The High Beam Menace on Indian Roads

[wildsdi5530]

One observation at least in Bangalore.
High beam is used by commercial vehicles or old zen, ikon, swift, etc. Now commercial drivers have driven lakhs of kms. And I assume someone driving a 15 year old car mush have driven a lot. It's only new drivers who use low beam. Are we missing something here? If experience teaches you to use high beam, there must be a reason.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530

One observation at least in Bangalore.
High beam is used by commercial vehicles or old zen, ikon, swift, etc. Now commercial drivers have driven lakhs of kms. And I assume someone driving a 15 year old car mush have driven a lot. It's only new drivers who use low beam. Are we missing something here? If experience teaches you to use high beam, there must be a reason.

Not at all. Just points out how inconsiderate we are. See the number of jokers wanting to use 90/130W Halogens and powerful HIDs without projectors. In fact I am quite careful of not driving on High Beam (esp in town) and also avoiding the fog light unless required. It is amazing how many time I have been 'ticked off' by fellow passengers. I have just started ignoring them. It is too much hard work to argue.

[asit.kulkarni93]

This high beam menace is very irritating when someone is tailing you or on 2-lane roads. I use the dipper to every passing vehicle at night and only 10% of them respond by switching to the low beam.

The basic problem is about education. I have tried my best by requesting, abusing or threatening a few to switch low beams and it has worked. But that's not possible on the highways.

An optician near my house talks about a different glass in my specs which can solve the high beam issue. I don't have much knowledge hence decided to ask here. Can some type of glasses cut down the intensity of high beams from the on coming vehicles?

Asit

[apachelongbow]

High beams are a menace everywhere in India. If I drive only on low beams, lot of times I can't see the road especially on a unlit highway. Also lot of vehicles have misaligned headlights which put lights directly into the opposite side drivers eyes. It's hightime automatic dipping headlamps be made mandatory.

[Mortis]

I wish I could carry a paintball gun and was a fast and extremely accurate shot. That way I could cover the offending cars headlights in paint in a second and continue on my way in peace, I guess this is the only solution to a comfortable drive

[avingodb]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

See the number

Too many threads of headlight upgrades here also. Some of their after images and the praise such works get leave me like

[silverado]

I find it very irritating when people are on high beams in well lit city areas.
Its another story when you are on unlit road/highway and most of the times you need to be on high beams.

Agreed you should be switching between high and low, but seldom people bother about doing it, and no amount of switching from you side helps.

I feel there should be a small sounding buzzer to remind people that there are on high beam, this should be mandatory at least in India.

[slicvic]

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

An optician near my house talks about a different glass in my specs which can solve the high beam issue. I don't have much knowledge hence decided to ask here. Can some type of glasses cut down the intensity of high beams from the on coming vehicles?

Asit

Beejay would be the best person to answer your query

Originally Posted by beejay

Point taken.

If you are really serious about clarity in vision and have a prescription, you can try Skypol from Carl Zeiss, Drivewear from Essilor and also prescription lenses from Maui Jim which give you a lot of shade cards to choose from.

He had earlier recommended lenses on the other thread. Looking forward to his reply.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by slicvic

Beejay would be the best person to answer your query



He had earlier recommended lenses on the other thread. Looking forward to his reply.

You can use photochromatic lenses - but when they're prescription, these can get a bit expensive. And the other thing is, photochromatic lenses are going to be a bit thicker than their clear equivalents. So if even with the most expensive glass you have thick spectacles - photochromatic will leave you with soda bottle glasses..

As for high beam - well lit city areas are somewhat of a joke here. I live in Adyar, Chennai - a suburb where several well to do people as well as influential types such as politicians, large industrialists etc live. The roads are minefields and the street lamps are either just not working or sometimes obscured by trees on the side of the road.

When it comes to a choice between high beam and hitting some poor soul who decides to wear a dark shirt and trousers on a dark night and then cycle down the middle of the road because it is empty .. I will take high beam, thank you so much.

[Shashankjk]

I think the menace of high beam can be tackled by introducing written test to get a learning drivers license. India must have a compulsory written test like the US for getting driving license (learning to start with) where these things like basic know how of the car( lot of drivers don't know the difference between HB and LB when they are new), driving etiquette, understanding of rules, laws to be followed etc can be tested.
Once learning period is complete, full Dl can be with a practical as it is today.
The huge amount of driving schools we have today are supposed to teach about road signs, rules, etiquettes but most of them just don't bother. Introduction of a written test for learning license will solve this and a lot if other problems too and make Indian roads safer overall.
People might come up with question dumps for that but at least they will have to read question dumps. Better than being a blank slate
For Babu's, it will give one more Avenue to earn money:banghead:. So everyone stands to benefit.

[hserus]

Oh by the way just saw this. If you've ever driven in snowy parts of the USA in winter .. ew, even though I'm a Star Wars fan.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

Can some type of glasses cut down the intensity of high beams from the on coming vehicles?

Asit

I got Zeiss drivesafe lenses when I got a new pair for myself couple of months back. The coating maybe helps the situation by 10-15%. But no match against high beams of 100 or 130 watts.

http://www.zeiss.co.in/vision-care/e...fe-lenses.html

The lenses are polycarbonate make, anti reflective, have a slight yellow tint for the coating and is photochromatic.

Only issue is that they are quite expensive as compared to regular lenses. But I decided to take the plunge as I have quite high power and have to wear prescription eyeglasses all time excluding sleep and shower.

[tilt]

Originally Posted by hserus

You can use photochromatic lenses *SNIP*.

Suresh, photo chromatic lenses do not work inside a car because the windshield is polarised. That completely negates the functioning of photo chromatic lenses.

Cheers

[hserus]

Originally Posted by tilt

Suresh, photo chromatic lenses do not work inside a car because the windshield is polarised. That completely negates the functioning of photo chromatic lenses.

Cheers

Eh my bad. The last time my eyesight allowed me to use them without overly thick glasses was back when I was still on bikes :(

Sorry about that.

[DwarkaDelhiWala]

I agree that high beam is a menace.

But so are many bicycle walas, rickshaw-walas and now e-rickshaw walas (who save on battery by turning off back lights, if present at all) - all without any hint of a reflector.

Combine that with nexus of municipal corporation staff with that of power utility in switching off street lights in bye lanes of Delhi (because these are fixed charged, no electricity consumption meter).

So i have no option except to drive on high beam, even on ring road where these manual vehicles ply on large numbers, e.g., near Azadpur subji mandi.