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Passing Comments

9th April 1954, Page 34
9th April 1954
Page 34
Page 35
Page 34, 9th April 1954 — Passing Comments
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Watch for Wrongly. Placed Signs

IN these days matiy-summonses by die police depend upon "distances," as when parking too close to the approach side of a zebra crossing: 'Recently, a London driver was summoned at the Mansion House for leaving his vehicle in an avenue which is restricted for 60 ft. from its junction with a main road.

A solicitor of the Automobile Association contended that no offence had been committed as it had been left close to the sign marking the end of the restricted section and this, quite wrongly, was sited over 86 ft. from the junction. Later, the police admitted this mistake-and the charge was dismissed. The Association will keep close watch on such points in future.

E.C.E. Study Driver Capability?

LAST month, as part of the work of studying possible measures to reduce road accidents in Europe, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe recently brought together, for the first time, medical . practitioners and administrative experts in order tn.f9rrnulate physiological and mental standards for the .drivers of motor vehicles.

This study group has laid down different minimum standards of vision for the drivers of various categories of vehicle. For 'public ,service vehicles, drivers should possess, for both eyes together and with glasses if neeessary, visual acuity of at least 1.6 to 1.7 and their field of vision should be adjudged normal by a medical practitioner.

It was recommended also that drivers' eyes should be tested at least once every three years up to the age of 60 and more frequently later.

For 'lorry drivers, there should be visual acuity of at least 0.7 and any driver who has lost the sight of one eye through an accident should not have his licence renewed until after a year's period of adaptation, and should then wear glasses to protect the remaining eye.

It was recommended that the p.s.v. driver should be subjected to medical examination on first application for a driving licence, this being repeated after three years.

Medical examination of drivers involved in serious accidents should be . more frequent; and recent idiopathic epilepsy. should be a bar to driving all types of vehicle. The same thing applies to those with a permanently slow pulse of less than 26-40 beats per minute, which involves the danger of loss of consciousness. A driving licence should be refused on evidence of chronic alcoholism or drug addiction.

Using Oil Engines in Cold Climates

ALETTER from Canada entitled "Winter

Immobilizes Oilers," published in our issue dated March 12, has caused some perturbation because so _many popular British vehicles now have oil engines. Difficulties with " freezing " of fuel in pipes, etc., in cold climates is rather a matter of the suitability of the oil fuel. The oil companies are well aware of this and where necessary provide grades selected for their low pour point -and containing pour-point depressors.

In extreme cases, it is common to use mixtures of oil fuel and kerosene. Heating of fuel tanks, etc., is of no great benefit unless effective while the vehicle is stationary for long periods, for the trouble is likely to be most serious when starting on cold mornings. It is possible, however, for exposed pipes to become cooled by air currents during operation, , and where the vehicle is normally kept under cover at night, heated tanks and insulated fuel lines would be beneficial.

In Sweden, where many operators in the north face extreme climatic conditions, they always insist on high-pressure fuel pumps and will not consider the diaphragm type.

It is also strongly advisable to site the oil-fuel filter in a warm position near the exhaust manifold, as it is likely to block rapidly with wax even when the fuel is fluid enough to flow freely in the pipes. It is notable that the American Caterpillar Company water-jacket their oil filters.

Books for Powder Metallurgists

pOWDER metallurgy is something of a mystery to

many people, but cemented hard metals, particularly those capable of withstanding high temperatures, are being used to a considerable extent in engineering production work, also in the recently opened field of gas-turbine development.

So far as is known, the only existing technical book on this matter was produced some 20 years ago. Now Dr. Paul Schwarzkopf, who is well known as the inventor of the multi-carbide hard metals used today in perhaps 70 per cent, of all tool materials and is president of theAmerican Electro Metal Corporation which he founded in 1929, has • co-operated with 1?r. R. Kieffer, director of one of the largest powder-metallurgy plants in Europe, in producing a book entitled " Refractory Hard Metals," a companion volume to "Powder Metallurgy." These are priced at 70s. and 24s. respectively and copies can be obtained from the London branch of The Macmillan Co., 10 South Audley Street, London, W.1.

French Road Transport Problems

BRITAIN is not the only country that has heavy

taxation in respect of its road transport. 1-or example, in France the taxation revenue from fuel in 1953 amounted to £173m. for petrol and nearly £24m. from oil fuel. The total derived from these, plus taxes on lubricating oil, licences, vehicle purchases, insurance, garages, tyres, etc., exceeds £407m. Expenditure on road maintenance during the year was approximately £102m., leaving a surplus of £305m. for the general Treasury, an increase of over 15 per cent. on that of the preceding year.

These figures are contained in a booklet published by the Union Routiere de France.


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