From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Letter discussing a car accident involving car 35-PK, focusing on braking systems and speed.
| Identifier | Morton\M3.4\ img010 | |
| Date | 21th August 1924 | |
| COPY. CHATEAUROUX, INDRE, FRANCE. AJL2/Cm.21.8.24. To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from A.J.Lidsey. I have received your letter of the 18th. inst. With reference to your queries re. the accident to 35-PK ;- (1) Given exactly the same conditions, with the exception of having a car fitted with rear wheel brakes, instead of four-wheel brakes, the accident would undoubtedly have happened, i.e., the accident cannot be said to have been caused as a direct effect of having four-wheel brakes fitted, excepting only due to the fact that the car would probably not have been driven so fast if rear wheel brakes only had been fitted. (2) It is very difficult to give an estimate of the speed at which the car was travelling. It would be possible to take the corner at 45 m.p.h. without any danger. As a rough estimate I should say the car was travelling at between 50 and 60 m.p.h., certainly not less than 50 m.p.h. With regard to the question of skidding, my own impression is that no skidding took place. Certainly no side skidding took place, the tracks being clear and well defined. I do not think the front wheels locked. We have never had a case of front wheels locking on any surface since the leverage to the front brakes has ben reduced. Also, if the front wheels did lock, and the steering was pulled round to take the corner, the near side front wheel would have hit the side of the kerb broadside on, whereas the mark on the kerb shewed a direct hit against the bank. I should say that the car was being driven too fast to get round the corner without applying the brakes, and the brakes were not applied sufficiently to stop the car for fear of causing a back wheel skid, and so throwing the car broad-side on against the kerb, in which case the car would have turned over down the bank immediately. The rear brakes on the car were certainly much more effective than the front, as reported in the previous day's daily report. A.J.Lidsey. | ||