JUDGE CONDEMNS DIMMING AT NIGHT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18187, 21 June 1927, Page 6

JUDGE CONDEMNS DIMMING AT NIGHT.

CUSTOM CALLED “ MOST DANGEROUS PRACTICE.” Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, June 20. “ The dimming of headlights on motor cars at night is the most dangerous practice in the world,” said his Honor Mr Justice Reed in the Supreme Court, when considering a case in which a motor-car collided with a tar mixer on the Beach Road. It was stated that the car’s lights were dimmed as another vehicle was approaching from the opposite direction, and the driver had not noticed the mixer on the roadside. There used to be a by-law, years ago, forcing motorists to dim "their headlights and I had a good experience of the fallacy of it while I was at the bar,” his Honor added. “ I defended a man who was charged with failing to dim his lights and a week later he killed a woman, through no other reason than dimming his lights. I then appeared for him on the charge of manslaughter.” “As a car owner I object to dimming headlights,” said Mr Rogerson, who appeared for the defendant. lie added that there was now a by-law requiring lights to be focussed correctly and this had served to a certain extent to keep the main beam of light on the ground.