§ 2.49 p.m.
§ LORD SWANSEAMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the effect on the accident rate of the use of dipped headlights after dark in those towns where their use has been encouraged; and whether they will make the use of dipped headlights compulsory after dark on all roads, whether lit or not, which are subject to a speed limit of more than 30 mph.
1399§ LORD MELCHETTMy Lords, the evidence from a campaign in Birmingham some years ago to encourage the use of dipped headlights in all streets suggested that the overall effect in reducing total casualties was slight; but as only half the drivers complied, no firm conclusions could be drawn about the effect of a compulsory requirement. The question is being reviewed in the light of current conditions.
§ LORD SWANSEAMy Lords, I am grateful for that Answer; but could not Her Majesty's Government do a great deal more than they are doing at present actively to encourage the use of dipped headlights after dark? I am quite sure that it would substantially reduce the accident rate.
§ LORD MELCHETTAs I have said, my Lords, this is a matter which is being considered at the moment. There are arguments both for and against the use of dipped headlamps. In the context of the noble Lord's question, I should point out that the most important situation in which dipped headlights are used is in poorly lit streets. Streets where the speed limit is above 30 m.p.h. are generally well lit, if they are lit at all. It is particularly in poorly lit streets where the use of dipped headlights should be encouraged. It is a requirement of the Highway Code at the present time that headlamps should be used in poorly lit streets.
§ LORD SWANSEAMy Lords, has the noble Lord never seen for himself vehicles travelling along lit motorways, or even the open road in the moonlight, with only their parking lights on?
§ LORD MELCHETTMy Lords, as I say, motorways, where the speed limit is above 30 mph, are generally well lit. It may be that dipped lights are felt not to be necessary. I confess not to have come across anybody driving with side lights in the moonlight.
§ LORD HAILSHAM OF SAINT MARYLEBONEMy Lords, can the noble Lord give the House any information about the experience of Continental countries? I understand that in some of them dipped headlamps are compulsory.
§ LORD MELCHETTThat is true, my Lords. The use of headlamps on moving vehicles at night in all conditions has long been required in most European countries, North and South America and elsewhere. There is no evidence that it does any harm, and the general trend seems to be in that direction. It was introduced in Belgium, for example, in 1968. There are arguments about whether that has been successful or not; but the Dutch seem to be considering taking a similar step.
§ LORD FERRIERMy Lords, in the light of the last two supplementaries, would the noble Lord consider seeking an opportunity for the authorities to think of altering the words "headlights" and "sidelights", as used by my noble friend, to the more generally accepted "driving lights" and "parking lights"?
§ LORD MELCHETTMy Lords, I am not quite clear in what context Her Majesty's Government are expected to alter the use of these words. Is the noble Lord referring to the Highway Code or some other regulation?
§ LORD FERRIERThe object, my Lords, is to ask the Government whether they will take this fundamental step. As my noble friend said, you can meet on a highway in snow or fog huge trucks driving on what they call "sidelights". If they were called "parking lights", then they would presumably put on their driving lights.
§ LORD MELCHETTMy Lords, I take the noble Lord's point. I think the current situation is that parking lights are not required on vehicles parked at night and therefore it would be inaccurate to call sidelights, "parking lights". Noble Lords will be aware that a year or two ago Regulations were introduced so that cars parked at night were not required to show any light at all. So I think it would not be strictly accurate to call sidelights "parking lights".
§ LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTONMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that, in the middle of some of our cities, which are well lit, for people to drive on dipped headlights can cause an over amount of light, so creating excessive light and dazzling, which may be counterproductive to the object of this exercise, which is safety?
§ LORD MELCHETTMy Lords, as I said, there are arguments both for and against the use of dipped headlights. While it is true to say that experience of countries which have introduced this measure has generally led them not to reverse their practice, one of the arguments against the use of dipped headlights in well-lit streets is that the lighting, as I understand it, is designed to throw into relief objects and pedestrians in the street, and if those are then lit from the side by dipped headlights the effect of the overhead lighting can be lessened.
§ LORD SLATERMy Lords, in answer to the original Question my noble friend said that serious consideration was being given to this matter. Is my noble friend aware that it is to be hoped that as a result of such consideration the Government will not arrive at a hasty decision, because this matter is shown to be more serious when given serious consideration than it appears to be on the surface?
§ LORD MELCHETTI can assure noble Lords that Her Majesty's Government will not be coming to any hasty decisions.
§ LORD ALLERTONMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether Her Majesty's Government would consider making the use of dipped headlights compulsory in fog and other conditions of bad visibility? Would not he agree that the practice so frequently in use now of driving on very small and dirty sidelights in conditions of fog is totally inadequate?
§ LORD MELCHETTMy Lords, this point goes slightly wide of the original Question, but I can say that the difficulty about making the advice in the Highway Code compulsory is that it is impossible to enforce, because nobody has yet found a way of saying what is fog and what is not fog, or what is a poorly-lit street or a well-lit street. Therefore, the matter is at the moment left as advice in the Highway Code, and that is probably the most satisfactory course to follow.
§ LORD ALLERTONMy Lords, could not——
§ BARONESS LLEWELYN-DAVIES OF HASTOEMy Lords, my noble friend Lord Melchett has said that Her Majesty's Government will not take any 1402 hasty decision about these extremely important questions. He has revealed that Her Majesty's Government have a very deep knowledge of and a deep concern with all these matters, and perhaps we might now leave it there.