THE HEADLIGHT PROBLEM.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17748, 27 April 1923, Page 7

THE HEADLIGHT PROBLEM.

j A SUGGESTED REMEDY.

The glare of an oncoming car is a menace to all road users, 6ays a correspondent to the "Motor," and this danger lias curtailed road efficiency at least 10 per cent, on the average, though, where there is considerable iramc, the disability caused by vehicles i.a. ,rL = to feel t-..eir way past approaching ours is vet'y consiueraoie. iieaUiigiits, and eincient ones at tliat, are absolutely essential in the country, to pick up cyclists, stiay cattle, or farm carts witn their red lights obseuredj as well as to a,low the driver to see that he is approaching a sharp turn.

is ear a town, the cyclist without tail light or reflector is the menace, and in badly-lit euuurban districts a good light is almost as necessary as it is in the country. Ti.e various methods that Jiave been suggested for combating this trouble appear to have grave defects. To turn one's headlights out is suicidal. and the unlit cyclist is likely to be ahead on these occasions, while the sudden change of illumination eliminated the value of the side lights.

To dip the headlights still leaves the cyclist danger, while if the lights are dimmed enough to prevent glare they are no better than side lights. Tiie provision of a dark panel in the windscreen, or glasses with dark slips, makes it difficult to see the near side gutter or the cyclist, and, further, whatever arrangement is adopted, it should -be effective under conditions where the other man has not tiken any precautions, and simply trusts to two "searchlights" to "Wlaze7 his way through, as he "blares' his way through with a Klaxon in the day time. A method which shows considerable promise is to have the nearside headlight directed to the left from 10 to 15 degrees: tbat is to say, sufficient to keep the right-hand edge of the main beam from crossing the centre line of the car. «

This will fully illuminate the gutter (and the cyclist) about 30 yards ahead, and the former will be so well illuminated that the driver can concentrate upon driving close up to the gutter or edge of the road. This will allow him to pass a well-lit car at quite a reasonable speed, while this light will not inconvenience the car that he is meeting. The off-side light should be controlled by a separate switch, -placed close to hand so that when meeting a car or cyclist the off-side light is extinguished and the near-side light left on.