New Britain herald., 1924-10-20
IMPROPER LIGHTS 0N MANY AUTOS
State Department Will Not Yol-
 crate One.Light Cars

Hartford. Oct. 2o.--Upwards of 40 out Of 500 automobiles recently checked up by the motor vehicle department as they passed along 8 certain highway in the state at night proved to have insufficient driving light. according to the cur- rent issue of the department bulle- tin. The headlights on 34 of the cars glared, "atl of which cases were probably due to the fact that the bulbs were out of focus," and IT were equipped with only one headlight in working order.
 General lighting conditions throughout Connecticut are not much better or worse than they were a year ago. the bulletin says, and depend for their improvement upon car owners giving as much at- tention to their lights as to other essentials of their cars. However the departments accident statistics do not show any excessive number of accidents due to poor lighting: indeed the glaring headlight is said to have had the reaction of slow ing up opposing traffic at night.
 "A man twill wash his car, will adjust his brakes, will see that his tires are in good order and we'll in- Hated and will be sure his steering apparatus is right" 1t is pointed out, but when 1t comes to focusing and aiming of headlights he seems to feel that these functions will be performed automatically, once he has adopted an approved device. On the contrary, constant vigilance is required that the proper adjust nent may be maintained"
 How to Adjust Lights.
 The following is given as a sim pie and feasible method of adjust ment of headlights:
 Place your car on level space, preferably a floor, facing a wall or screen, the car lamps being 25 feet distant from the wall. Mark a hori- zontal line on the wall which line shall be the same height from the ground as the centers of the lamps on the car. Call this line the Lamp Level Line" With lights on and both lenses installed, cover one lamp to shut off the light and move the screw or device in the other lamp, which regulates the position of the bulb, until you get the nar- rowest horizontal Cleft to right) beam of light on the wall. Then perform the same operation with the other lamp. Having thus focused the lamps, tilt or bend each lamp until the top of the beam is no higher than the Lamp Level Line" on the wall, being sure that the car Is fully loaded at the time. The wall will then be. illuminated below and up to the Lamp Level Line" which is the result desired. If the light. spreads on the wall above the Lamp Level Line" it proves that the lamps are not prop crly aimed and focused"
 Dimming Of Lights Illegal.
 Dimming of headlights while the, automobile is in motion is not legal in Connecticut. owing 10 the fact that the statutes require sufficient light to enable the driver to see 200 feet ahead at all times. While parking lights are not required where there is sufficient light from other sources 10 make the car dis cernible from distance of 200 feet in every direction, this does not mean that a car that is parked within 200 feet Of light does not require parking lights.
 "Operation of automobiles with only one headlight working cannot be longer tolerated." the bulletin says. The suggestion is made that policemen who stop cars with eeuip- ment defective in this respect or der drivers to have the lights fixed at the next garage. and forward the numbers of such cars 10 the motor vehicle department so that the de- partment may forthwith demand from each person complained of a statement that correction has been made.
 The same applies to tail lights to the absence of which, the depart mont records show. many accidents some fatal. have been attributed Within short time. 1t is said, laws and regulations will be calling for lights which indicate the width of a commercial motor vehicle. All extra wide trucks probably will be com pelled 10 carry specified color lights 10 indicate the width. In the mcantime. il is recommended that white wihth lights be attached to unusually wide commercial motor vehicles.