High Beam Lights Can Lead to Fatal Accidents

Hyderabad:A 45-year-old woman broke down in hospital when she heard of her husband’s death after the couple met with an accident while travelling on a two-wheeler near Esamia bazar a year back.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle on Saturday, she said, “It has been almost a year. I still cannot vividly recall what happened that ill-fated night. It was 10 pm and we were heading home. From the front all that we could see was a blinding light. My husband could not see the road and lost balance. The next moment, I could feel myself fall off the vehicle and my husband, run over by a lorry, lying drenched in blood on the right side. I fell unconscious and did not know what happened next. The next day, I woke up in Osmania hospital. My family followed the nurse and they broke the tragic news of my husband’s death.”

While the usage of high beam lights is only suggestive on highways, many people misuse them by turning them on in residential areas, causing hardship to the commuter driving from the opposite side. Turning on a high beam light while driving in traffic or during rains is tantamount to violation of traffic rules and they pose higher risks of accidents, including fatal ones.

Lavisha Parwani from Chappal Bazaar said, “I was near a school on Chapel Road around 8-9 pm and it was raining. The road had some potholes that were not easily visible, especially during the night. Adding to that, some cars were being driven on high-beam. How do they expect the other persons to see? I understand that street lights are fewer in number, but high beam is not a solution. I was about to fall off my bike. These days, I’m worried about taking my vehicle out at night.”

Under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicle Act, anyone using a high beam light amid vehicles in the city will attract a fine of Rs 500.

When asked about any deaths officially reported by the police department, an officer said, “Honestly, we don’t study cases in such detail. I really wish our investigating officers were honest enough to work on understanding the reason behind deaths due to accidents. They just write ‘rash and negligent driving’ in the FIR and dismiss the case.”

Cyberabad joint commissioner (traffic) Joel Davis said, “It is usually very difficult to ascertain the cause of a death in an accident. Accused hits and runs away. At that point it is difficult to know if the high beam light was on or not. We can still ascertain if there are some engineering failures.”

While there was no updated data on the increase in sale of these lights, the manager of Car Tunez, a store near Begumpet, said, “Most people prefer getting premium lights, the ones that can give a clear view from like 200 feet away. These lights are bright and are being patronised these days.”

GFX:Number of vehicles challaned in each commissionerate in 2024:

Hyderabad - 1,009

Cyberabad - 101

Rachakonda - 17