The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1920-06-15
Law Against Bright
Lights To Be Enforced

Surely everyone who has done any
amount of night driving in the State
during the past year or so appreci-
ateS the fact that radical change is
necessary in the law in so far as
1t applies to automobile headlights.
The tremendous number of machin-
es which use our highways at night
has made use of strong and power
full headlights seem necessary to the
majority of motorists. The average
person thinks that if he has a suf-
ticient amount of light to get along
with at moderate rate of speed, he
is not doing his duty; he feels that
he must secure bulbs that will make
the light shine at least half a mile
down the road so that other people
can see him coming. 1t was to meet
this tendency that the headlight law
was amended so as to provide that
no bulbs of greater than thirty-two
(32) candle-power could be used.
Even with bulb of this size, unless
the headlights were bent well for
ward, it was impossible to avoid a
glare when plain lens was used
Consequently, the last Legislature,
realizing the dangerous conditions
resulting from the use of high can
dle-power bulbs and plain lenses,
made it unlawful for any autem obile
to be used or owned in this, State on
which there was not some sort of ap-
proved headlight lens. While this
provision will undoubtedly cause
some inconvenience on the part of
motorists now owing cars in this
State by requiring them to secure
approved lenses, it will eventually
secure the results desired inasmuch
as it will compel the manufacturers
of motor vehicles to install approved
lighting devices at the various fac
tories. A series of tests shows con-
clusiyely that better light for driv-
ing purposes can be secured from
certain makes of lenses. properly
adjusted, with bulb of medium can
dle-poWer, without inconvenience to
other users CT the road, and with
greater safety to the driver of the
car, than will result from the use of
a high. candle-power bulb behind
lenses improperly adjusted or. with
no means of preventing glare.
in this Office shows that there has
been decided recrease in the num-
Der of deaths from reckless driving
and as a result of collisions in the
past year. On the contrary, the
number Of deaths and accidents Oc-
curing at night as a direct result of
glazing headlights shows an increase.
Many accidents, resulting in injury,
have been caused by the operator of
a car running off the road or strik-
ing an obstacle or person on the road
for the reason that he was blinded by
the lights of an approaching car.
The evidence invariably, in cases OF
accidents happening at night, is
that the approaching car had such
bright lights that the operator OF
temporarily blinded.
Investigation usually discloses the
fact that the approaching car was
equipped with clear lenses.
l trust that the motoring public
will give this Office all possible CO.
operation in order to remedy these
conditions, and while the enforce
ment of the new headlight law may
result in some inconvenience due to
it's drastic provisions, l believe the
betterment of conditions in the near
future will more than repay for any
inconvenience that is now caused.
The officers at my command have
been instructed as to the construction
and proper focusing of lights, and
where an attempt has been made to
provide approved lenses and have
them properly focused, the officers
of the Department will be only TOO
glad to cooperate by making sugges-
tions as to corrections which may be
necessary to bring the lights within
the legal requirements. l shall en-
deavor to accomplish results by
campaign rather than by series OF
arrests, provided the motorist on his
part displays a willingness to provide
the proper lenses and bulbs.
E. AUSTIN BAUGHMAN.