Evening star., 1942-06-26
Regulations Defined
For Lights on Cars
Used in BIackouts
Army and ODT Draw Up
Rules to Screen Cars
As SofeIy os Possible
p, ,he Associated Press.

CLEVELAND BY their lights,
You'll know the kind and size of
motor vehicles you pass in the night
during blackouts-and how to pass
them safely.
If you're a civilian. you'll need a
pretty good reason before civilian
defense officials let you drive at all
in blackouts.
In case you are permitted to use
your car, a War Department Speci-
fication tells you how private auto
mobiles-as well as trucks. ambu-
lances, fire and police vehicles, troll
leys and buses-should be illumi-
mated to screen them from enemy
aircraft and provide maximum
highway safety.
Drawn up by Army engineers with
the aid of the Office of Defense
Transportation, the War Produc-
ton Board. other Government
agencies and electric companies,
the rules are expected to be placed
in effect soon by the Office OF
Civilian Defense.
Wait Five Minutes.
First. you're cautioned to stay in
the dark at least five minutes be-
fore attempting to drive on BACKED
out streets and highways. This is
to adapt your eyes to the low level
of illumination permitted in black
outs.
You'll have one driving Tampa
10-candle power bulb with reflector
encased in black metal and shaded
by hood and mask. This lamp is
about one-flfth the strength of
ordinary headlights. 1t will be
placed to the left center of the car,
SO to S. inches above the road level
and far enough forward to prevent
reflection of light from any part of
the vehicles.
Two small marker lights, placed
near the usual front headlights. will
define the vehicles width. OF no
help in driving, these bulb lights
can be seen by approaching traffic
at distance of 1000 feet.
Aah Ahu StOP LhSht'
A combination tail and stop light
gives off a faint, red glow visible at
1000 feet while the vehicle is in
motion, and an amber glow when
1t stops. These lights are V-shaped
and recessed to obscure them from
low-f1ying planes.
In addition, vehicles must have
two or three reflector lights on each
side-amber toward the front, red
toward the rear.
Requirements are the same for
ambulances. police and fire vehicles
streetcars and buses. except that
vehicles 80 inches wide must have
two tail and stop lights. On ambu-
lances, the small marker or clear
ance' lights are white; on other
vehicles, amber.
Motorcycles require one running
light, one marker light and one tail
light, while bicycles. push carts and
other human propelled vehicles re-
Quire front and rear reflector lights
1t will help, too, if chromium and
other shiny surfaces are covered
with lustreless paint-drab brown
preferably. Hub caps, bumpers and
other low portions should be painted
with white. reflectorized paint.
Dashboard lights are out, unless the
illumination is of low intensity and
deep red color.
Pedestrians. like motorists, are
expected to keep off streets and
roads unless they have business
there. In that case, they should
wear white or reflectorized leggings
or white handkerchiefs tied around
their legs, and carry blackout Ian
terms or flashlights.
You can use approximately the
same equipment on cattle if you
must drive the animals over a
highway during a blackout.