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).
Analysis of a vehicle accident, discussing potential causes such as tyre performance, skidding, and tyre burst.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 47\3\ Scan500 | |
| Date | 21th October 1932 | |
| Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} C. Hd.{Mr Hayward/Mr Huddy} X4117 BY.12/G.21.10.32. RE: CHASSIS 171-GN. BEAUMONT PRICE (A.10/H.19.10.32). Referring to the attached papers, I think this is possibly a matter that you will have more knowledge of than myself, as it represents something which happened under what the driver appears to consider normal driving conditions. My views as to the matter are :- (1). The old silent tyre was quite good against side slip, but was poor on the driving wheels from the point of view of obtaining a driving grip of the road, when road conditions were smooth or greasy. (2). I am inclined to think from the owner's letter that he was taking a lefthand bend and I would judge was taking it rather far out on possibly a narrow road and his front wheel skidded sideways, otherwise he would not have attempted to run to the nearside. He goes on to say that he corrected the skid and straightened out, and then apparently the car did not continue to follow the curve but ran across the road in a ditch and hit a bank and turned over. This all seems to me quite normal, and one would explain it by saying he was taking the corner too fast on rather a bad position on the road, i.e. one of his front wheels was possibly over on the wrong side of the camber. (3). The offside tyre burst, but he does not remark about this in his letter, obviously if the offside tyre burst he would pull to the offside, and the whole thing would be explained even without the necessity for assuming a skid. I should be inclined to think that the tyre need not of necessity burst because of the big impact when it hit the bank, as the pressure would possibly be increased not more than 30/40%. | ||