The Campaign Against Exhaust Fumes
Page 34
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APART from the question as to whether or not the exhaust fumes of oil and petrol engines are dangerous to health, they can, in certain circumstances, be objectionable and, in the case of those from the oil engine, be an added danger on the road if the emission is excessive.
The major campaign against the oil engine in particular, has been concerned with buses in congested areas, of which the greatest number is, of course, in London. There can, however, be little to complain about with them, or in fact, elsewhere. Their maintenance is usually excellent and great care is talcen with the injection equipment.
There is, however, a somewhat different story to tell in connection with some heavy commercial vehicles, particularly those travelling by night. There are, not wanting reports,froin various parts of the country that the maintenance of certain of the long-distance oilers is not all that it should be and that they are emitting excessive amounts of smoke, and this not only on hills. With several of these vehicles proceeding in ,convoy, this smoke may be a peril to other traffic. Much of the longdistance work is still performed by British Road Services and some of their vehicles have proved to be culprits. It is most essential that attention should be given to this matter and every care taken to make certain that injection pumps are adequately serviced and adjusted, and injectors kept thoroughly clean. Any tampering with the pump and its controls by drivers should be severely punished if discovered. To permit this, seals should be used wherever possible, although, as was pointed out recently in this journal, there are some difficulties in making the injection equipment completely proof against all interference.
Drivers should also be instructed to control their vehicles in such a manner as to prevent them from becoming a nuisance in this way. Hill climbing. with the accelerator hard down and in too high a gear may he found to add to the volume of exhaust smoke produced. Excessive speed on the level may also have the same result. Skilful men can usually largely obviate the trouble unless the adjustment or condition of the equipment is such as to call for servicing. Drivers should be instructed to report if their vehicles have a smoky exhaust.
From the -point of view of the operator, smoke means inefficient and incomplete combustion with a resultant wastage of fuel, so that it is in his own interest to prevent such a condition.