LIGHTING-UP TIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18295, 11 January 1923, Page 9

LIGHTING-UP TIME.

■. ■■■'.:." ;:v ■■:.: . T SUNSET AND SUNRISE. 1 AN UNREASONABLE BY-LAW. COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE. Motorists generally will be interested i in a statement by Mr. J. W. Poynton, ] S.M., who,, when hearing, in the Police < Court yesterday, a charge, brought by 1 tho police against W. P. Davis, a taxidriver (Mr. Holmden), for driving with- i out lights after sunset, said he did not ' think the by-law, or the Act under which it was framed, was reasonable. Tho police evidence was to the effect that, at 7.21 a recent evening defendant '. drove- a car in Klvyber Pass Road and ■ Symonds Street without head lights. It ' was stated that the time was taken by , the, tramway clock. . Sunset that day , was at 7.3 p.m. 1 Mr. Holmden said that at 7.3 p.m. ' defendant was approached by a fare at tho taxi stand at the top of Symonds ■ Street, and. took him to Newmarket, returning' to .the" stand at 7.20. Counsel said the by-law set forth that all motor-vehicles should be lighted up between sunset and sunrise. • Thai was unreasonable. In the summer time it was perfectly light; for three-quarters of ' an hour after sunsiet and perfectly light a full hour before sunrise.. They got the 1 greatest visibility about half an hour before sunrise. 'In other well-regulated municipalities there was always a light--1 ing-up time, which was generally about half an hour; after sunset. On clear summer nights with about an hour of twilight it was unreasonable to expect, in practically broad daylight, that motorcars should'run about with lights on. Defendant, said he turned on the lights , as he went down Khyber Pass Road. The sun had just set., The constable aci eosted hint when he was back on the , stand. It was perfectly light when he I went to Newmarket. -, The father of the defendant, who also was on the taxi stand that evening, said . it was a bright night. ; Tho Magistrate Ido not think the , Act is reasonable or the by-taw either. If provides fun for small boys and wastes r benzine. Counsel said the by-law unnecessarily ' affected the public rights to use the i King's highway. It could be framed in . such a way as not unreasonably to alfei't - those public rights. According to the by-law there was power to prosecute if lights were not on one minute before sunrise, a time when, he submitted, I there was the/greatest visibility. [ The magistrate said the by-law should , bo altered. It was quite unreasonable to light up at sunset, but it was to prevent disputes as to the lighting-up time ! that that, hour was fixed. It meant a . waste of benzine, a waste of thousands , of pounds a. year; and no one observed it. He would reserve his decision. ■