How To Drive A Motorcar
A Key To The Subtleties Of Motoring

RISK OF STARTING IN GEAR Now this does not mean that it should always be in its fully-retarded position, as a fair advance on the spark in most engines renders the starting up easier. It will, of course, be patent that in the ease of cars with fixed magnetos the risk of a backfire is consider- ably minimized, but even in those cases, sometimes when the engine is hot, or if there is much carbon deposit on the pistons, a backfire may be encountered, so that the main instructions should not merely be glanced over by the motorist whose car has fixed igni- tion, but also taken to heart. Starting Up in Gear This is rather a pet subject with the writer, but he feels justified in drawing attention to it, although it is certainly—and unfortunately—not a common prac- tice with most motorists adequately to guard against it. It is no doubt known to the reader that some few deaths have actually been caused through motor- ists starting up their cars when in gear. It hardly seems credible that so awful an accident could occur through such a thing, but nevertheless facts are in- controvertible, and unfortunately history possesses more than one case to prove the possibility. It is not, however, in the light of viewing the likeli- hood of so terrible an accident occurring that it is desirable to deal with this matter, but, on the other hand, if the car is started up with a gear in, a con- siderable amount of damage may be done to the car in question, or to other property, in addition to the possibility of personal injury. Every motorist should make an absolute unfailing practice of adopting either one of the two courses which will be propounded to guard against the pos- sibility of the danger of starting up with a gear in mesh. The first proposition Js that of invariably making it an unfailing habit to look at the change-speed lever when one goes to start up th? car after it has been out of sight for any period of time. It is not enough to argue as many people do that because it was a known fact that the car was out of gear when last the driver left the seat, therefore it must still be 27