New Britain herald., 1927-09-24
REFLECTIONS FOR
 i B|G TRUCK ENDS
Stoeckel Suggests Warning De-
 vice for Drivers in Rear

Hartford, Sept. 24.-The sugees- tion that devices be attached to the rear Of large commercial motor vehi- cles 10 reflect the headlights Of other cars. and thus aid in reducing the number of rear-end collisions, is made in statement by Commis- sioner of Motor Vehicles Robbins E. Stoecliel which proposes cooperation of owners.
 An increasing number Of acci- dents because Of poor or obscurcd tail-lights has focused attention on the inadequaCy of rear lighting sig nals on some types Of large trucks and the reflector is pointed out for considering as an added safety fac tor. Recent improvement in renec- tor signals, the frequency with which tail-lights go out and the need for better protection against rear-end collisions at night are stressed by the commissioner. His statement follows:
 Tt seems to be the case that more motor vehicle accidents than usual have been recently occastoned by the inefficiency of tail-hghts on some Of the large commercial mo- tor vehicles. On a certain type Of these the overhang Of the vehicle compels construction above the tail-light. The light, consequently, Is away under the body and is not as prominent as it should be 10 ac- complish the purpose for which 1t is intended. The department of motor vehicles has received good many complaints about cases of this kind, as well as cases where the tail light on a commercial has been ne glected and Is not efficient because 1t Is not a light. In other words it Is out.
 'To correct this situation is not simple matter. as 1t seems at first glance, and it would probably be im- possible 0, accomplishment in all cases even 1T an order could he is- sued requiring that tail!igfts on ve- hicles of a certain size must be on the extreme end Of the body. There is, however, a principle of lighting, the development of which seems to be possible, but at present there is no law which can compel it's adop- ton. The principle referred to is that Of rehectors.
 Tt is q fundamental principle of optics that the rays Of reflected light return to their source and it is this principle which has been applied through the use Of reflector signals on highways where the lights of ve- hicles are reflected from colored glass as warning Of approach 10 particularly dangerous points. h. yentors have now applied this prln- ciple to providing reflector signals which can be carried on motor Ne- hicles. While they are not yet ap- parently manufactured in large num- bers, and while there has been little publicity about them. it seems to De q fact that refectors can be pur- chased which, if used as safety de- vices and adopted by the owners Of commercials of the type described will give adequate information 10 any following car as 10 the location Of the commercial truck.
 ''The use Of these should be seri- ously considered by all those persons who have control of big cars Of any type. While there is no law which 1 can compel installation. 1t is also true that there IS no law against Y. and the cooperation Of owners would | provide this safety device far in ad- ! vance of it's requirement by law, all i of which would mean that the own 1 CT is better protected against acci- i dent.
 Pefectors now marketed, or which will be, are apparently being i made in various colors Of glass. 1 Either yellow or red would under l existing practice provide a sufficient warning for everyone. A law com i polling the use Of reaectors would. l if adopted, almost certainly provide | for standard size.
 Under the present law the re- Hector cannot be used as q substi tute for the tail-l!Eht. The ta!l-lIght . is required by law, and cannot be abolished it reflector ia put on, : but the reflector would be an added . safety factor which seems 10 he ' called for by the conditions, and 1 which at the present cannot he re- Quired hy law"