MOTOR LIGHTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20569, 31 May 1941, Page 4

MOTOR LIGHTS

LIMITS IMPOSED HOURS OF DARKNESS EMERGENCY PERIODS (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Designed to provide for a complete blackout during the period between an emergency warning signal and the all-clear signal, such‘as a period of emergency that would occur during an air raid, the lighting resti'ict.ions emergency regulations, 1941, amendment No. 1, were gazetted yesterday. An explanation of the regulations was given last evening by the actingMinister of National Service, the Hon. D. Wilson, who said they also prodded what lights were to be shown by motor vehicles both during an emergency period and also during all hours of darkness in certain areas where the lighting was restricted. The emergency warning signal, as in England, will consist of the sounding of a siren or a similar device for a succession of intermittent periods and tiie all-clear will be indicated by a continuous signal of about two minutes’ operation. Between these signals no light is pei'mitted to be visible from outside any building, vehicle or enclosure or otherwise than under cover, except that motorvehicles in use must display a parking lamp of not more than seven watts on each side of the vehicle, in addition to the usual tail light, and all these lamps are to be covered with obscuring material consisting of two sheets of newspaper or their equivalent. Must Carry Materials

A very important requirement for motorists to note is that they must at all times carry in their vehicles facilities for obscuring their lamps in this way. Exemptions are provided in the case of vehicles on urgent public business, such as ambulances. . A scheme for the lighting of vehicles oth.er than during emergency periods is based on two types of area, which are to be indicated by black signs with white lettering, reading resnectively: “’Emergo’-'cv headlight l-estriction area” and “Use park-lights only. Maximum speed 20 m.p.h.”

The park-lights only areas will be principally certain limited streets in the more important coastal centres and in those areas a motor-vehicle may display only parking lights and tail-light. In consequence there is a maximum speed restriction for those areas of 20 miles an hour. If a vehicle is parked in the park-light area, no lights may be shown from it and it must be parked off the roadway. Cyclists in the park-light area are not permitted to display from their bicvcle a light exceeding the brightness of a parking lamp and D-iey are required either to walk with the bicycle while in the area, or if they ride it, to display a red tail lamp on the rear of the bicycle. “Headlight Restriction Areas” In “headlight restriction” areas, which will comprise the important coastal towns, it wi'l be necessary that lamps be so adjusted that in addition to the tail-light there is only one headlamp displayed on the near or left-hand side of the vehicle, this being in the “dipped” position. At the same time a parking lamp is to be displayed on the off or right side of the vehicle. Two parking lamps additional to the above may also be visible if desii-ed. It is of particular importance to note that a “dipped” position of the headlight to meet this pi-ovision requires that the lamp be sc adiusted f hat (he light descends at the rate of not less than eight inches in 10ft. measured horizontally. This is a greater degree of dip than is inquired under the traffic regulations and the majority of motorists will probably find that they have to make'an adjustment to their lamps to meet the foregoing requirement. Interior Illumination Limitations are also set to the interior illumination, which may be displayed in passenger-service vehie’es •vithin the foregoing areas. The foregoing vehicle lighting restrictions, while applying during the hours of farkness, generally do not include any time later than 6.30 a.m. or earlier than 7 p.m. on any day, so that the restrictions will not apply during the busiest hours for traffic. “These regulations,” said the Minister, “'provide a very important part in the blackout precautions scheme which it is in the interests of us all to comply with strictly, and I feel sure that I shall have the full cooperation of motorists in seeing that they are followed. In this connection I am pleased to state that the motor unions and carx-ying organisations whom I have consulted concerning the regulations are in complete agreement with them.” • .