Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-10-05
LIGHTING LAWS
TO BE ENFORCED
Officials Decide to Give Public
Ample Notice
Drivers of Teams and Autos Warned
Will be Arrested After Nov. if Stat
utes Are Not Obeyed.

States Attorney W. r. Daley and the
village commissioners have announced
that beginning November | the state
laws relative to lights on vehicles, in
GLIDING automobiles, will be strictly
enforced in Brattleboro and wish it i'm
pressed on everybody's mind that all
violators will be arrested and prosecut-
ed.
Hardly a night passes but what Chief
of Police George Wilson is obliged to
call attention of some driver of We
hicle to the fact that his lights are miss
ing but after the new regulations 90 into
effect no warning will be given.
Representative George L. Durham of
this town introduced the bill, which sub
sequently became a law, in the last ses-
sion of the legislature, but no arrests
were made under its provisions until last
Sunday night, when Chief Wilson hailed
two young men, who were fined So and
costs in police court the following morn
ing.
For the benefit of those not familiar
with the new act it is appended:
Section |. Every vehicle on wheels,
whether stationary or in motion on a
public highway shall have attached to
it light which shall be so displayed as
to be visible from the front and rear
during the period from forty-fve min
utes after sunset to forty-five minutes
before sunrise; provided, however,
that this act shall not apply to vehicle
which is designed to be propelled by
hand or to any vehicle designed for the
transportation of hay, straw, wood, lum-
Der, stone, machinery, or other heavy
freight, nor to farm machinery.
Sec. 2. Nothing contained in this
act shall be construed to effect the pro-
visions of any existing statute, rule or
regulation requiring lighted lamps on
motor vehicles and the obligations of
owners, operators or occupants thereof.
Sec. 3. The driver or custodian of a
vehicle shall be deemed the responsible
party, liable to the penalty provided for
violations of this act.
Sec. 4. A person who violates the
provisions of this act shall be fined not
more than five dollars.
Another law which the officials intend
to enforce hereafter is that relating to
the use of headlights and spot lights on
motor vehicles. This forbids the use
OF any light stronger than four candle
power equipped with a reflector unless
it is designed so as not to shine direct
ly into the face of anyone approaching
from the opposite direction. There are
now fragrant violations of this act es-
pecially by owners of large touring cars
The new law reads as follows:
Section !. No person shall use. on
vehicles of any kind operated on the
public highways any lighting device of
over four candle power equipped with a
reflector, unless the same shall be so
designed, DETECTED, or arranged that no
portion of the beam or reflected light,
when measured seventy-ive feet or more
ahead of the lamps, shall rise forty-two
inches from the level surface on which
the vehicle stands under all conditions
of load. When vehicles are approaching
each other from opposite directions spot
lights shall not be used except when
projecting their rays directly on the
ground and at a distance not exceeding
thirty feet in front of the vehicle.
Sec. 2. A person who violates pro.
vision of this act shall be fined not more
than one hundred dollars.
There is also regulation which pro.
vides that automobiles shall come to a
full stop in the event of trolley car
stopping ahead of it, if going in the
same direction, in order to prevent ac.
cidents and many people would like to
see this enforced. On Main street the
act is repeatedly violated every day