Vol. 534 No. 4
166 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has further considered complaints by road users regarding blinding and glaring headlights introduced in several car marques over the past 15 months. [10970/01]
Standards for lighting for new vehicles are specified in EU type approval law. These standards have been adopted at EU level following extensive consultation with vehicle and lighting manufacturing interests and with member states. All new cars sold in Ireland are required to meet the standards which are also deemed to comply with national vehicle lighting law. Within this framework, gas discharge headlamps have been type approved in accordance with European Union law and are consequently in compliance with Irish lighting law.
Over and above the technical specification for headlamps, Irish regulations require that headlamps must be fitted with a dipping device so that the beam of light from the lamp, when dipped, is incapable of dazzling a person more than 25 feet away from the lamp and in a specified position, which approximates to that of the driver of an oncoming vehicle. Exceptions to the dipping device requirement are made for direction indicators and for one or more other lamps with a combined maximum power output of 7 watts. Dipped headlamps must be used when a vehicle is either passing another vehicle or travelling close behind one. The Garda has responsibility for enforcing the regulations.
