The Washington times., 1929-01-30


Periodically the Public raises a
NOciferOus howl about headlights.
Drastic and sweeping reform of the
whole manner OF automobile illumi-
nation Is demanded. Everyone seems
to get excited about the subject at
the same time. Then, gradually,
things subside as far as the average
man is concerned.
With the engineer, it is different.
Always he has the problem of head
lights to deal with. Continually he
seeks q way out. His vast research
results in this or that idea for i'm
proving the situation. He applies
It and the effect IL something bet
ter. Is still short Of perfection.
The average person does not see
the headlight problem for what it
really is, according to many of the
scientific authorities battling to
solve it. As a motorist, using his
car constantly, the 1avman gets a
beam of light from the other mans
automobile right in his eye. He be.
comes acutely conscious of head
light glare. That to him, is the
whole problem. !
Other Extreme just As Bad (
The other extreme Of glare; in.
adequate illumination is almost as
bad. as many experts view tt. Still
others maintain 1T is worse.
Legislatively. there Is q consider
able difference nf opinion with re-.
gard to headlights In their tour
ing, car owners meet 1t constantly.
In some cities bright headlights are
not permitted In others, running
with the DINNERS on or with the
c0wi lights burning fs an cel1srt
way to run afoul OF the law. In
certain parts of the country, the
old courteous gesture of dfmming
the lights on approaching another
car Is so obsolete as to amount TO
an embarrassing faux pas. Else
where the man who fails to do so
is written into the records as boor.
yokel or something still less re-
fined.
Al number Of motorists regard tls
spotlight sa one solution OF thesyaria-
tions in headlight quality laws and
customs. One or two States, how
ever, expressly forbid their use and
others have specific limitations upon
them that are somewhat confusing,
at times distressingly so.
An engineer who is so closely
Identified withstf headlight question
iii its many phases that he has de-
vised the most effective means Of
measuring automobile illumination,
views the issue dour1y. IT Is im-
possible. he tells the writer, to pro-
vide adequate light with bulbs Of
such small power as at present
legally specified ii many States.
Especially Is this true, he maintains.
when car owners allow their lamps
to be aimed in any direction chance
dictates, let the beam be focused how
Il will, and permit lenses and re-
Electors to take their own course
through life,
Glare Always Present
stiIl another equally prominent in.
eiividual In the field insists that good
headlights always viii glare under
certain conditions.
Al the moment, the United States
Bureau Of standards, with the So.
ciety OF Automotive Engineers, 1s
doing :, great deal of illumination
erperimentfng Of varfous kinds. One
Of its studies Is to determine the el-
fectiyeness Of dimming the LETT lamp
1I1lys In OLhGE QtkeAs III - - ~ eANse4
that the problem never will be solved
uftil the pattern Of the light the
shape of the beam lis changed con-
eiderably from its present form.
one Of the most radical thoughts
on the subject Is that perfection in
Iiehfing viii come only when the
driver Is moved back TO the right
side Of the front seat where he was
when notoraom was young. Cen
eraliy. ii Is admitted that this view
llaa some merit but that Its virtue
II outweighed by the disadvanta ages
1t possesses.
Illumination of rural highways In
Che fashion OF city streets is another
radical proposal In connection with
the current dilemma. One school
Of thought goes so far as to urge
the use OF q phosphorescent paint
On road surfaces to do away with
the need for lights on automobiles.
Obviously, there is no dearth Of
ideas on the subject.
Inlurovenlerit Shown
IN the meantime, the motor We
hscle maker goes along adopting
illumination equipment winch he be-