HC Deb 27 October 1954 vol 531 cc1917-8
44. Sir J. Crowder

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will consider making it compulsory for all new cars to he fitted with self-adjusting trafficators.

The Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. John Boyd-Carpenter)

I have invited the views of organisations chiefly concerned on whether the fitting of direction indicators should be made compulsory on motor vehicles generally, and I shall review the whole question in the light of the replies received.

Sir J. Crowder

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that accidents may be caused if trafficators have to be put down again by hand after use? Is he aware that very often, when one is used to the self-adjusting type, they are forgotten, and as a result get broken and are then in no way satisfactory? Is he further aware that the self-adjusting trafficators cost only £1 or so more per car?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

That is just one of the points which it will be necessary to consider. I think the feature in this particular device to which my hon. Friend refers is what is rather agreeably called self-cancellation.

Mr. McKibbin

Is my right hon. Friend aware that, in addition to the ordinary kind of trafficators, which do not always operate satisfactorily, we now have blinking trafficators as well, and that these, together with double-dipping headlights which do not indicate to an approaching driver whether they are dipped or not, are just making confusion worse confounded? Will he consider having a standard system of lights for front, rear and side lights?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

The question of standardised headlights is a different one, but I will bear in mind my hon. Friend's views on blinking trafficators.