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AUTOCAR 29 February 7968

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29 FEBRUARV 1968 vd r28No376e ldho. D.put, ldhor A.drtrtt ldlto, taatrlr. Gdt ?

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Edltort.l mAURICE A. tUtTH, AFC PETIR OABTI]EN LEOIIARD AVTOX STUART IIADOX I]IITE8 IRgtATD OEOFFREY HOWABO,

SSdEag), ACO|, CtModtE JOHN DAVEY GRAHAM ROBSON, MAlOxon) MARTIN LEIA/IS MICHAET SCARLETT WARREN ALLPORT

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EDWANO EVES

An Edftor A.abtrnt Mmdraor Otllor Sprclal Contrlbutoo

HOWAFO I/Y8E JOHT{ HAWKINS

HABOLO HOtt, Aulnl AI{,/,.ET

RONALD SARI(ER ROGEN HUilNilGTON. ASAE 1oeou EOt{ YOUI{G (6po{r)

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TAIT FEATURES VAUXHALL VENTORA ROAD SAFETY WANTS YOUI SEAT BELT REVIEW PROTECTING THE YOUTTG SAFE.AIDS FOR DRIVIT{G BSM HIGH.PERFOBMA'{CE COURSE INTERVIEWS WITH SAFETY ENGINEERS TEST: DAF 65 AUTOCAR FREE IUAP$ DETAILS AI{TI-EMISSION E-TYPE

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REOUI.AR TTEUS DISCONNECTED JOTTINGS

NEW PRODUCTS

THE SPORT

STRAIGHT FROM THE GBID

NEWS AND VTEWS

TRADE AND INDUSTBY

CORRESPONDENCE

NEW CAR PRICES Lart pages before back covor

TTEXT WEEK'S ISSUE FEATURE$-P 62 COVER: Drawing by Gordon Horner

Publith.d b{ ILIFFE TiAt{SPOm PUBLICATIONS LfD.. OoGt Houx. SuDto.d Stmt_ toidor S.EI. lfolcChom: Ot.928 3333, lobgnmt: frrrr,. Autqr lfitt p6r 26t37 Ledon), SRANCX OFFICCS: Covcnty. 8.1O CorDorutbn st@r (frbprp[..Cowntry 262tO,: Bkmlighlm. /rct Lynton Xq[. W.t[[ Rad, B,minghrm, 22bi7,taprpn:O21, 8&cifdd /f838|, (frlrrr llifr.po. Bimlngh!f, 338O8O). March.ilrr. 260 OoBO.r., Mlnclrtrr 3 lf.Whw: lhct ri.[ 44t2, Oun.e!i. 3698]. Ctrren, 123 ]topr Sirmt. Gl..ed. C,2. l,lLprpn : C.nr,rt 1266-6,, f,irol, I I Ms[h Str.rr. BrLtot. t lf.Lplp&: 8.hol 2lagt-2r. Ssbacrlprlon r!&r: Xm.. I y.!r f8: Ov.ru.r, I yur.

€ 8. 3 yon f,20 8r : UOA € nd C.n.dr, I yo. 320. 3 yl an a61 . Ch.ng. ot .dd&.'--ata.e mla rhat tuJ. sf,b' rcti6 h raqui.cd togathlr wlth rho atum ot ! w.lppcr bllriig tho old rddrc RaeLtrcd 1 tha ccDrat por Olfr.G !! r Nd.p.Ff,r. Srcmo itu prlvl.go ruthorizld tr tla Yoil, N.Y. O lifir Trrntpo.r p!6tkrtb6t Ltd,, 1908. PmLdo to .tprod@ illu|l[tiru od bndp.o in thit ,amtl ctn b. g[nlod only u.tdi wrlnrn tgr6mrn! grilt a[racu q @mmlnh mty b. mada wifi d6 rctndlcdgan.nt.

ROAD SAFEWIT'S UP TO YOU t

THERE'S something about a real accident that can never be reproduced by crash testing. Watching a controlled barrier impact, we can hear the same sickening thud of energy being transformed into bent metal as the car crumples in front of us, but there is no cry of pain and no real blood. Gruesome thoughts? Yes, and sobering ones, too.

ln a way we have had a surfeit of pictures of crashed cars; familiarity breeds contempt. perhaps. When we pass a real wreck we all slow down and continue carefully for a few thoughtful miles, before we put it out of our minds and speed up again; "These things don't happen to us!"

It is better to be constructive about road safety. This issue contains five feature afticles including some new thoughts on safe driving. Those who want to ignore theni will find lots of other things to read. But for those who care about being safe and who take a pride in their diiving (rare count most of our regular readers among these) there should be something to learn.

There's an old saying that the most dangerous part of a car is the nut that holds the wheel. We feel that a highly skilled, defensive driving technique can keep you out of a lot of trouble. But there may come a time when circumstances are against you. lt is then that the surefooted, wellmaintained car on good tyres may get you out of trouble. lf it doesn't, then there should be interior padding and crushable ends round a rigid passenger box to absorb some of the energy. As a last resort there are your seat belts, proven life-savers. compulsory on all new cars. But they must be worn, correctly and all the time, to be of any use at all.

Standards of car construction have improved out of all recognition in recent years. Good handling and ease of control on the production family saloon are now much better than they were even on the great sports cars of a generation ago. Traffic density is over twice what it was only 10 years ago, yet as a whole, accidents are not on the increase and for December 1967 (a special month when the new drinking and driving laws came into force) there was a drop of one third compared with the figures for December 1966.

This is no reason for complacency, though. and the job of improving roads, cars and driving must always continue. About the first two we can do little-but badger the Ministry of Transport and the manufacturers. Safe driving, however, is exclusively our own responsibility, and the finest, safest roads and cars in the world will not offset aggression, inefficiency, or inattention on the driver's part. So let's set our own house in order first-and let's shame the insurance companies into giving us a 90 per cent no claim bonus for a change.