Cops pull the blinds on dazzling headlights in Chennai

[TaurusAl]

Now, Cops in Chennai go after cars with extra powerful and white headlamps. I personally don't see any harm with a car with powerful headlamps, provided no high beams are used while approaching other cars. But guess this is just like the ban on tints, everyone suffers because of few morons who drive with high beams even in narrow lanes of the city which has triggered accidents.

Full Link Here -

Cops pull the blinds on dazzling headlights - The New Indian Express

[dhawcash]

I think it is sensible.

Extra powerful headlights are generally acheived by installing HID lamps (xenons) of 6000K or above color temperature (which is easily distinguishable). Here is what i think is wrong with them:

1. such headlights actually reduce visibility (they are brighter, but a lot of wavelengths from the visible spectrum missing so distinguishing between colors is difficult)

2.Many people get them installed without the secondary reflector(not sure if this is what its actually called)- the reflector which covers the bulb (for eg, take a look at the baleno's headlight- you cant see the bulb directly). This reflector is supposed to make sure the light goes where it is supposed to go, and the bright halogen bulb (or the godawesomely bright HID) does not hurt the eyes. take this out, and you see a bright spot even with low beam on.

3. i am yet to see an aftermarket HID replacement job which provides a good focused beam. the light is basically going everywhere. compare this to OEMs (Corolla Altis, lauras, Octavias) which have a very controlled spread of light.
Also, OEMs use 4300 Kelvin colour temp, which closely matches sunlight and doesnt have color identification issues.

[rambo1o1]

Originally Posted by TaurusAl

Now, Cops in Chennai go after cars with extra powerful and white headlamps. I personally don't see any harm with a car with powerful headlamps, provided no high beams are used while approaching other cars. But guess this is just like the ban on tints, everyone suffers because of few morons who drive with high beams even in narrow lanes of the city which has triggered accidents.

Full Link Here -

Cops pull the blinds on dazzling headlights - The New Indian Express

I have alot of questions here.Are lamps above 30 watts illegal??Most cars have 55/60 watts bulbs. According to them(police)are 'dazzling' lights HIDs in normal car headlights without the projectors or any bulbs(halogen,xenon) which look brighter???Bulbs like crystal vision and night breakers are bright whitish light but with OEM wattage(55/60), are these also illegal?? Also cars like the Skoda superb,Most BMW etc have HIDs,which are mostly bright and white.In the article the cops mention booking luxury cars like BMW...How do they know these cars are fitted with illegal bulbs?? do they just assume if a headlight is just brighter than what they think is fine,they will book you??

Nowhere in the article have they mentioned the type of bulbs,wattage etc just terms like 'dazzling' lights!Wish they could be little more specific cause no one knows how these cops interpret things!

Can someone please explain.

[drmohitg]

Although I agree with the sentiment that its like the sunfilm ban where due to the stupidity of some people, everyone has to suffer. But this is a little different. First the number of morons is extremely high in this case. I with a high myopic power in my eyes find it extremely difficult, infact borderline impossible, to drive in the night with such people around me. And they are in plenty. Also this is a much more serious offence since it directly puts lives in danger. I literally come down to crawling speeds whenever such a moron decides not to shift to low beam.
So for me its a welcome move.

[one-77]

Originally Posted by TaurusAl

Now, Cops in Chennai go after cars with extra powerful and white headlamps. I personally don't see any harm with a car with powerful headlamps, provided no high beams are used while approaching other cars. But guess this is just like the ban on tints, everyone suffers because of few morons who drive with high beams even in narrow lanes of the city which has triggered accidents.

Full Link Here -

Cops pull the blinds on dazzling headlights - The New Indian Express

Well I think this is a lot more sensible than targeting cars with tints. (Of course I think very dark tints need to be removed, too!)
Many of us Indians have a habit of using the head lamps in high beam perpetually and don't dim even when the driver of an approaching vehicle has been blinded and is pleading us to dim, by means of frantic flashing of his headlamps. I've found it extremely tough to drive on highways after dusk, owing to this; it is not unusual to find people driving with blinding lamps in the city too. Of course, the ideal way out would be to educate people on the matter, but since a good percentage of our drivers don't even seem to know which side of the road to drive on, getting people to voluntarily switch to low beam will remain a pipe dream for a long time to come. Sadly, since we don't usually follow rules, the police are forced to enforce them, and fining is - at least for now - the only way out make people obey traffic rules.

[ariendj]

those lights has been a cop magnet at my place for quite a few months.
along with that ,the led strips and all those fancy lightnings such as under body neon lights and flasher/strober lights too have come under the scanner as the cops term it as 'distractions' for other drivers!

this includes both 4 and 2 wheels!

[ashwin.terminat]

Originally Posted by dhawcash

2.Many people get them installed without the secondary reflector(not sure if this is what its actually called)- the reflector which covers the bulb.

Methinks it is called a projector. Almost like a lens to focus the beam.

3. i am yet to see an aftermarket HID replacement job which provides a good focused beam. the light is basically going everywhere. compare this to OEMs (Corolla Altis, lauras, Octavias) which have a very controlled spread of light.
Also, OEMs use 4300 Kelvin colour temp, which closely matches sunlight and doesnt have color identification issues.

Exactly. The use higher temperature HIDs for the 'cool' factor. Barely anyone use a projector setup just because it costs a little extra. No one even tries a higher watt halogen before they plonk in a HID.

Originally Posted by rambo1o1

I have alot of questions here.Are lamps above 30 watts illegal??Most cars have 55/60 watts bulbs

Nope. They aren't illegal if they are OEM I guess. According to Bangalore Traffic Police, any modification done to your vehicle is illegal. So you never know.

[pgsagar]

Now all white-light cars will be pulled over by over-zealous cops. Like that kid on a Yamaha R1 in Hyderabad who was pulled over and fined by a cop who never saw a bike with 190 mm rear tyre and argued that the guy is riding a highly modified bike on public roads. God help Indian motorists form these I'm-the-law cops. They have their own interpretations to suit their requirements ( read monthly challan quota assigned by their superiors ). So BMW or Audi or whatever. If it has white lights, it will be pulled over. OE or after-market. It makes no difference to our cops.

[rao_battula]

Originally Posted by TaurusAl

Now, Cops in Chennai go after cars with extra powerful and white headlamps. I personally don't see any harm with a car with powerful headlamps, provided no high beams are used while approaching other cars. But guess this is just like the ban on tints, everyone suffers because of few morons who drive with high beams even in narrow lanes of the city which has triggered accidents.

Full Link Here -

Cops pull the blinds on dazzling headlights - The New Indian Express

In Hyderabad, I find almost every one uses high beam even on the internal colony roads and very few people blink. It is nightmare to drive on roads which are not installed with street lights. However, this kind of exercise does not help solving this problem. Instead RTO should start educating the motorists by conducting "sensible driving" drive across all the major cities to make people aware of rules/donts/dos/responsibilities while on the drive in various driving conditions like dry/wet conditions. Half of the traffic jams are caused by indescipline of few drivers who are in hurry on a rainy day.

May be we should start a separate thread for the above suggestion and start discussing all dos/donts while driving and share incidents due to indescipline like our "Accidents on Indian Roads" thread. If thread is already available we might park it on the first page of the forum to attract the attention of users/visitors.

[sureshurs]

This is a very sensible move by the cops. Leave alone vehicles in opposite direction blinding you with high power white light, it is also quite irritating when a vehicle behind you is on these lights and the reflection from rear view and side mirrors actually distract you. I normally pull to a side a let them go.

However as in case of any enforcement, cops might make hay while implementing this rule.

[asr245]

This is a good move. HIDs (or white light) without a setup is a nuisance. It's not exactly comfortable on low beam and blinding on high beam (more so than OEM setup). But they should add driving on high beams to it. There are few and far between who switch to lower beam when asked (flashed) and I feel like pulling up to them and thanking them for doing so. Such is the state of affairs on the road here (actually in the entire country).

[audioholic]

By dazzling headlights, I think they are referring to HIDs. That is easy to spot and fine, compared to high watt halogens. Unless they flag the car and check the wattage, they can't know whether the bulb is legal or not. Even bangalore traffic police is spreading awareness regarding the use of high beam. So now it will be a tough time for people who have fitted HID kits, especially those chinese ones on bikes which throw light everywhere except on the road.

[scopriobharath]

A big relief and a totally appreciated move by the police. AS mentioned in the link, I have been blinded many times but thank god, I have not been in an accident because of the glare. I generally slow down my car if i see a glaring light.

Good Move. I hope they also in parallel curn the usage of high beam in city.

[johy]

There was this Q5 in Siliguri last night and those lights really hurt my eye's retina. I have seen the same coming from a BMW X3 here in Siliguri. Now these I believe are factory fitted lights, but why on earth should they burn my retina? Could anyone please explain. Eye-hurting lights, should not be on cars.

[download2live]

Unlike the sunfilm fiasco, I welcome this move.

There are simply too many apes out there driving in city with those fancy flash like headlights and that too in high beams.