HC Deb 03 March 1952 vol 497 cc2-4
3. Mr. Gerald Nabarro

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will require increased luridity of tail-lamps on passenger and freight road vehicles, also private motor cars, motor-cycles, tricycles and bicycles; and the placing of these tail-lamps a minimum distance above ground level.

Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Moore

On a point of order. Before this Question is answered, could we be told in what dictionary the word "luridity" is to be found, so that we may ascertain what it means?

Mr. Speaker

That is not a point of order.

Mr. Maclay

The law requires that every vehicle on any road during the hours of darkness shall carry one lamp showing to the rear a red light visible from a reasonable distance. A maximum height but not a minimum height is prescribed. I have no power to prescribe the size or standard of brilliance of such lamps and new legislation would be necessary to enable me to do so. I have under consideration the desirability of changes in the law affecting these matters.

Mr. Nabarro

Would my hon. Friend bear in mind, during the course of his deliberations, that an increasing toll of road accidents is being caused by tail lamps set too low to the ground being covered with mud, with the result that other vehicles crash into them from the rear?

Mr. Maclay

The question of luridity is clearly very important.

25. Mr. G. P. Stevens

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the dazzle caused at night by motor vehicles of which one headlight cannot be switched off on meeting another vehicle; and if he will introduce legislation to make such an arrangement compulsory.

Mr. Maclay

I am not satisfied that there is any sufficient case for amending existing requirements in regard to headlights. The problem of dazzle has long been studied in this country and elsewhere, but no complete solution has yet been found.

Mr. Stevens

Is it not common experience that where the system involves only the taking out of focus of the two bulbs of the headlamps, a substantial amount of dazzle remains, whereas when the system involves cutting off the offside headlight and dipping the near-side one, dazzle is considerably less? Surely it follows that less dazzle would mean fewer accidents.

Mr. Maclay

My hon. Friend may know that new double-dipping equipment has recently been brought out which some people consider is very effective. The whole problem is very complex and I will certainly continue to study it very carefully.

Mr. Stevens

Will my hon. Friend look on this matter as one of considerable urgency with a view to reducing the number of accidents.

Mr. Maclay

Yes.

Lieut.-Colonel Marcus Lipton

Will the Minister consider, as a temporary measure, asking manufacturers of headlamps to install less powerful headlights on cars, because they are far more powerful than they need be?

29. Mr. George Porter

asked the Minister of Transport if he will, in the interests of public safety, make it obligatory for public service vehicles to carry headlights.

Mr. Maclay

Public service vehicles do in practice carry headlamps. To make this compulsory, however, would not meet the real difficulty which is to define precisely how they should be used.

Mr. Porter

While thanking the Minister for all that he intends to do about Questions which have already been answered, may I ask if he will compel the use of up-to-date headlamps on service vehicles, and restrain the use of headlamps on those vehicles which already have them if they are not able to dip them, as they should do by Regulation?

Mr. Maclay

There is a variety of Regulations dealing with this matter, but the point which the hon. Member has raised shows the complexity of the problem. I doubt if I should commit myself to any such proposal as that which he has made without giving it very careful thought.

Mr. Porter

In view of the fact that the Regulation demands that the headlight should have a dipper, is it not an offence for anyone to carry a headlight which cannot do what the Regulation says should be done?

Mr. Maclay

I do not think that that is a question to which I should try to reply at this stage.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

Will the Minister take note of the supplementary question which I put to him a few minutes ago, and which by some unaccountable oversight he omitted to answer, on the subject of headlights?

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