Laws On Dual Headlight Systems Explained

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30288, 14 November 1963, Page 9

Laws On Dual Headlight Systems Explained

When cars fitted with dual headlights were used at night it was against the law to drive with all four lights on in the dipped position, said the Transport Department’s district vehicle inspector (Mr N. G. Bell). It was possible to drive with all four lights on dip only if the approved lighting equipment had been altered from standard. Some drivers appeared to have done this.

It was not permitted to fit all four lights with doublefilament bulbs or sealedbeam units, he said. Dual headlight cars produced by the major manufacturers had their lighting systems approved by the department. Among approved dual systems were those fitted to vehicles made by International Harvester of Australia, American Motors Corporation, Chrysler, Ford Motor Company. General Motors Corporation, and Studebaker-Packard.

The approved systems worked in the following manner: when the lights were on main beam, one pair of lights, which had a longrange beam, were on in the main beam position, and the other pair were on in a diffused intermediate position, and illuminated the road immediately in front of the vehicle.

When the dip switch was operated the long-range lights were extinguished and the other pair switched to a focused dip position, which had to be dipped at the rate of four inches in every 10ft. At no time could the lights be adjusted so they rose above the horizontal or showed to the right under any load.

Four headlamps were permitted only if an approved

type of unit was fitted. It was not permitted, for instance, to use two auxiliary long-range driving lights in addition to the ordinary headlamps. If such auxiliary lamps were fitted, they must be adjusted to the dipped position and could not be used with the ordinary headlights on as well. However, if on a two-heed-light car, the original headlights were removed and the approved sealed-beam unit, type 2A, fitted, and auxiliary driving lights With approved 1A units were also fitted, these could be used together on main beam. With the lights on dip, only the car’s built-in lights, now fitted with the 2A unit, could be used legally. On main beam, however, the built-in lights could go on to main beam and the additional lights could be used. The lights would have to be wired to the dipswitch so that the additional lights did not operate at all when the other lights were oc dip, and only came on when the main beam position was selected. The result of converting a lighting system in this manner would be, in effect, a four-headlight, system. Where fog lamps were fitted to a car they must be dipped at the rate of four inches in 10ft, Mr Bell said. Tliey could not be used with the other lights on at the same time, except for parking lights. Either one or two fog lamps were permitted, but not more than two. If only one was used it had to be mounted on the right-band side at the car, and it had to be used in oongunction with the parking lights. It could not be used in conjunction with the headlights.