Evening star., 1932-07-24
let thy light 50 shine that 1t Will
not blind the other fellow"


not blind the other fellow"
Is 1t not timely that some such slogan
should be elucidated for those who drive
motor cars in the District OF Columbia
and over the many fine roadWays around
the small area encompassed IN the Fed
eral Capital? Is the time not ripe 1oI
a Tightening up OF the Inspection OF
glaring headlights to keep down accl-
dents during the Summer evenings
when all Washington a-wheel goes Out
for a drive these cool evenings?
The traffic laws governing motor We
hicles in the District of Columbia per-
NIT use of bright lights at practically
all times. But the intent of these laws
is to properly light the roadway and
not to glare into the other felloW
ewes SO that he cannot see what Is IN
front of him. Lighting engineers have
made remarkable improvement IN the
automobile lighting equipment OF today,
but they have not cut down the need
for reduction of binding glare. Most
of the streets in the city of Washington
are well lighted, far better, IN TACT,
than in most municipalities. So are
most of the roadways near Washing
ton, particularly that drive, which IS
very popular with thousands of Wash
tngton motorists these Summer eve
nings, over the Mount Vernon Highway
along the Potomac to the home of the
First President. Which brings up the
question: Are the big lights needed at
any time in travelling over a well-lighted
roadway? Cannot the local law be
amended to restrict the use Of the big
headlights in order to avoid glare on
the better lighted roadways in Wash
ington?"
The dim headlights Of the 1882 auto
mobile are practically equal in lighting
efficiency to the big headlights OF the
car years ago. They light the roadway
adequately on both sides and Tor the
required 200 feet in front of the We
hicle But many drivers insist on using
their big lights just the same, making
driving most unpleasant for the other
fellow, who has enough courtesy to
turn on his dim lights when driving
on a we'll lighted thoroughfare.
It Is no light task plotting an auto
mobile on any of the popular drives in
and around Washington after dinner
any evening nowadays, with congestion
as it Is. Why add to the growing perils
of the road the glaring light menace
when your dim lights carry plenty of
illumination for all your ordinary
needs? Turn 'em on where the street
lights are not adequate, but leave your
dim lights on when the street lamps
Light the roadway properly.
Particularly on the Mount Vernon
Highway is the glaring headlight a
menace OF course, this roadway Is so
wide and cars are generally so well
spaced that an accident is rarity,
but some of the speed boys insist on
passing right over against the center
line. And when they come at you with
glaring headlights full on the feeling
is none too comfortable. No. the glare
has not yet been taken out OF auto
mobile headlights. but We can mini
mize the danger of the glare by using
our dim lights on well lighted road
ways.
There's a bad traffic spot over in
Georgetown, where the Key Bridge in
tersects with M street, over thorough
fare that carries very high per-
centage of the traffic going over into
Virginia and down the Canal road into
nearby Maryland. And on at least one
warm night recently we viewed one OF
the finest little traffic snarls We ever
have seen right at that intersection
because there was no officer there to
straighten it out. 1t all happened last
Sunday evening, along about 8 o'clock,
when lots of folks were out for an
evening drive after hot day, thou
sands more were coming from and 60
ing to Virginia and other thousands
were pouring west on M street for the
drive along the Canal or Conduit roads