S.I. No. 240/1948:

MECHANICALLY PROPELLED VEHICLES (CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT AND USE), (AMENDMENT) ORDER, 1948.

MECHANICALLY PROPELLED VEHICLES (CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT AND USE), (AMENDMENT) ORDER, 1948.

The Minister for Local Government in exercise of the powers vested in him by the Road Traffic Act, 1933 , and in particular by Section 15 of the said Act, hereby makes the following regulations, that is to say :--

1.--(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Mechanically Propelled Vehicles (Construction, Equipment and Use) (Amendment) Order, 1948.

(2) These Regulations and the Mechanically Propelled Vehicles (Construction, Equipment and Use) Orders, 1934 to 1946, shall be construed as one and may be cited as the Mechanically Propelled Vehicles (Construction, Equipment and Use) Orders, 1934 to 1948.

(3) These Regulations shall come into force on the first day of September, 1948.

2. In these Regulations :--

" direction indicator " means a device fitted to a vehicle for the purpose of indicating the intention of the driver to turn the vehicle to the right or to the left ;

" front lamp " means any lamp which is fitted to the front of a vehicle which is not a lamp.

(a) the beam of light from which is permanently deflected downwards so that it is incapable of dazzling any person on the same or approximately the same horizontal plane as the vehicle at a greater distance than 25 feet, or

(b) the electric bulb of which does not exceed 7 watts and which is fitted with frosted glass or other material having the effect of diffusing the light therefrom.

3. Every vehicle the steering gear of which is operated from the left hand side of the vehicle shall be fitted with a direction indicator which can be operated with ease by the driver of the vehicle to indicate his intention to turn the vehicle to the right or to the left as the case may be.

4. Every direction indicator shall be so designed and fitted that when in operation

(a) it temporarily alters the outline of the vehicle to the extent of at least 6 inches measured horizontally ;

(b) it is clearly visible from both the front and rear of the vehicle.

5. Every direction indicator fitted to a vehicle in accordance with these Regulations shall at all times while the vehicle is in use be maintained in good and efficient working order and shall be so fitted that when not in operation it will not be likely to mislead the driver of any other vehicle or any person controlling traffic.

6. Every vehicle shall be fitted with a dimming device so constructed that it may be operated with ease by the driver and when so operated the beam of light emitted by any front lamp is

(a) altered downwards or both downwards and to the left in direction ; or

(b) diffused or reduced in intensity ; or

(c) extinguished and a new beam brought into operation ; or

(d) extinguished and a new beam from another lamp brought into operation,

in such a manner that it or the new beam so brought into operation is incapable of dazzling any person on the same or approximately the same horizontal plane as the vehicle at a greater distance than 25 feet.

7. Every dimming device fitted to a vehicle in accordance with Article 6 of these Regulations shall be maintained in good efficient working order.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Local Government this sixth day of July, One Thousand Nine Hundred and Forty-eight.

(Signed), T. J. MURPHY,

Minister for Local Government.