High-beam headlights dazzle drivers, risk lives
Potholes make it worse; awareness only way to deal with it.
Hyderabad: High-beam headlights on oncoming vehicles leave drivers coming in opposite direction dazzled. The roads are riddled with potholes and poorly lit, which makes it worse.
The main challenge with high-beam lights is to recognise them. Mr M. Vinod Kumar Kanumula, chief functionary of the Indian Federation of Road Safety, said, “There is no particular instrument which detects a high-beam headlight. The only way to deal with this problem is by creating awareness.”
Though there are laws in place, enforcement is lax, says anti-corruption activist Vijay Gopal. “After 8 pm we don’t have any policemen on the roads to check the violation,” he said. Explaining what the police does, additional commissioner, traffic, Anil Kumar, said the problem usually occurs on the outskirts. “During our drunk drive checks, we book cases against the use of high beam lights. We also book cases of traffic violation during surprise checks at night.”
Driving the vehicle using the high beam is punishable under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicle Act 1998. The ignorance of the people regarding the use of high beam lights adds to the woes.
Mr Ahsan Pasha, founder of Traffic Sense, an NGO, said, “The moment you see an oncoming vehicle, you should dip the high-beam light. Most people are ignorant of the rule.”
“Some people use a half-cover to reduce the intensity of the high beam light but it might not be a practical and long term solution,” Mr Pasha said. The main violators are inter-city buses and trucks which have up to three pairs of headlamps he said.
City resident Jayanth Sri Charan posted on social media that the high beam was a menace. “High beam is for highways. People will find stupid reasons for using it in city but it is a menace which needs to be curbed,” he wrote.
In response, another social media user highlighted the lack of proper lighting. Mr T. Sandeep Gupta posted, “Do you think our Indian roads are enough to drive safe having potholes on it ?? There are countless potholes which are not visible with the normal headlight (sic).”
Mr M. Bala Raju seconded him saying, “First we need to have proper streetlights then we can ask people to stop high beam (sic).”