§ 19. Mr. Shepherdasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether, in view of the continued delay in dealing with the dazzle problem on the roads, he will give reconsideration to the use of yellow lights.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThere is no ban on the use of yellow headlights provided that two white sidelights are shown at the same time. I do not consider there is a case for making yellow headlights obligatory.
§ Mr. ShepherdDoes my right hon. Friend realise that the roads of this country are still the most dangerous to drive on at night and that something must be done? Is it not a fact that his Ministry takes the view that yellow lights have no advantage over a lower-powered white light and that this view cannot be endorsed by an experienced driver?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI have consulted the Road Research Laboratory and other people in this matter, and it would be no help to reduce dazzle at the sacrifice of adequate driving lights.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonWill the Minister have a meeting with the people who make the lamps, many of which are far more powerful than is necessary for driving at night; so powerful, indeed, that they merely provide opportunities for people to drive an dangerous speeds?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI think that is quite unjustified. It is not the intensity of the lamp but the angle at which it is often fixed which causes disaster.
§ Mr. McKibbinDoes the Minister not considerthat the system of headlights should be standardised, and that all cars should either dip two headlights or put out the off light and dip the near light, as this latter system has the advantage that the approaching driver knows that at least the other has dipped, whereas with the two-dipping system often he does not know whether the other has dipped or not and switches on and blinds him in retaliation?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThere is a lot to be said for that, and I hope that education will avoid consequences like that.