HEADLIGHT OFFENCE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 287, 1 September 1941, Page 6

HEADLIGHT OFFENCE

First Prosecution Under New Regulations

The first prosecution in Wellington of a motor driver for not complying with the Headlight Restriction Emergency Regulations occurred in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, last week. William Duthie was fined 10'aud costs by Mr. Stout, S.M., who remarked that the maximum penalty was £5O or three mouths’ imprisonment.

Mr. A. R. Cooper, who conducted the prosecution on behalf >of the City Council traffic department, said that the case would lie followed by other ones in which the charge was the same, as well as ones in which the charge was different. Duthie was found witli his headlights full on after 7 p.m. Some drivers drove with only their parking lights on after 7 p.m., which was an offence under the Traffic Regulations if the driver could not distinguish an object on the surface of the road 150 feet ahead. Though the regulations had been given much publicity there were many motorists in Wellington not complying with them. The charge was laid under the regulation which required that when headlights were needed the light displayed on the right should not be brighter than a parking light and the headlamp on the left should be dipped. This being the first case, he did not ask for a substantial penalty. A traffic inspector said he saw defendant’s car in Ruahine Street at 7.30 p.m. on July 21 with both headlights full on and the parking light on the off side also on. The driver said he very seldom used his car at night and would have the lights altered next day.