BRAKES AND LIGHTS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 21, 25 July 1934, Page 11

BRAKES AND LIGHTS

A DOMINION CHECK

TO BE MADE NEXT MONTH

One of the decisions made at the recent * conference of traffic inspectors, railed together by the Transport- Department, was that stricter supervision should bo exercised over brakes and lights as a first step in the prevention of road accidents. It was agreed that the chock should bo. • made as wide as possible," and -next month inspections will^ be made, throughout the Dominion. ''As' drivers < may pass through several, cities and. boroughs it has been suggested that a uniform sticker should be used by all inspectors so that drivers need not bo unnecessarily delayed.

It will not, of course, be possible for the inspectors to cany out actual road tests of all .cars stopped, for this would mean serious' traffic delays, and would involve New Zealand in' an unparalleled burst of bad temper. It is proposed, therefore, that motorists should obtain—if they havo not already recently dated documents —records of brake and light tests" made by automobile associations or 'garage proprietors who have approved equipment.

It^is admitted that this plan leaves a good deal to be desired, but it is thought to be s, practical way of making a general examination: The inspectors will not, however, rely solely on the production of record evidence, "but may call upon drivers to submit their cars to a road test there and then.

In, Wellington drivers will also be asked to produce their licences, for there are still something like 3000 owners "who have not yet renewed their licences. , :

The general requirements as to brake efficiency are that vehicles must be capable of being brought to'a dead stop from 20 miles an hour in 40ft with the foot, brake and* in 75ft with the hand brake. , .„

Headlights must bo so adjusted that when vehicles arc standing on a level surface no portion of the main beam .shall be projected above the horizontal plane of the lamp or to a.height which at 75ft from the lamps is more than 3ft 6in. above the horizontal' Surface;

There-arelight testing stands at Herd Street, near the Karori tunnel, at tho old Miramar powor station, and in Mansfield Street, opposite Homer Street.

Unless it was that a "snap" check made in Wellington recently caught a very baa sample,there is no doubt that a check on brakes is badly wanted; twenty-four cars were stopped and eighteen of them were found to. be poorly braked, some so poorly as to be dangerous. ,

One_ of the problems in light adjustment is to get the owners of baby cars to train their headlights adequately low to allow for tilting of the car body when heavyweight passengers are in the back seats, for though the lights may be adjusted properly on the stand with the car empty, they become antiaircraft and annoying when tho car is loaded up.