HAZARDS OF THE NIGHT.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 March 1937, Page 3

HAZARDS OF THE NIGHT.

It is fear that keeps a large number of motorists off the. roads at night—■ fear of the dark; fear of the dazzling beams from the headlamps of approaching cars; dread of the risks they run when blinded by brilliant lights; dread also of the nervous strain of peering ahead trying to see what obstacles may remain beyond the range of the headlamps. Have your headlamps working efficiently. Have them adjusted correctly to prevent dazzle. On a car properly equipped for night driving none of these fears need arise. It is seldom convenient or desirable, especially in cold or wet weather, to drive with the windscreen open; yet at points where the risks of night driving are greater than usual, such as in an ill-lighted city street, it will be found that visibility' can be greatly increased by opening the screen. The improvement is all the more noticeable if the glass is coloured in any way'. The great thing, however, is to avoid a vertical screen, for this will reflect straight into the ey r os of the driver the ray r s from the lamps of an overtaking car and of the street lights. Strain in night driving can be reduced to almost infinitesimal proportions by keeping the speed down. Far too many motorists expect to put up the same speed at night as in the day time and they' are always forcing themselves to drive faster than they really want to. They are always trying to see just bey'ond the range of their headlamps, and are for ever on the qui vive with the foot ready' to dart to the brake pedal should some unexpected obstacle arise.