MOTORING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1063, 9 July 1917, Page 3

MOTORING.

i;ot:.s and comments. DAZZLING LIGHTS. The first of the prosecutions for the use of dazzling lights on motor cars were proceeded with in the Magistrate's Court on Friday, when several offenders were brought up. The SubInspector explained that they were the first charges of the kind, and there wore a number of them coming on later. The informations had been laid owing to complaints from the Riccarton Borough Council. There had been a number of such prosecutions in other places. The Riccarton police constable said that some of the lights gave a narrow beam which went straight ahead, and did not reach to the footpaths. He instanced a case in which a motor car approaching one with glaring head lights got into trouble owing to the driver's vision being interfered with. "Is Tiiera Any Remedy?"

"Is there anv remedy?" asked the Magistrate (Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S.M.) Mr Mcintosh, city motor inspector, replied that there was any amount of socalled remedy, but the City Council had seen no remedy that could be called a success. He had in his possession a number of leaflets, giving details of certain diffusing arrangements, but this equipment ran into about £'■'> 10/- per car, and he thought that that was too much to ask a driver to pay. If a bylaw were made something workable would have to, be embodied in it. A great many cars had dimmer switches on their lamps, but they were not always used. He had no evidence of these offences with acetylene lamps. Ho went on to say there was an agency in town with an appliance for deflecting the light to the ground when approaching another vehicle or pedestrian. It was mechanically operated by a lever, but he thought that if many people would not even trouble to press a dimmer switch, they certainly would not operate a lever. A driver had enough to do in controlling his car.

Lamps Out of Focus. In another case the agent for the car owned by defendant appeared, ami said that it was impossible for these liylits to slave, as they were all out of focus. The defendant had come into him "raising chaos" about the state of his lamps. It was a new car, and the lights on new cars were just put in anyhow, and always needed adjustment before they would give a proper light. These lights were all out of focus. One was pointing high up, and the other directed on the ground, and they could not dazzle in that condition. The Magistrate held that each individual litjlit would dazzle. The agent said that as the lights were they were not bright enough to drive with. A fine of 5/- and costs was imposed in each case. Motor Regulations. Councillors of the Ashburton County Council took the opportunity, at their meeting on Friday, to express their views on motor regulation matters in general, when the Tiniaru Borough Council wrote enclosing a resolution urging that it be made compulsory for all motor-registering authorities to examine drivers and issue yearly licenses to competent drivers of motor cars and motor cycles. The letter recommended that the yearly fee should be 5/- and 2/6 respectively, and front and rear identification marks should be made compulsory. Mr A. Christie, by-laws inspector, submitted a report in which he asked the council to support the resolution. He urged that the regulations should also stipulate that when a new car or cycle had been obtained a new registered number should also be issued instead of the owner Slaving the option to retain the old number. In most cases the owner failed to remove the old number when selling, thus causing two or more cars or cycles to run with the same number. He had been informed that the Ashburton Borough Council was applying to be appointed as a registering authority for the district, and if this were granted no end of trouble would be caused by having two registering authorities in the same district. The clerk stated that there were 74 registering authorities in the Dominion (the correct number is 120), and the Act provided that a district must have 5000 inhabitants before it could become such an authority.. The chairman stated that great difficulty was experienced at present in getting convictions against speedy motorists, as much confusion arose with the numbers. Gr Doherty said there were too many by-laws, and a motorist hardly knew where he was. They had their speed limits, and, as far as Ashburton County was concerned, thc.y were singularly free from accidents. The majority of lawbreakers were motorists from other centres. It was decided, to allow the Timaru letter to lie ou the table. CLUTCH.