NO LIGHTS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 38, 20 June 1913, Page 5

NO LIGHTS.

A BATCH OF OFFENDERS.

WARNING FROM THE BENCH. At the last meeting of the Borough Council it was decided to instruct the Inspector to rigidly enforce the bylaws regarding the carrying of lights on vehicles; and the activity of the Inspector was demonstrated at the Court this morning, when a number of! residents wore fined for failing to carry lights. UNLIGHTED BICYCLES. A lad named Ruscoe admitted riding a bicycle on a footpath on June 14th. The S.M. : Surely you have seen in the newspapers reports of people being fined for such offences. Do you never read the papers? Defendant: No. The S.M. sai'd the roads in Stratford were very good. The footpaths wore, of course, nicer to ride on, but there was no reason why they should be used. Schoolboys were often the worst offenders in the matter of riding on footpaths and without lights. “In the present instance,” said His Worship, “I will enter a conviction without a fine, but next time you appeal on a similar charge a fine will br imposed. You had better also warn your schoolmates, who, like you, do not read the newspapers. Vernon Crawshaw admitted riding n bicycle without lights in Broadway on June 15th. Defendant said he had ridden his bicycle from the s mth to about the National Bank, where he dismounted, as he thought it might he dangerous to ride up Broadway. It was a fine moonlight night. While he was wheeling his bicycle ‘he Inspector stopped him, when he fdefendant) admitted having ridden without a light.

A fine of 5s with 7s costs was imposed. The S.M. said that if breaches of this law continued he intended :o increase the fine, as the fines im posed in the past' did not seem tact as a deterrent. A MOTOR-CYCLE CASE. Mr Spratt appeared for Erie Rob son, a lad, who pleaded guilty to riding a motor cycle without lights. Counsel said that defendant, knowing the danger of riding without lights wheeled his bicycle through Broadway and some distance down Regan Street He was only a lad, and could hardly bo expected to push the heavy bicycl ail the way to his home (about a mile away). The S.M. drew defendant’s attentioi to the serious consequences whicl might follow if motor cycles were ridwithout lights, and intimated tha! in future he would increase tin amount of the fane imposed on riderr of motor cycles and drivers of . mote pars who failed to carry lights. l)c fondant would be fined 10s with 7: costs. TRAP WITH ONE LIGHT. B. Wilson, another lad, was charged with having driven a trap in Broadway on the evening of June 13th without sufficient lights. Defendant said he was carrying om side light, and in the past that had .always been considered sufficient. The S.M. said the public had tc he protected. If a trap had only one side light it would be quite easy foi an approaching vehicle to collide wit! the unlighted side. No fine would In imposed in the present case. In future, however, schoolboys who of fended might expect to be fined. 1 they were allowed out with bicycler or traps their parents should make provision for proper lights.