22 DECEMBER 1939, Page 6

* * * * The tale of road deaths for

the last three months, and the statement that two-thirds of them are due to the black-out, make deplorable reading. It seems to be accepted too readily that black-out deaths are inevitable. They ought to be nothing of the kind. The new headlight-mask emits quite enough light for a driver to pick out a pedestrian on the road ahead in time, if he is driving as slowly as he should be. In towns, where there are pavements, and pedestrians can flash a torch pointed downwards when they cross the road, there is again no real excuse for accidents, provided the pedestrian takes some steps for his own protection. The trouble is, of course, that torch-batteries at present are scarcer than diamond-brooches.