Car Lighting Regulations

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23361, 21 June 1941, Page 8

Car Lighting Regulations

All users of the roads will do well to consider the added danger of,road accidents that will arise froin the regulations regarding lighting of , motor vehicles, which will come into force on Monday. During the winter months the danger,will be accentuated by poOr visibility. A heavy responsibility is thrown on motor-car drivers, who are required, in parking light areas, to drive only by the light of their parking lights and to reduce their speed to a maximum of 20 miles an hour. It should be borne in mind that driving with parking lights the motorist haa only his normal range of vision, unassisted by. the ’thrown forward by headlighja, arid that therefore the space in which he will often bO required to stop in order to avoid collisions will be. very considerably shortened. This means that a ihuch lower spedd than that at which most motorists are accustomedj tp drive will have to be maintained and that it will be safer to drive below the 20 miles an hour maximum than up to it. Even in those areas where greater latitude is allowed, motorists will require to exercise the greatest care, for dipped headlights greatly reduce the .range of vision, and with only the left-hand headlight in action visibility is greatly, reduced on the driver’s side. : The latest safety message Issued by the AutOmobfie Association (Canterbury) dkects the attention,of motorists to the advisability of ensurlngj tliat windscreens are kept deam%': tf&Twinging' is; particularly appropriate under the new conditions. But the responsibility for road safety in these circumstances will lie equally heavily on pedestrians and cyclists who are the most likely to suffer injury or worse in .road accidents. They wW be to keep a sharp look-out, remembering always, that though they will be able to see an approaching car, it will not always be possible for the driver "to see them v 'they wear light-coloured, clothes pr scarves they will greatly assist motorists to avoid colliding with them. It will be noted that cyclists .are required under the regulations to have rear, lamps fitted to their machines in parking light areas, a necessary measure for their own -protection. If a commonsense view of the regulations is taken by all road-users the danger of accidents will be considerably reduced.