To the Editot of the "MobrhChixn Dany News Sm;—Capt. Sir Malcolm Campbell motoring editor of "Field," writes in the December 18 issue on driving, and I cannot do better than quote:
"Driving dangerously", is a term which immediately conjures wp in one's mind the. vision ai a oad hog the high y dri a car breakneck corner fond, and travelling Instances such ts these are about as ^ad as they can be, but there are many. other dangerously which, nor he allied with pure speed, are hot always regarded in that light T "consider that. the slow and nervous driver constitutes one of the gravest. dangers on our roads today; Sou can see them by their hundreds during the, week-end, They invari; Amble along ai a speed seldom in ably hug the crown of the road and excess of 30 mih. and when they arrive in a controlled area, usually Slacken "down 00. 20 mph. or eve Jess. This behaviour is all very well, but' serious congestion is caused to others and it does not seem fair that everyone else using the highway has perforce to regulate "his speed t0 ihat of the inexperienced driver.
I consider that it is the duty or every motorist when driving. slowly. ifthe one halt of the road ahead is clear, to give way at once to all traffic "immediately behind, He should pull over as close to the near side of the road as possible and beckon, on the cars that obvious want i9 pass, One slow. driver durs ing the week-end congestion can hold Up. literally. dozens "of "others for several miles at a stretch, and there are always those, who. becoming exasperated at the delay. take risks in passing which often end up in an accident.
On reading this, I have been more ihan impressed how true this is of Shanghai drivers and how frequently one is held up at every cross-road because the car in front har only two speeds (slow and stop) and persists holding the crown of the road. This type of driving is to the low horse-power of; car but frequently to high-powered and modern cars, and I suggest the traffic police on motor cycles should be instructed to keep their eyes open for drivers who are unwilling or unable to keep up with the traffic and who are just a* much a menace on our roads as the speed demon.
Possibly, if cars so picked up. and obviously in need of outside repairs. were to be sent-for a mechanical test, it would be found that they are a real menace in the shape of defective brakes; how some of the cars one sees using the Shanghai roads are ever granted a license is beyond me. Apparently no precautions are taken to protect the public My suggestion is that before a car is granted a half-yearly license a sort of "Lloyds" certificate should be presented: those unable to produce same should be forced to undergo a police test.
In case any of your readers may misunderstand my motives in making the above suggestion, I want to make it clear that I ar. not a shareholder, dealer or in any way connected with motor cars.
Perhaps if our hard-working traffic police recognize that dangerous driving has more angles to it than just speed, the class of driver referred to by Sir Malcolm will be eliminated from our streets and with his demise all reasonable drivers will breathe sigh of relief.
AJO.
Shanghai, Apr. 27.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.