STANDARD TAIL LIGHTS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29270, 30 July 1960, Page 4

STANDARD TAIL LIGHTS

Possible Legislation For Bicycles

Cyclists throughout New Zealand may be compelled to discard their tail lights and equip their bicycles with rear lights of British standard specification if a recommendation of the Christchurch Metropolitan Road Safety Committee to the Government becomes law.

At a meeting of the committee unanimous support was 'given to the recommendation being sent to the Minister of Transport, and that the New Zealand Road Safety Council be notified of this measure. Emphasising the need for the adoption of the standard type of rear light, Mr D. L. Hogan, district officer of the Transport Department, said 30 cyclists had been killed on New Zealand roads in the last three years, and 361 injured—“and many of the. accidents are from motorists striking them from behind.”

A fairly substantial proportion of the accidents were at night, he said.

A type of tail light which was compulsory in Holland followed very closely the British standard. Novel features were a reflector inside the light and a section in the top enabling the cyclist to check that the light was working. The light would have to be fitted on the back of the mudguard, said Mr Hogan. The chairman, Mr A. R. Kiddey, said the institution of a standard light for cyclists was -something that had been needed for a long time. “It appears that supplies of the lights would readily be available if regulations came into force," he said. “What happens to those on hand which do not come up to the specifications is not our worry; our worry is to have them fitted to' cycles for the greater promotion of road safety.” “Importers should be perfectly happy to accept the standard provisions, but wtf will have to get the standard set so that purchasers can import only those lights which measure up to such standard,” said Mr Hogan. Mr B H. Paton, who suggested that the recommendation should be put to the Government—the original suggestion was that the recommendation should be put to the Road Safety Council—said there was no appreciation in transport circles in other centres of the problem which existed in Christchurch with so many cyclists. * The president of the North Island Motor Union had said there was no bicycle problem in New Zealand. Other suggestions that will be made to the Government with the recommendation are that the light be fitted on the rear mudguard and that the light be as large as possible. The statistics showed that rear lights were even more Important for the safety ot cyclists than the-front light, Mr Kiddey said.