asked the Minister for Local Government if, in view of the fact that mechanically propelled motor vehicles are required by law to be equipped with effective devices for dimming their headlights but need not operate such devices to accommodate oncoming traffic, he will take such steps as are necessary to make dimming obligatory in such circumstances.
Ceisteanna—Questions. - Dimming of Headlights.
When the regulations requiring the fitting of a dimming or dipping device were being prepared, full consideration was given to the question of whether they should set out exactly the circumstances in which a driver should use the device. It was considered that it would be impracticable, and probably dangerous, to attempt to cover all the circumstances likely to arise. The responsibility on the driver to decide when to dim is covered by the general requirement of the law to take care and show consideration. Where on any particular occasion failure to dim constitutes failure to exercise reasonable consideration for other road users, an offence is committed under Section 50 of the Road Traffic Act, 1933. In the "Rules of the Road", which every driver has been encouraged to read, a driver is advised to dim (or dip) his headlamps when meeting other traffic or following closely behind other vehicles.