THE A.A. AND LIGHTS ON VEHICLES.
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0 N DECEMBER 8th the Automobile Association gave evidence before the Lights Oinrehicles Committee (Ministry of Transport) on behalf of 100,000 members owning commercial vehicles, motorcars, and motorcycle. The following is a resume of some of the recommendations made by the AssociaColl :— 1. That there should be one enactment dealing with the lighting of all vehicles and cattle to take the place of the various Acts and loeal regulations which now exist, and that no local authority should have power. to make bye-laws, relating to such
matters. . s 2. That having regard to the changed conditions created by the transition from horse-drawn to mechanically-propelled vehicles and the consequent speeding up of traffic, all vehicles except bicycles and handcarts, should show two front aghts indicating the width of the vehicle.
3. That the exemption of farm carts, etc., during the harvesting season from carrying any lights should be withdrawn.
4. That it is essential in the interests of public safety that all vehicles should show a red light to the rear bp means of a lamp carried at the rear. 5. That in the case of vehicles carrying loads projecting to the rear or overhanging the sides of the vehicles, wherever possible the lights should be placed so as to indicate the furthest point of the projection of the load. 6. That the presence of cattle, sheep, led horses, etc., on the road after dark should be indicated by efficient lamps of a distinctive colour, and that the persons carrying the lamps should he required to wave them on the approach of other traffic.
7. That having regard to (a) the bad condition of the roads and (b) the difficulty of the satisfactory adjustment of rear lamps,no motorcycles and push cycles, any new legislation should include a provision to the effect that where a rider could establish that he had taken all reasonable precautions for keeping his lamp alight, he should not be oonvicted merely because the lamp was out.
8. That as regards the use of powerful lights, there should be some limitation, but that the necessity for efficient lights on country roads (or even town thoroughfares which are inadequately provided with street lamps) cannot be too strongly emphasized.
a That any new regulations should be phrased in the simplest form, thereby. avoiding the commission of technical breaches which in the past have so often resulted from the inability of the public to interprete regulations which were not clear. 10. That, the provisions applying to motor vehicles, by which, the driver is firstly responsible for contraventions of the lighting law, and the owner can also be summoned for aiding and abetting, should similarly apply to horeesdrawn vehicles.
The Automobile Association also strongly urged
that during tl:lipast 20 years traffic. has been greatly speeded up, that the adaptation of the lighting law to meet up-to-date traffic cenditions'wouId greatly minimise the possibility of road accidents after dark. C37