AUTOMOBILE AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 263, 26 July 1918, Page 8

AUTOMOBILE AFFAIRS

REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE

The annual meeting of tht> New Zealand Automobile Union is to commence tliis morning in the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. The report of the executive states llmt during the past year tho Minister of Internal Affairs has carried out his promise lo submit to the union all those new or amended by-laws which in any way affect motorists, and the work of examination has been fairly heavy.

"The subject of glaring headlights is," says the report, "still engaging attention, and feorno local authorities are showing a disposition to promulgate ntle.s of llio usual type whicli are bound to cause trouble and expense before better counsels prevail. As an example, it may bo mentioned that the Auckland City Council has recently brought in a by-law tho effect of which is to compel motorists to cant their headlights downwards, As against this we find it stated iu reports from the Automobile Club of America and the Royal Automobile Clu.b of England (reports prepared by the best experts of the day after experiments of scientific exactness) that the downward cant of the headlight tends to increase the "dazzling' effect. In Wellington the method favoured is that of "diffusion" of the light beam by means of special lenses, and the council's motor expert is opposed to the 'canting'' ot the beam. The. by-laws here restrict the use of undimmed headlights in certain streets. Some of these streets are riot so well lighted as others, and to pass from a well-lighted street to one less well illuminated, without using the headlight, is but to court disaster, particularly at the present time, when so many soldiers are, about. Every driver can testify to the partial invisibility of khaki in a poor light.

"In Christchnvch recently, in a case before Mr. W. AVilson, S.M., it was held that having powerful headlights on a motor was not in itself an offence, provided'that the drivers of approaching vehicles were not dazzled hy them. In other words, it" the motorist took precautions and used a 'dimming' apparatus when within a reasonable distance of an approaching vehicle he had fulfilled lh« obligations for preserving the public safely. Out in the country or upon n road on which there was no Irafiic tho use of powerful headlights on a car was permissible, ft is to be hoped before any by-laws are allowed to be passed regarding bo highly technical :i matter, that tho fullest information will be obtained from all parts, so that such restrictions as o,re imposed may be founded on eominon-senso and scientific judgment." Including a balance of ,£lO ICs, fid. brought forward from last year, the receipts are set down as amounting to ,£l4l Jla. 6d, The expenditure for tho year amounted to ,£Bl It's. 4d., leaving a balance of .£5!) 15s. 2d. to be carried forward.