HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-05-18, Page 17THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1988. PAGE 15.
Horsepower ’88
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Misleading perceptions cause accidents
Because trains appear to be
farther away and travelling more
slowly than they really are,
motorists frequently overestimate
how much time they will need to
beat the train, a Pennsylvania
State U Diversity psychologist says.
As a result, approximately 650
people die annually in collisions
between trains and vehicles. And,
annually, the 7,000 grade crossing
accidents are out of proportion to
Those funny noises
can mean trouble
Do you listen to your car?
You should because, strange as
it seems, these inanimate assem
blages of over 15 thousands bits
and pieces do possess a limited but
highly expressive repertoire of
noises; a sort of mechanical
vocabulary. And, each noise
means something to attentive ears,
like those of your technician’s or
yours, once you learn what to listen
for.
To start this particular topic off
with a bang, let’s talk about
backfires, which, like many of the
10 or so noises that can be
symptomatic of several problems.
Among them, animproprly adjust
ed emission system; an ignition
system whose timing is out of
whack; a carburetor that needs
adjustmentor even overhaul; a
vacuum leak in the carburetor,
intake manifold or hoses; or maybe
the valves are sticking or need
adjustment.
Incorrect ignition timing, a carb
that needs attention, vacuum leaks
and faulty emission systems are
also prime suspects when your
engine starts to ping or knock when
you accelerate uphill. Though
there are other possible culprits,
like the wrong fuel or the improper
spark plugs for your car, and
damaged or worn plugs, wires and
distributor components.
Has your car ever kept on
chugging or hiccupping long after
you’ve turned off the ignition?
That’s sometimes called run on
and it could be caused by incorrect
idle adjustment, a malfunctioning
air cleaner valve, or glowing
carbon deposits inside the combus
tion chambers of the cylinders.
Sometimes it’s due to your
engine running too hot. And, that
can be blamed on a broken
thermostat, a clogged radiator,
and, occasionally, a faulty water
pump.
Ifyour car clunks when you put it
into gear, a front end component
may be loose, or your driveaxle
joints or U-joint may have become
worn or damaged and are in need of
replacement - although, in that
case, the clunk is usually accom
panied by a squeek or vibration as
speed increases.
Ifyour tires begin to whine, it
doesn’tmean they wanttobelet
out, they’re either badly worn or
under-inflated. Or the alignment is
not right.
Squeaking or screeching brakes
are usually tired out or damaged.
In either case, they’re in immedi
ate need of attention. When they
start to grind they’ve gone too far.
You shouldn’t become intimi
dated by the variety of possibilities
listed. It’s not important that you
identify the actual cause of each
noise.
What does matter is that you pay
attention to these noises when you
hear them and take prompt action.
After all, you can’t say your car
didn’t try to tell you.
the number of trains in operation
(27,000locomotives), Dr. Herschel
W. Leibowitz says.
“Analysis on accidents reveals
that, in most cases, there was clear
warningof the train’s approach
and adequate visibility. But, for
some unexplained reason, the
driver of the vehicle chose to cross
the track and was killed or seriously
injured. This behavior is com
mon,’’ says the Evan Pugh Profes
sor of Psychology.
“Although information about
the driver’s own vehicle is usually
accurate and under the driver’s
control, judgement about train
speed and distance, which is
essential in determining the safe
time interval, is subject to several
systematic biases.
“The illusion of velocity and
size, the illusion of perspective and
the deceptive geometry of colli
sions can mislead the driver into
assuming that the safe time
interval for crossing the tracks is
longer than is actually the case,’’
he says.
A specialist in human factors
engineering, his observations ap
peared in “Grade Crossing Acci
dents and Human Factors Engi
neering” in an issue of the journal
American Scientist.
When veolcities are equal, our
eyes perceive a larger object as
moving more slowly than a smaller
one. The illusion of perspective,
which makes a train appear to be
farther away than it really is, is the
result of learned responses to
visual clues for depth.
The deceptive geometry of
collisions makes the train appear to
move more slowly at the distance at
which we make a decision on a
course of action, Dr. Leibowitz
says.
At the same time, train engi
neers are faced with deciding at a
distance what a particular vehicle
will do. While motorists can
accelerate or decelerate quickly
and change directions in response
to traffic, trains cannot change
direction and require a minimum of
185 meters to stop, he notes.
“In addition, signal systems
protecting grade crossings are
designed to anticipate the ‘worst
case’ so that the lights, bells and
gates are activated in sufficient
time to accommodate the fastest
train, the slowest motorist and the
worst weather.
“In most cases, the warning
time will be excessive for the
majority of drivers under most
conditions.
“This encourages motorists to
ignore the warnings and to judge
for themselves whether it is safe to
proceed,” he says. “Motorists are
typically impatient, and this ten
dency is exaggerated at grade
crossings.
“The fact that, in most cases, we
can safely ignore official warnings
contributes to the danger. When
ever we decide not to wait at a
crossing and are successful in
crossing safely, our behaviour is
rewarded and reinforced.
“The result of such reinforce-
Continued on Page 19
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