Lights On Vehicles

Sir, - On a recent visit to Norway I was struck by the fact that every vehicle that moved, night or day, had its side-lights …

Sir, - On a recent visit to Norway I was struck by the fact that every vehicle that moved, night or day, had its side-lights on. One saw the lights before one saw the vehicle. I understand that this is the law throughout the whole of Scandinavia and is rigorously enforced.

In this country vehicles are driven at dawn and dusk, rain, hail, mist and fog, with no lights on. Crazy. It costs nobody anything to have side lights on at all times. Is it not about time that the Minister responsible for road transport made an order making it obligatory for every vehicle that moves to display its sidelights? He could enforce this rule by stating that from a given date all vehicles should be modified so that side-lights come on automatically when the ignition is switched on, as in a Volvo. Penalty for non compliance: £1,000 fine. Lives would be saved, plenty of them. - Yours, etc.,

F.S. Magan, Baily, Co Dublin.