers to combine and co-operate. There are several ways of achieving this, ranging from complete financial integration without loss of identity to a looser-knit co-operation between hauliers in which the R.H.A. could, and should, play a part."
Barking, Essex. J. A. MURLY,
Chairman, Continental Ferry Trailers.