When it comes to automobiles and braking I’m the first to admit that I’m an ol’ fart, not quite so old that I recall them being called horseless carriages. But when I first started driving all gear boxes were not only stick change but crash too. For the kids this means that you had to equalize the revs between the engine and the transmission or you would hear an almighty scraping in the gear box and not be able to select the gear of your choice.
Brakes were cable operated and drum front and rear which meant that you could actually build leg muscles when braking and if you were driving at more than 30 miles per hour your chances of stopping in less than 150 feet depended upon whether you were going uphill. Hence we soon learned to use the crash gear boxes properly if we wanted to drive fast because brakes alone were insufficient to stop the vehicle.
What does this mean today? I just picked up my SUV after a 170,000 mile service and the original brake pads (I’ve had it since new) are 50% worn so I may have to worry about renewing them by the time the vehicle has a 250,000 mile service. This is because I use my stick shift gear box when braking even to this day - I’ve told my wife to put a gun to my head if I ever think of buying a car with an automatic transmission. I would see this as giving up full control of my vehicle.
Many of you are probably thinking that I’m one of these old guys that drive at half the speed limit and create traffic queues behind me just to preserve my brakes. Nothing could be further from the truth and few kids, even in sports cars, can get away from traffic lights as fast; I would consider it a sin to drive below the speed limit if conditions allow. What I am attempting to put across in this article is that one of the major reasons we have so many traffic accidents these days has nothing to do with traffic volume and a lot to do with complacency.
Is it possible that cars have been made too easy to drive that each generation of drivers has become just a little more complacent? Too many of the old drivers tasks have been automated or semi automated. I’m thinking of automatic transmissions, power steering, ABS braking, traction control and so on that each does a little bit to take away the need for a driver to have total control of the vehicle.
This brings me to the point of the debt of gratitude that all motorists owe to Formula 1 car racing because this is the only form of car racing that has constantly developed new technology that has been incorporated in the cars we buy and drive. Listed below are just a few innovations that started in Formula 1 Grand Prix Racing:
- Thin wall main and big end bearings.
- Hydraulic brakes.
- Disc brakes.
- ABS Braking systems
- Carbon fiber brakes.
- Independent suspension.
- Multi valve cylinders.
- Aerodynamic body design.
- Traction control.
Plus very soon we’ll probably see Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) being introduced to the family car to supply bursts of free energy when required for overtaking. Watch this space.
Next time you get into your car don’t assume that any specific gadget makes life easier for you because by doing so you are probably giving up some of the control you have over the vehicle. The most important thing with all automobiles is safety and especially the quality of your braking ability.
Good driving.
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