HC Deb 16 May 1956 vol 552 cc1985-9
19. Mr. Crouch

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will now make a statement with regard to flashing indicators on motor vehicles.

40. Sir F. Medlicott

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the reason for the delay in making an announcement with regard to the future of flashing indicators on motor vehicles.

42. Mr. Finlay

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware that under the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, 1955, the colours are not sufficiently standardised for flashing direction indicators; and whether, in view of the ensuing confusion to road traffic, he will take steps to remedy this.

50. Mr. G. R Strauss

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is now able to state his policy about flashing lights on motor vehicles.

Mr. Watkinson

Yes, Sir. After careful consideration of the Report of the Road Research Laboratory, I have reached the conclusion that all three types of direction indicator now permitted should continue to be legal in this country both to meet the needs of different kinds of vehicles and also as an aid to the export trade.

I intend, however, to circulate to interested organisations proposals for the amendment of the Construction and Use Regulations. These will require direction indicators fitted to vehicles registered after the end of 1958 to be amber in colour and neither to exceed nor fall below certain standards of brightness; also, if they are of the fore-and-aft flashing type, to be separated from other lights. I believe that the changes which I propose will remove most of the valid objections to flashing indicators.

I am circulating a more detailed statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Crouch

I feel sure that this announcement will not be received with pleasure by our people generally, because of the confusion which is caused by these lights. As to the export market, would my right hon. Friend not agree that it is surprising how few of these flashing lights one sees in countries overseas?

Mr. Watkinson

I do not agree with my hon. Friend regarding the export trade. As I think he knows, in North America, in particular, these flashing indicators are essential, and I really cannot put upon the motor industry, with its great export task, the job of pressing two different kinds of bodies for two different kinds of markets.

Mr. Grant-Ferris

Has my right hon. Friend any evidence of accidents caused by these flashing lights which do not actually switch themselves off after a short interval? It seems to me that they should be made to neutralise themselves.

Mr. Watkinson

That is rather a separate point, and I will certainly have a look at it. Of course, the new Regulations will only affect cars constructed after the end of 1958.

Mr. Strauss

I understand from the Minister that one of the main reasons for his decision is to avoid damage to the export trade in cars; but in view of the fact that many people, including myself, think that these lights are dangerous, and that the Road Research Laboratory has been investigating the matter for about two years, will the right hon. Gentleman circulate at the same time the views of the Road Research Laboratory on the danger aspect of the flashing lights?

Mr. Watkinson

The right hon. Gentleman will find that the fairly full report that is being circulated does contain a summary of the findings of the Road Research Laboratory. If, when he has had time to look at the Report, he would like any further information or would like me to circulate anything further, I should only be too pleased to do so.

Sir F. Medlicott

Has my right hon. Friend sufficiently taken into account the fact that whilst these lights are already irritating and, in the opinion of many people, dangerous they will become much more dangerous still if they are ten times more numerous?

Mr. Watkinson

No, they will become much less dangerous. I think all the experts are agreed at least on this, that the dangerous light is the flashing indicator when it is combined with a stop light, and perhaps with a rear light as well. I think it is the view of the experts that that is where the danger and the risk occur, and the Regulations which I propose to make will completely avoid that confusion. What one should do about cars which are already fitted is rather a different question, but the important thing at the moment is to tell the motor car industry what kind of conditions it will have to comply with in the future.

Mr. D. Jones

When the Minister circulates his proposals to the interested organisations, will he remember on this occasion that the trade unions whose membership includes thousands of public service vehicle drivers are also interested organisations and ensure that they are not left out of this consultation?

Mr. Watkinson

indicated assent.

Following is the statement:

I have now received the final Report of the Road Research Laboratory on the comparative merits of the different types of direction indicators now in legal use in this country. I am grateful to the Laboratory for the helpful and valuable work which it has done.

The investigations made by the Laboratory related to private cars only and its conclusions must be considered in that light.

The conclusions reached by the Laboratory are:

  1. (1) Direction indicators should be amber in colour and this colour should not be used for other vehicle lights.
  2. (2) The indicator should have an intensity of between 100 and 500 candlepower.
  3. (3) Indicators are best mounted on the side of a vehicle roughly at the level of the driver's eye They should emit light forward and backwards and send an appreciable amount of light at right aneles.
  4. (4) No consistent evidence in favour of flashing rather than a steady indicator light of equal intensity has been found and no change in existing practice can be recommended.
  5. (5) Uniformity of type of indicator, position, intensity and rate of flash are important and means for ensuring that standards are adhered to are desirable.

The Report also points out that it is important that one type of indicator should be selected for general adoption and that alternatives should be avoided.

The existing Regulations do not make it obligatory to have an indicator, but if one is fitted it must conform to one or other of three types. These are a semaphore with a steady or flashing amber light, a flashing amber light on the side or roof of the vehicle (amber "ear") or fore and aft flashing lights which may show white or amber to the front and red or amber to the rear and may be combined with the obligatory lights or at the rear with stop lights.

After careful consideration of all the representations which have been made to me on this subject and of the report of the Road Research Laboratory I have come to the conclusion that all three types should, with certain modifications, continue to be legal.

I recognise the desirability of uniformity, but I am satisfied that it would be impracticable to standardise on one single type of direction indicator in this country. An indicator whether of the semaphore or amber ear type fitted on the side of the vehicle at the driver's eye level would not by itself be effective on very long vehicles or practicable on sports cars or convertibles.

Moreover, the needs of the export market have to be kept constantly in mind. In the United States the flashing tore-and-aft indicator is in general use and in some States the semaphore type is illegal. It would be uneconomic to adapt a car model so that it could be fitted with different types of indicator, one for export and another for the home market, because the systems require different wiring arid different openings in the bodywork.

The fore-and-aft type of flashing indicator has been criticised on several grounds, but much of this criticism has been directed against the indicators fitted in vehicles when the type was first legalised in 1954. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders are aware of the objections taken to some features of this kind of indicator, and a code of practice has been issued to manufacturers the adoption of which should remove many of the obvious defects.

I consider, however, that certain alterations are called for in the Regulations, and I intend to circulate to interested organisations for their comments, proposals to the effect that on all vehicles registered for the first time on or after 1st January, 1959:

  1. (1) amber should be the only permitted colour for any type of direction indicator;
  2. (2) fore-and-aft indicators should be required to be separated from other lights and a minimum distance of separation should be prescribed; and
  3. (3) the maximum and minimum intensity of the lights and the angles of visibility should also be prescribed.

I believe that if these changes are made— and I would emphasise that the industry is itself working in these directions— most of the present valid criticism against flashing indicators would disappear.