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 from The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited regarding new brake testing procedures and standards in Palestine.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 120\2\ scan0076 | |
| Date | 19th August 1936 | |
| Telephone: Whitehall 7901 (6 lines) Telegrams: Movendum, Piccy, London The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited. 83 Pall Mall London, S.W.1. 274/1936. 19th August, 1936. Dear Sirs, BRAKE TESTS IN PALESTINE. I have to inform you that the Department of Overseas Trade has just been informed by the British Commercial Agent in Palestine that the Traffic Department of the Palestine Police have decided to introduce braking tests, to which all motor vehicles will be subjected before registration licences are issued or renewed annually. The new procedure has not yet been adopted all over the country, but it is now in operation experimentally in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The authorities are carrying out tests by machine, the type used in Jerusalem being the American "Weaver" Brake Tester (heavy duty, model WY 40), and a standard of 70% braking efficiency, according to this machine, is required for all vehicles, i.e., the equivalent of a stopping distance of 19 ft. from 20 m.p.h. The local agents for British vehicles, which apparently have great difficulty in passing the required machine test, contend that the Weaver machine is not suitable for testing light cars in general, but is designed to test American cars of greater weight and horse power. This contention would appear to be borne out by the results of tests made by the authorities in Palestine at the instigation of the British Commercial Agent. In these cases, two British cars of 10 and 12 h.p. were tested. One recorded 64% efficiency on the Weaver machine, but on a road test carried out by the authorities was brought to rest within a distance of 16 ft. from 20 m.p.h. (over 80% efficiency). The other car registered 46% efficiency on the machine, but on the road test, returned 100% (a stopping distance of approximately 14 ft. from 20 m.p.h.) The authorities are insistent that a mechanical brake test must be introduced, and consider that road tests are worthless. Following action taken by the local agents, the authorities have agreed that the following temporary procedure shall remain in force until a new Weaver machine, which is specially made to test light cars, has arrived in Palestine towards the end of August:- All vehicles weighing 1 1/2 tons and over must register 70% braking efficiency on the machine. Vehicles weighing less than 1 1/2 tons will be tested on the machine for even balance of braking (and passed if they register 70% on the machine) and also given a road test. They will be licensed if the machine test registers even balance (with a recognised margin of error) and if the road test indicates 70% braking efficiency, i.e., a stopping distance of not more than 19 ft. from 20 m.p.h. | ||