Evening journal., 1916-05-23
auto LIGHT DINNER
LAW IS SUGGESTED
Advisory Board Sends Rec
concentrations TO Street
Department Today
THREE METHODS
ARE OUTLINED

Three recommendations for the
dimming OF automobile headlights
were made by the advisory board,
appointed by the Street and Sewer
Directors for this purpose, to the
directors of the department at their
meeting this morning. The recon-
mendations were approved as read.
( The board is composed of Charles G.
/ Guyer. secretary OF the Delaware Au-
{ tomoble Association; Chief of Po-
lice George Black. and street Com
missioner Frank W. Pierson. The
communication received by the direc-
tors follows:
Wilmington, Del, May II, 1916.
: Board of Directors Of the Street and
Sewer Department, City Of Will
mington. Del.
Gentlemen: Pursuant to resolu-
/ tion passed by your honorable body
on February 1. 1916. regulating the
use of headlights on motor vehicles
on the public streets of the city OF
/ Wilmington, and appointing an advis-
ory board TO make examinations Oh
dining devices and report recommen-
dations. would respectfully submit the
following:
Your advisory board does not
recommend a reduced volume OF light
as upon the proper lighting of the
road az night depends the safety OF
motor operation.
with the present trend of the in
vestigations on this subject the au-
thorities are showing a disposition to
recognize the right of the automobile
owner to have driving light, but In
sisting that the glare shall be elimin-
ated. The earlier ordinances on THIS
subject we're so stringent that by the
time the motorist complied with the
law. he did not have driving light SUI
| 6cient for use on dark streets and
country roads.
Recently the Safety First Fedora
tion of America proposed UNIFORM
headlight law, which was concurred
i'm bv the National Society o. Automo-
bile Engineers. This proposed uni
versal regulation is as follows
whenever there is not suihclent
light within the limits Of the highway
location clearly to reveal all persons
vehicles or substantial objects within
said limits for a distance Of at east
$50 feet. the headlights of all motor
vehicles in motion shall give suiii-
cient light 10 reveal any person,
vehicle or substantial object on the
road straight ahead Of such motor We
hicle for a distance OF at least lou
feet. The headlights shall be so ar
ranged that no portion OF the beam
s.t ttsh
feet or more ahead OF the lamps. shall
rise above AZ inches from the ievei
surface on which the vehicle stands.
Such headlights shall also give sum-
cient side illumination to indicate any
person. vehicle or substantial OBJECT
ten feet to the side OF said motor ve-
hicle at a point ten feet ahead OF the
lamps.
The term reflected light as used
i'm the above provision, shall be con-
strued as meaning the approximately
parallel localized rays gathered and
projected by reflector. lens or other
device
Massachusetts was the first State
to adopt and put into effect the above
regulation.
Your resolution requires that all
electric headlights he so coated or COW
cred, or equipped with such devices OF
methods as to prevent glare.
I'VE have examined into various de-
vices and methods with which cleo
trio lights may be equipped that would
eliminate the dangerous glaring rays
and at the same time give plenty OF
driving light for the machine. and
would recommend any Of the follow.
ing:
1.-The glass in front OF electric
lamps to be frosted. painted or cover
ed with paper or other material from
the top down to a line of the bottom
Of the electric bulb.
80 The lower half and front oi
the electric bulb TO he frosted. paint.
ed white or amber gilded or covered
with a metal shield This defects the
, light from the top half Of paraboliC
reflector.
"3. Point or otherwise dull by ad
heson OF paper or other material
! the lower half Of the reflector. This
causes liglTt to be projected only
from the upper half OF the reflector
D downward.
I'VE fully believe that any Of tho
above recommendations will obtair
o the object desired. provided the
y lamps are properly set and that th'
e projected beam shall not be tilteC
upward beyond the horizontal
y Signed George Black,
u Chief Of Police
Charles c. Guyer.
e Secretary OF Delaware Automobile
Association.
Frank W. Pierson.
e Street Commissioner