TRAFFIC CONTROL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19985, 10 July 1939, Page 13

TRAFFIC CONTROL

NEW REGULATIONS MADE DIPPING OP HEADLIGHTS DLAWING OF TRAILERS EFFECTIVE THIS MONTH Amendments to the traffic regulations. 1935, have been Gazetted and will come into force almost immediately. The new regulations deal principally with the dimming and dipping C'f headlights and also with the issue of warrants of fitness.- A new regulation governing the speed at which a motor-cycle carrying a pillion rider may travel also has been added to the amendments. A regulation dealing with the parking of vehicles is introduced to make clear that the parking provisions for motor vehicles may relate to temporary restriction as well as its total prohibition and also that a parked vehicle, when angle parking is not in force, shall have its left side as close as is practicable to the near edge of the roadway.

Lighting of Vehicles

In. connection with the lighting of motor vehicles, the main departures from the present provisions are to enable head-lamp .beams to be parallel with the ground, instead of having to hit the ground at not less than 200 ft., and to make it compulsory that every motorist snail dip 'his head-lights when otherwise they would be likely to interfere adversely with the vision of other vehicle users. Those motor vehicles not fitted with dipping apparatus will require to be driven with the head-lamps permanently dipped. It is also provided that after September 1 every motor vehicle which at night draws a trailer or with load exceeds 7ft. in width or 20ft. in length shall have a forward facing blue lamp fitted as .high as practicable at its front. .Service cars are exempted from this section of 'the amendments as they already are required to have two blue lights in front. Vehicles which under permit may exceed Bft. in width or 4ft. from the centre line are required to have a white lamp fitted to the off-side extremity of the load. .New vehicles after December 1, 1939, are required to have windscreens of safety glass and after September 1, windscreen replacements shall be of safety glass.

, Warrants of Fitness

•Concerning warrants of fitness, the new regulations point out that the onus for having a warrant of fitness for a motor .vehicle is placed cn the owner as 'Well as the driver, and a warrant of fitness must be produced on demand by any police officer or traffic inspector. A further regulation deals with the provision of a safety limit for motorcycles carrying a pillion rider, this being fixed at 40 miles per hour. Under the old traffic regulations it was not compulsory to dip head-lights, but after July 20 this safety measure will be absolutely compulsory. Under the new regulations it. is necessary for the dip beam from the lights to fall 4in. in 10ft. and lights which have not this fall must be adjusted in- order to meet the requirements. This fixation of the dip beam new becomes a necessary adjustment .before a warrant of fitness can be granted. The lamps must be set so that the required fall of the lights is correct under all conditions, whether the vehicle is empty or carrying a load, and, although motorists have been issued with a warrant of fitness recently, it is still necessary to have the lights adjusted to comply with the regulations. All regulations will come into force on July 20, with the exception, of the requirement regarding safety glass, which will be effective as above explained.