[VijayAnand1]

I've had horror stories on the highways for the most part. People without headlights coming right at you in the wrong side, especially cycle wallas without reflectors and moped wallas, jayriding full loaded at the extreme right or left. Imagine, overtaking a truck or wide body vehicle and suddenly you see dimwits with fully loaded moped in front of you. I've had mild infarctions in my cases, especially during the evening times.

The law is not flawed, people are flawed with their mindset, people are flawed with their i don't give a bird attitude, and hence put everyone's lives at risk.

It's just a shame how our people take everything for granted.

Cheers!
VJ

[abhii176]

Wow, I guess I've mostly been lucky and have not run in to too many such instances of bikers running without headlights on on Bangalore streets so far. One off instances maybe, but I dont think this is a worrying trend yet! And now with bikes coming Auto Headlights on for the last couple of years, I think this should mostly take care of this.

[haldar_siliguri]

Having driven in most cities, IMO Pune/PCMC has one of the largest population of riders & drivers without the need for turning on headlights at night.

I wonder how do they drive.. just follow others? And what's the rationale behind not using it? I once heard some feel that it saves them fuel.

Anything is allowed and possible in India, really.

[vinya_jag]

I turn off head lamps (switch to parking lights), when riding/driving in a well lit area, like commercial Street, where there are many pedestrians. I also do the same, when I am about to hit a road hump, but switch back to normal headlights, as soon as I clear the hump.
I just want to help the oncoming driver/ or pedestrian

I hope, I am not breaking any rules here

[VKumar]

Originally Posted by vinya_jag

I turn off head lamps (switch to parking lights), when riding/driving in a well lit area, like commercial Street, where there are many pedestrians.

The headlamps are not just to show you the way, they have an even bigger purpose (The very reason why DRLs even exist), and that reason is to tell the other drivers on the road that you also exist in the same space.

No matter how well lit an area is, you will never be visible to a driver who is cutting through a gap in the divider to cross the road. It is your illuminated headlamp; which shows those drivers that you are there on the road. Additionally, when two vehicles are moving towards each other with their headlamps at high beam, you wouldn't want to be the invisible object between the two - that is when your headlamps come into play.

[bugatti]

I'm not sure if it's just me or has switching off the headlights become more common in Bangalore? Bikers, scooters, and especially autos. A small percentage of them do not switch them on by mistake but for others, when one complains or tells them that their headlight is off, they're non-chalant and give excuses, I'll switch it on, light is bad, etc.

What an insane problem we have on our roads, either lights are too bright (high beams) or simply off. As a cyclist and road user, quite a safety issue.

[old_cayuse]

Originally Posted by drive1987

Hello Bhpians!
========
Has anyone else noticed this new "menace"?

This seems to be a nightmare (no pun intended) all over! Even worse is women two-wheeler riders who ride at night without any lights at all (to me it looks like they haven't been taught that they have to use lights at night not only to illuminate the road in front of them but to make them visible as well) and children accompanying them. To top that they aren't wearing helmets both the adult and child !!! There are so many two-wheelers and four-wheelers riders/drivers too who seem to think that headlights/taillights are for decoration only.

[old_cayuse]

Originally Posted by locusjag

In Chennai as well, it is a problem of blinding high beams that ails us and in our blindness, binds us together as one smouldering wreckage when we collide.

If there is one suicidal 2 wheeler attribute in Chennai though, it has to be the lack of rearview mirrors. No hindsight, just a huge blindspot behind them.

Of late in Madras/Chennai I find many 2 and 4-wheeler (mostly the ones without always-on headlights or DRLs) users nonchalantly riding and driving at night without any lights whatsoever. A lot of women 2-wheeler riders with children in their vehicles seem clueless about the requirement of having their lights on at night. Horrify's me no end.

Our driving licensing standards haven't got much past what it was, zilch! These people have no idea that the visibility of their vehicles is low at night in the case of 4-wheelers and as for 2-wheelers due to the low profile, they are as good as invisible. Wonder what the statistics and consequences of accidents caused due to this reason are?

Our traffic police also have no methodical training in the necessity of enforcing rules that assures the safety of road users.

I dread the time when I might end up in a bad situation caused by this avoidable negligence.

[ayan59dutta]

I had a not-too-close call today with a person riding against the traffic on a RE without headlights on NH.

A few days ago, a person was riding beside his friend, talking, but just a few inches behind. The one on the front had his high-beam on, and I couldn't see the other person. I realized what could have happened once I crossed them. Thankfully, it was just a small park road.

Nowadays, apart from ICE 2/4-wheelers, I see too many EV 2-wheelers without lights/horns. They seem to suddenly pop out from nowhere, like a predator in stealth mode hunting for it's prey.