Q have taken out a provisional patent for
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a steering indicator which comprises a dial on the front of the vehicle that could, if necessary, be linked to a dial at the rear. The dial indicator would be supplementary to a conventional type of traffic indicator system and would show other oncoming and following drivers the course the vehicle was taking. Do you consider that the device has a potential?
AIn our opinion, it is doubtful whether your indicator is a "commercial proposition", although it might have a usefulness fitted to the rear of heavy vehicles. When viewed from the front the angle at which the wheels of a vehicle are turned is generally apparent to an observer, or the path the vehicle is taking is shown by its attitude. The extent to which a dial on the front would give advanced indication of the vehicle's movements would, at best, be very small.
When a vehicle is viewed from the rear there can be a visual delay period after the front wheels have been turned before the change of direction becomes apparent. An indicator on the rear might, therefore, serve a useful purpose.
The cost of the mechanism would, in our opinion, be a decisive deterrent to the adoption of an indicator system by more than (perhaps) a very limited number of commercial vehicle operators.