A Driver Comments on Training Schools J UST a few lines
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to support the sentiments of your contributor, Mr. H. L. Miffward, contained in his article, "Road Safety as Influenced by Vehicle Design," which appeared in your journal dated August 10.
As a driver of heavy vehicles and as one interested in the training of, men for this work, I find that many of the suggestions put forward by Mr. Millward are wise and worthy of official, recognition.
As regards his appeal for national training schools for drivers, may I go farther than this? There are many classes of driving, and whilst the school idea is good, and particularly the use of a static motor vehicle facing a film of a typical road with its obstructions, etc., I suggest that the practical training ground should he modelled on that employed by London Transport in its bus" drivers' school at Chiswick. I cannot believe that a State school could do any better than the latter.
There are, of course, many large operators of heavy vehicles who train their own men, for quite often the work of their drivers involves specialknowledge of the goods carried and their treatment. In other cases, a special technique is needed for handling vehicles when off the main thoroughfares. In fact, in such cases the training goes farther than that outlined by your corres pondent. I think, however, that the basic principles he reviews should be adopted as Standard in all schools of driving, and they might possibly be under M.O.W.T. sepervisiou, with resident M.T. examiners. It would be as well also to have central schools for drivers of private cars and vans, and perhaps public tracks, On which smaller concerns could train their own men or test them out with specific vehicles.
As regards Mr. Millward's points on vehicle design, I have suggested" to my own company .and to one of "the important vehicle makers that the push-on-type of hand brake is to be preferred to the more common pull-on type. There is a great deal to be said in favour of the bonneted type of vehicle. It is more comfortable in many ways than that with forward control. The latter may give better visibility, but the presence of the engine so close to the cab is not good, especially fcr long spells of driving. Thought might be given to some adaptation of the design in which the engine is at the side of the vehicle between the axles, or perhaps mounted at the tail end, as ii some American vehicles. A better arrangement is also necessary to obviate draughts through the floorboards, particularly in the neighbourhood of the pedals. A tray under these might be the answer, as matting and rubber covering devices wear out quickly on a commercial vehicle, which is in action so many more hours than the average private car. Cold draughts in the . vicinity of the feet are uncomfortable and dangerous to health.
Direction-indicating signals are always useful, and I endorse the idea that they should be mounted in duplicate at the rear of the vehicle. I would even suggest that this idea should be standardized on all vehicles and include a stop signal. It is not always poSsible for following traffic to observe a gesture of the hand, or even a lighted signal when it is far forward and the view obstructed by the 'load. Incidentally, switches for direction indicators and the . stop light should he mounted on the steering .column, where they are readily accessible for manipulation by the finger tips.
Cranfield. ACLOLAD.