§ 9. Sir A. Meyerasked the Minister of Transport whether she will reconsider the refusal to strengthen the Regulations governing the lighting requirements of lorries, and especially of lorries carrying overhanging rear loads.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport (Mr. Stephen Swingler)The Working Party set up to review the lighting requirements for road vehicles will be considering these Regulations.
§ Sir A. MeyerIs the Parliamentary Secretary aware that if the Regulations provided that the rear lighting on lorries had to be a great deal brighter and much more visible than it is at the moment the Regulations would be easier to enforce? Would he take a look at what happens on the Continent in these matters, where they order these things very much better?
§ Mr. SwinglerIt is exactly that sort of question which we are examining as a result of the Working Party set up in December. The main problem which we have at present is to get a higher standard of enforcement of the present Regulations.
Mr. Gresham CookeIs the Parliamentary Secretary aware that some of the rear lighting on vehicles is too low down and in winter gets muddied up? Should not we have higher rear lights, as they have on the Continent and in America?
§ Mr. SwinglerThat is precisely the sort of question that is being considered by the Working Party, and it will be making a report very shortly.
§ Sir M. RedmayneCould not the Minister try, through the medium of television, to stress the point about the standards of lighting on commercial vehicles? Bad rear lighting is most extraordinarily dangerous. A campaign on television would at least help to do something while these discussions are going on.
§ Mr. SwinglerI quite agree. We shall be glad of any opportunities. I hope that these questions will do good in this respect.