[vasoo]

Imagine yourself driving in front of a car/SUV on high beam. All your rear view mirrors will flood your eyes with his light making it very difficult for you to see the road in front.

I never drive on high beam, unless it is pitch dark and no other vehicles in sight, in either direction. I don't think there is a need to be.

[A350XWB]

I rarely drive with my headlights on high beam (Maybe the stay in EU has had an effect on me). Usually, I use my headlights as directed by the the below link.
Headlamp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
And I find it sufficient in 99% of situations. I really don't understand why people advice to drive on high beam when there are other cars in your vicinity.

[Blr_RK]

From the discussions, I have summarized my understanding:

1. If there is no vehicle ahead for a long long distance and if the road is dark, use high beam. Else, any vehicle in reachable distance, use low beam.

2. The conclusion is that is should not put the other drivers to inconvenience.

I shall keep these points in mind during my next night drive.

Thanks all for your invaluable inputs.

Regards

[janitha]

I do always drive on low beam and flash the high when the oncoming vehicles are on high. But most of them do not reciprocate!

[Abhay]

janitha that is because most of people driving with high-beams all the time are idiots.
On top most of these will be so called educated people who will even put on hi-beams in the city and at traffic signals - literally blinding you with the glare.

Only a few will dip their lights till you pass or after you give him that signal that his light is blinding you.

[RajaTaurus]

Originally Posted by Blr_RK

From the discussions, I have summarized my understanding:

1. If there is no vehicle ahead for a long long distance and if the road is dark, use high beam. Else, any vehicle in reachable distance, use low beam.

2. The conclusion is that is should not put the other drivers to inconvenience.

I shall keep these points in mind during my next night drive.

Thanks all for your invaluable inputs.

Regards

That is the simple and right way to use high and low beams.
And watch the long distance bus drivers and long-haul truck drivers. Most of them follow this practice and surprisingly most of these drivers are not considered as 'educated'.

[A350XWB]

^^ Surprisingly, this is true. I've seen this on the highway many times. The long distance truck drivers repond to the flashing of highbeam. It's mostly the so called "educated" folks, who drive with their headlamp pointing at other drivers' eyes. Maybe the truck drivers know about the problems caused by the blinding glare as they spent most of their time on the road and driving at night.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by A350XWB

^^ Surprisingly, this is true. I've seen this on the highway many times. The long distance truck drivers repond to the flashing of highbeam. It's mostly the so called "educated" folks, who drive with their headlamp pointing at other drivers' eyes. Maybe the truck drivers know about the problems caused by the blinding glare as they spent most of their time on the road and driving at night.

You are right. Keral is a highly literate state but none use low beams at night and what is nasty is that trailing a car alos is with high beam. In cities as well.

[krsh77]

In the past 2 weeks I had to travel extensively on the NH-7 from Bangalore to Nagercoil and back.


The NH 7 route through Salem, Dindigul is AWESOME except for a couple of "Take Diversions".

Have seen the following mishaps

1. Santro collided head-on with a Splendor motorcycle.

This was near Karur and the Santro was traveling 15 minutes ahead of me. The scene I saw was heavy skid marks from Santro which was standing on the extreme left side of the road - the skid marks start from the extreme right side, The Splendor lying on the middle of the road and the biker lying on his sides with heavy bleeding from his head. There were a few people around - We tried 108 and requested for ambulance. Before the government ambulance could come, another private one came and rushed the person to hospital.

The Santro took a heavy beating - broken radiator, broken windshield and serious dents on the bonnet.

The reason for the accident being the biker was traveling on the same road in the opposite direction (wrong side of the median) and was taking a right turn towards his village which surprised the Santro driver. Despite braking hard he could not steer away from the biker.

I do not know the status of the biker.

2. 3 or more sheep lying dead on the side of the road and a Logan car with broken bumper and caved in bonnet.

Reason being the shepherd taking the herd of sheep to cross the road on a mild right turn. Driver had no clue of this and had to run over the herd.

3. Xylo sitting on top of a divider dividing the Service road and the main road.

Reason: Biker traveling on the wrong direction tried to cut into Service road. Xylo tried to steer clear, but could not avoid running through the solid divider.

4. Another Santro crash landed on the road side after loosing control at a four road intersection.

Apart from this there were a few cases which should have happened in the recent past.

As I said before the Highway is simply AWESOME with beautiful 6 lanes (sometimes 4 lanes) divided neatly by wide medians. Though the roads are good, people are not good enough to follow the simple rule - let alone the lane discipline, morons are traveling on the wrong side of the median


I came across umpteen number of trucks, transport buses and also private vehicle doing the same - traveling on the wrong side of the median at 100+ speeds. Nothing to say about two wheelers - I have seen them all along the stretch traveling on the wrong side. As if they are doing the right thing. I was even cursed by a few of them when I flashed the headlights on them.

I wonder whether people really think that these are 2 separate roads and they have the right to travel on the left side of each roads??

Unless this attitude changes the drive on these beautiful roads are extremely dangerous...

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by A350XWB

^^ Surprisingly, this is true. I've seen this on the highway many times. The long distance truck drivers repond to the flashing of highbeam. It's mostly the so called "educated" folks, who drive with their headlamp pointing at other drivers' eyes. Maybe the truck drivers know about the problems caused by the blinding glare as they spent most of their time on the road and driving at night.

Too true. One of those guys probably saved me and my passengers life. I was driving and all four passengers were sleeping. After a bend to the right I saw a long of headlights coming at me. The first driver dipped his lights in response to me dipping my lights, some of the vehicles behind him did not and the glare was on me. The first guy then switched on his right indicator and switched off his headlights.

His actions alerted me and I flashed my high beam once. What I saw in that millisecond jolted me. There was a lorry (no lights or reflectors) stationary at an angle to the road, his front wheels were off the road and his left rear wheel was off the road too leaving his tail gate at a 45 degree angle to the road. The angle at which that lorry stood made it difficult to see.

Thanks to that quick witted and considerate truck driver I saw that stationary lorry, braked, weaved and emerged unscathed. That trukkie switching on his right indicator immediately rung alarm bells in my head and prevented an accident.

I have always held that the long haul truck drivers are the best road users and this incident only reinforces my belief.

[ampere]

One more place, where folks need to be very careful is the Chamundi hill side of Mysore ORR. It is the stretch of ORR, where one is coming from the Chamundi Hill/Lalit Mahal side of and proceeding towards the Columbia Hospital signal (This is the signal from where you proceed to Bangalore).

There is a bus depot on the left of the road and all the buses keep coming at you to go to the other side of the road.

This is because they don't want to go all the way and take a U turn. Need to be careful.

Summary: People just cant drive an extra distance to take a U turn.

[mooza]

Originally Posted by krsh77

I wonder whether people really think that these are 2 separate roads and they have the right to travel on the left side of each roads??

Unless this attitude changes the drive on these beautiful roads are extremely dangerous...

I agree.

Infrastructure growth is headed in the right direction in India. However, sadly, the other departments responsible for enforcement of rules on upgraded infrastructure are not keeping up.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by mooza

I agree.

Infrastructure growth is headed in the right direction in India. However, sadly, the other departments responsible for enforcement of rules on upgraded infrastructure are not keeping up.

And most important: The Infrastructure growth though heading in the right direction is not sequenced correctly. After the road is laid, some guy gets a permission to lay the cable and hence the road will be dug. Then comes sewage guy to man-holes. And then another and so on...

The road will perennially is a state liquid flush with mud all over the place and slush during rains. Thankfully the highways are not treated the same way.

[sarinkumar]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

You are right. Keral is a highly literate state but none use low beams at night and what is nasty is that trailing a car alos is with high beam. In cities as well.

I don't think this is a problem only in Kerala. In Bangalore, many people use high beam even when the traffic is bump to bump. More than that, some of these guys won't even dim the light even when they are inside the housing colony. I have a feeling that many doesn't know how to dim the light

[sudev]

Originally Posted by ampere

....Summary: People just cant drive an extra distance to take a U turn.

Yesterday I was driving on NH76 linking Palanpur (Gujrat) to Udaipur (Rajasthan). It is a great highway. Divided two lanes on both sides with run off area as well. Threads through a hill range and one of the best works of NHAI I have seen to date. Could maintain steady 120kmph even with ascent/descent and curving road.

And then a fool of NHAI driver come through on opposite side occupying the fast lane from my side!!! And this is NHAI driver - the road infra development authority - and he is not trained in proper road use. have shot off a letter to Chairman of NHAI but really have low hopes of even getting acknowledgement.

Point is infrastructure development also has go hand in hand with users development.

All along the excellent NH15/NH14 stretch towards Kandla port police/NHAI has put is innumerable signs warning drivers to be cautious of people driving on the wrong side. This is an express way built for high speed transit.

And if an accident happens (inevitable really) the poor driver is hauled up and held guilty. When he is in the right side of law following road discipline and even maintaining speed within limits. So even our legal system has to take cognisance of infrastructural developments. Forget roads even railways. Why is it that a guy comes under a speeding train the railways/government pays compensation? Is the individual only having rights but no obligations? Just like the road users have obligations they also have rights.

Sorry for a bit of rant.