DIPPING LIGHTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 August 1939, Page 4

DIPPING LIGHTS

REQUIREMENTS OF REGULATIONS

SUGGESTIONS FOR OLDER CARS. There appears to be some uncertainty in the minds of motorists as to the effect of the latest regulations governing lights in respect to those cars not equipped with a dipping device. The position is that dipping of headlights is now compulsory. Those who have dipping facilities may now have thenheadlights readjusted, if they so desire, so that instead of the rays being deflected they may be parallel with the road surface and the offside lamp may be set straight ahead instead of being deflected to the left. The new setting for headlights requires that the main beam of light must not rise above the horizontal plane when the vehicle is on a horizontal surface, and whether loaded or not. A headlight is dipped according to the regulations when the motor vehicle to which the headlights are attached is on a horizontal surface, the centre of the beam ( from such light descends at the rate of not less than four inches in ten feet. Thus, with a vehicle of which the headlights are fixed 36 inches from the ground, the main beam of light would strike the road at a distance of 90 feet. In cases where dipping devices are not provided, it is suggested that the headlamps may be permanently deflected at the rate of four incheas in every ten feet, provided that under these conditions the light is of sufficient power to enable substantial objects, and the nature of the road surface to be clearly visible during hours of darkness,' under normal driving and atmospheric conditions at a distance ot at least 150 feet directly in front ot the vehicle. In cases where this is not possible an auxiliary headlamp may be attached provided with a dipping device. This auxiliary headlamp may only be used when the lights froin both the headlamps become extinguished and simultaneously the light from the auxiliary headlamp in a dipped position is displayed and the lights from two side lamps become or remain displayed.