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FunTranscript
00:00 What do you know?
00:02 [Music]
00:30 With increasing frequency, new sections of freeway are being opened around the world.
00:36 And the motorist has come to depend upon them more each year.
00:40 They may be called throughways, or expressways, or parkways, or motorways, as well as freeways.
00:50 But they are all the same to the hundreds of thousands of drivers who now use them.
00:56 However, the freeways are a world to themselves.
01:01 They have their own practical driving rules, and they have their own special kinds of problems,
01:07 usually caused by motorists who ignore these rules.
01:11 We've all seen such types.
01:15 Specimens like those we call driverius timidicus, the timid soul.
01:21 And neglecterus maximus, the careless, seemingly unconscious driver.
01:29 And most of us have had a brush with motoramus fidgetus, the impatient, discourteous motorist.
01:36 What's the matter up there? Move it! Come on, move it!
01:40 [Music]
01:43 Their bad driving habits and techniques cause accidents and tie-ups that are dangerous and time-consuming for everyone.
01:55 But there are other freeway problems, too, and they often start right here, off the freeway.
02:02 Of course, there is a certain type of motorist usually involved.
02:07 There he is now, a nice enough fellow, but the type who never takes care of things.
02:13 He never seems to learn. So let's call him stupidicus ultimus.
02:21 Ha! What a worrywart! Look at the old fussbudget!
02:27 He is often rather contemptuous of anyone who takes such simple precautions as walking around the car for a look at the tires.
02:37 Mr. S hasn't looked at his tires since he bought the car, so of course they've been run ragged.
02:43 He hasn't had the motor or brakes checked either. If the car runs, he simply drives it off without a thought.
02:51 Stupidicus just doesn't realize that on the freeway the demands on every part of his car are much greater.
02:59 A slick threadbare tire is usually the first thing to go.
03:05 Uh-oh! There goes my tire!
03:08 Of course, this can cause stupidicus to lose control of his car.
03:15 But if it doesn't, that worn-out tire suddenly becomes very precious to him, and he will actually stop quickly in a traffic lane.
03:27 Of course, this is the worst thing he could possibly do, and just for a tire that was almost certainly ruined anyway.
03:36 On the freeway, seemingly minor things, unusual little noises or vibrations should not be ignored.
03:45 A carelessly tightened wheel working loose, a rising temperature gauge, a rattling hood latch slightly damaged in a parking mishap can mean real trouble at freeway speeds.
04:03 Uh-oh! There goes my tire!
04:18 Stupidicus is the only one to blame for this predicament, but he has other ways of causing himself trouble too.
04:25 For example, the way he puts things in his car.
04:32 See how carelessly he piles them in the backseat, never thinking that in a sudden stop...
04:42 Ouch! Ouch!
04:45 ...every one can become a dangerous projectile, threatening his life and limbs.
04:53 But even worse is the way he loads a trailer.
04:59 He usually piles too much on and then ties it down very carelessly.
05:05 Naturally, at freeway speeds, part of the load is soon distributed along the way.
05:11 This adds to other carelessly scattered litter, all of which costs millions of dollars a year to clean up.
05:19 But there are often more immediate and far more serious results.
05:31 Another cause of trouble for Stupidicus is his unreasoning belief that it is most economical to buy just enough gasoline for immediate needs.
05:45 Uh, two gallons, bud. That ought to get me there.
05:51 Without any reserve fuel for possible delays or miscalculations, eventually there can only be one result.
06:01 Uh-oh! I'm out of gas!
06:06 The old worn gas gauge must be busted.
06:10 Of course, Stupidicus does sometimes manage to get his car safely out of the traffic lanes after a breakdown.
06:17 But even then, he often lives up to his name by getting out on the wrong side.
06:29 Or sometimes trying to make repairs while actually standing in a traffic lane.
06:41 Sometimes he will even bet his life in a foot race from the center divider to the side.
06:53 Once in a while, in spite of all precautions, a breakdown will occur.
06:58 This is a serious matter on a busy freeway, but the dangers can be lessened by following a few common sense rules.
07:06 First of all, remember that you are in a flowing stream of traffic that cannot be stopped quickly.
07:12 So if trouble develops, look around and plan your moves.
07:17 There is nearly always time for that.
07:21 Next, be sure to give clear signals of your intention before doing anything.
07:26 Now move carefully but firmly to the side.
07:30 The outside preferably, if it can be made safely and in time.
07:34 Almost any driver will be courteous enough to drop back if he realizes you're in trouble.
07:41 Once off to the side, get well out of the adjacent traffic lane.
07:46 Get out of your car only if it can be done safely, and even then, stay as far from the moving cars as you can.
07:56 If it can be done safely, a raised hood is a rather universally recognized distress signal.
08:03 But warning devices such as flares or reflectors should be carried also.
08:09 Three or four in a bundle secured under the front seat.
08:13 Always look out for spilled gasoline or other fire hazards before lighting flares, and set them carefully.
08:21 Set at least one about 50 paces back on the edge of the road, even a bit farther if stopped over a hill or around a curve.
08:31 Another near the car is recommended, and any such devices are especially vital at night.
08:38 It's easy to see that good mechanical condition is essential, but there is something else equally as important.
08:47 The driver.
08:49 Aside from his car, the condition of the driver, mentally and physically, is vital too.
08:57 For example, he will put in a hard day's work at the office, getting ready to leave on a vacation.
09:04 Maybe even attend a little farewell party.
09:08 Happy vacation. Have a good time.
09:13 Oh, goodbye. See you in two weeks.
09:16 And start out at the end of the day, planning to drive three or four hundred miles without a stop.
09:24 Inevitably, fatigue sets in, but Stupidicus keeps going because he doesn't realize the danger.
09:32 Let us pause and see what he's up against if he has to stop suddenly.
09:38 Remember that for a driver to see something, decide what to do, and then take action, usually takes from three quarters to a full second.
09:49 Brakes are applied only after that time.
09:55 When fatigued, a driver may take two or three times as long before using his brakes.
10:05 Of course, alcohol can make this problem even worse.
10:10 But in addition, an intoxicated driver,
10:16 confronted by an emergency, will often use very poor judgment and take unnecessary chances.
10:36 Another problem on long trips is that the constant speeds and steady hum of the engine tend to subject Stupidicus, or any other driver, to a kind of freeway hypnosis.
10:59 This is a serious hazard.
11:02 But it can be overcome by occasional stops off the road for a moment's rest and refreshment.
11:12 Finally, Stupidicus doesn't seem to realize that adverse weather conditions
11:21 always exaggerate and intensify any freeway problem,
11:28 and that extra care must be taken at such times.
11:49 He must learn that planning ahead is essential to safe, efficient freeway driving,
11:55 and he must not forget that this applies to short trips as well as long ones.
12:01 Many common freeway problems can be avoided if a simplified sort of checklist is followed before getting on the freeway,
12:10 whether to go across the city or across the country.
12:14 This checklist should include the car, fuel, water, tires, brakes, engine condition, and seat belts.
12:24 It should include the driver, rest beforehand, the alert, no alcohol, rest stops on long trips,
12:34 and it should include the freeway, traffic conditions, weather conditions, knowing where to get on, where to go, and where to get off.
12:46 And there is one more item to be included always, one for which there is no substitute, plain common sense.
12:57 Yeah, just plain common sense.
13:01 [Music]