GLARING HEADLIGHTS
A MOTOR PROBLEM
RECOMMENDATIONS OF PROFESSOR CLARK
A report on the subject of motor-car headlights was placed before Hie conference of the .New Zealand Automobile Union, yesterday bv Professor H-: Chirk, professor of physics,at. Victoria College. I n the professor's ".opinion, laws for the regulation of headlights should be based on the following geiiernl prinicplM: (1) They should lie definite and easily capable of interpretation ; (2) a good, proper-ly-disposed illumination was just .as es. sential to .Safely as the eliiuinatioil of the blinding glure from the lamps; (3) the very different omiditions in town and country districts of New Zneliuid should bo considered; (-E) it should be possible to comply with the law by.the use of devices now on the. market; (5) in fairness to all concerned no special device or model should be specilied; (fi) a motorist should be able to get'accurate information about his lights at a minimum ot, trouble and expense. 1 Regulations, continued Professor Clark, should be definite and easily capable of interpretation. Tho problem of illumination from a. pnysical standpoint was very complex. The ability to see a. person at a. given distance depended upon many factors, some ot' far greater importance than the headlights— tho colour of the person's clothing, the colour and texture of the background; the general illumination -from the jnoon, street Hajnps, etc., the glare of Street lamps in the driver's eyes, and ether things must be considered.. The chief concern of a niotorist. about liis lights was that they shouUlslrongly illuminate the road to a considerable' distance ahead and at'the sides. Light directed upward was wasted. Tho concern of pedestrians ami of other motorists and vehicle drivers was that they should not be temporarily blinded by light which was directed upward. The accomplishment ot both of those ends would ensure the greatest degree of safety. _ The lav.* should therefore specify a., maximum allowable illumination above ascertain level and a minimum allowable illumination on the .road. . , It was obvious that. in villages and cities light? must bq regulated. • In Hit country districts of New' Zealand the present law., allowed 1 lie motorist a good speed; it should therefore _ a,How liiju the necessary light, to maintain, it in saiely to himself and others. A strong coiioenlratei beam was very desirable lor country driving for tho safety of all concerned. Any such light should, however, be put out 'or kept well out of the eyes of others when vehicles or persons wero encountered". Briefly stated. Professor Clark's idea of a proper law was: (1) ]n addition to a red taii-lamp motor-cars should after dark display two headlights from fixed devices (not constantly at the- whim of the driver), which should conform to the following regulations: (a) The illumination -50ft. directly ahead of the car at any point more, than 42 inches above the level road, should not exceed, sft. candles (that was, about onefifth of the value of the ordinary lamp now generally used in New Zealand):_ (l» the illumination near, the ground, 150 ft. directlv ahead of tho car, should not be less than .Oift. candles; (c) the illumiiia- ! tion at a. point - near the ground 10ft. in front of the car, and loft..to either'side of tho centre line of the car, should not be less than .Ift. candles. . (2) Outside .-borough liniiK auxiliary lannis giving a. narrow concentrated byjim una capable of being lurned i to. various directions at the will of tho driver, should lie allowed, provided that Mich lamps be not lised except as provided in the following paragraph, when persons or vehicles travelling in the opposite direction, or their lights, become .visible. . (3) There are on the market certain excellent/ hand-operated searchlights capable of .throwing a concentrated; beam with no glare at a very short distance from the beam. The law should allow I motorists to use. such lamps, duly licensed, when encountering other vehicles in.liad-places,-provided the beam is kept j !Sn' the road 'and. not allowed' to. blind' anyone.-
.: (i). When approaching vehicles or persons, are encountered under ffflch conditions that tliey may lie blinded even by lights which comply with the conditions, of. paragraph L fts, for example/when ■going over d hill, sucli lights should l« dimmed. . (5) Motorcyclists should exhibit a red tail-light mid one headlight which should comply with 2, 3. and i. and with paragraph 1 .modified as follows: 1 (a) -25fr.. candles in place of .sft. candles; (b). .010 ft. candles in mace of MIL candles,; (c) to be ignored because of tho narrow road space occupied by tho cycle. Tho outer edge of any side-car attached to a motor-cycle should bo indicated bv a small lamp. _ • The secretary, Mr. W. Beauchnmp" •Plato,• said he was obtaining further.in. formation on the matter from America, ami, on his motion, consideration of tho question was referred to. a local com 7 mittee.
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 235, 28 June 1919, Page 7
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810GLARING HEADLIGHTS Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 235, 28 June 1919, Page 7
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