Menace of Glaring Headlights

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 45, 23 February 1938, Page 2

Menace of Glaring Headlights

OUTSPOKEN COMMENT BY ENGINEER

Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, Last Night. Strong criticism of the apathy of those responsible for the control of roads as far as action to eliminate the danger of glaring headlights was concerned, was expressed at the annual conference of! the New Zealand Institute of Engineers to-day by Mr. H. F. Toogood, chairman of the rural roads committee, when reporting to the conference on behalf of committee.

“The committee believes there are as many bad drivers of motor-vehicles in New Zealand as there are faults in roads,” he said. Members: ‘‘More, by a long way. Mr. Toogood: “Well perhaps there are more. At any rate the chances of acci-

dent are increased greatly by a want of discipline 1 among drivers. Roads are being built to provide the utmost degree of safet y but this fact is ignored and they are being made more dangerous than ever by this lack of discipline. Of all offences committed on the road there is none more serious than that of the driver who blinds an oncoming motorist with hie glaring headlights. Yet men are allowed to use a road with these menacing headlights and we never hear of a prosecution. There are innumerable prosecutions for parking and other similar breaches and it is time something was done to stir up action in this more important respect. The motorist is not always to blame for the fact that his lights were blinding,” he added, “but that does not alter the fact that glaring lights constitute one of the biggest menaces on the road.” (Hear, hear.)