The High Beam Menace on Indian Roads

[Lalvaz]

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

Err, No, that is incorrect, Car windscreens are not polarized. Hence photochromatic lenses do work inside a car. I use a snap on polaroid glares on top of my prescription glassed while driving and am talking from first hand experience.

See links below which explain why windscreens are not polarized:
https://www.quora.com/Automotive-Eng...elds-polarized
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/...owcolored_and/

[slicvic]

I don't think this menace is limited to Indian roads.

Why else do we have auto dimming IRVM across all manufacturers, or if not auto dimming at least the flip switch to dim the glare on the IRVM

If all roads are well lit we should be able to drive with only the parking lights. In fact this was implemented as a rule on MG Road, Bangalore a few years back. Is it still operational? Blore based BHPians can answer

[tilt]

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

Err, No, that is incorrect, Car windscreens are not polarized. Hence photochromatic lenses do work inside a car. I use a snap on polaroid glares on top of my prescription glassed while driving and am talking from first hand experience.

See links below which explain why windscreens are not polarized:
https://www.quora.com/Automotive-Eng...elds-polarized
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/...owcolored_and/

Sorry, my mistake. It's because windshields block UV rays that photo chromatic lenses will not work inside the car. It's not because of polarisation. My mistake.

Cheers

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by tilt

Sorry, my mistake. It's because windshields block UV rays that photo chromatic lenses will not work inside the car. It's not because of polarisation. My mistake.

Cheers

I am using specs with crizal prescription photochromatic lens and it does work inside the car. Also have a Serengeti polarised+photochromatic sunglass which i have been using since 2010 and that also works inside the car.

[Mortis]

You get clip on filters that you can attach to your sun visor. It helps atleast with high beams in oncoming traffic which is more of a problem than high beams from rear or reflected off your mirrors. A quick flip of the visor and you have your visibility back

[aditya101]

Originally Posted by 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.

You do have an option. Many, if not most drivers in the circumstances drive absolutely fine and safe with low beam. You need to control your speed and tactic to suit the situation. High beam serves only gives you a false sense of safety while infact endangering the life of other road users.

[sgiitk]

@DwarkeDelhiWala; I think Delhi drivers are the worst offenders, in most matters. If you are reasonably happy that is great. What option do we have; Grin and Bear with it. No point in questioning, esp in the UP part of the NCR? Your welfare may be at risk.

[Saanil]

Hi,

Just to get a few things straight. Here is my understanding of lights:

1. There are two things regarding light bulbs - one is their intensity and one is their alignment. Both need to be adjusted according to the proper road conditions.

2. Leaving aside the alignment adjustments, light intensity has 2 settings - low beam and high beam.

3. Low beam is slightly angled downwards towards the road and High Beam is more stronger and is not angled downwards like low beam. I am not specifying any angle here but it is definitely not as angled downwards as low beam.

4. When High Beam is switched on, you have a blue indicator on your instrument cluster (image attached). This should be used only on highways where there is no lighting. Highway does not mean Western/Eastern highway (this is for Mumbai) as they do have some sort of lighting. So within Mumbai, always low beam should be used unless there is pitch darkness. In case another car is coming from the opposite side and is also using high beam, you should switch to low beam and hope that the opposite car reciprocates your action.

5. I have read people using the term dipper in many of their posts - just wanted to know what exactly are you referring to? I though using dipper meant flashing your lights - the thing you do when you are approaching an intersection and want to let other cars know that without using your horn.

Just wanted to check if my understanding above is correct? Please let me know if I am wrong anywhere.

[SnakemanJohny]

Originally Posted by Saanil

Hi,

Just to get a few things straight. Here is my understanding of lights:

5. I have read people using the term dipper in many of their posts - just wanted to know what exactly are you referring to? I though using dipper meant flashing your lights - the thing you do when you are approaching an intersection and want to let other cars know that without using your horn.

Just wanted to check if my understanding above is correct? Please let me know if I am wrong anywhere.

Chanced upon this thread and saw that nobody responded to this last, so ...
You are right in all points. For 5. The term DIPPER is used generally to mean the switch used to go to the LOW BEAM or DIPPED BEAM. The low beam is also called the dipped beam for obvious reasons, as it points downwards. So 'using the dipper' is going to the low beam from high when being approached by another vehicle. The 'dipper switch' was also used to flash your headlights by rapidly changing between HIGH and LOW before flasher switches came into being !

[COMMUTER]

I was hounded by these highbeamers in to perilous situation many times and met with an accident once. Now too I drive with 55w low beams only but I have made two changes to my car to counter mad beamers effectively.

First Mod - I have fixed 4 Hella 500 FF 55w aux lamps which are detachable and are removed(in 5 mins) during day to benefit engine cooling, avoid theft and cops(thought they are perfectly legal). I keep them switched on only during the expressway runs only. On dual carriageways I flick them on for a fraction of a second when hounded in to doing that by a stubborn 1000+watt beam.

Second Mod - I have pasted a 5"X7" path of headlight tint on the windscreen. I have chosen the angle such that when I sit on a 4 inch seat cushion during the night drive, I am able to raise my head and sheild my eyes from insane glares. The shield is 50% opaque and tames the highbeams considerably while allowing me to see reasonably even during that fraction of a second. When I do sit on the seat without the cushion the patch is so higher up m field of vision that it never interferes in day driving.

These two have been a real God send. The difference they make is so 'glaring' that I squirm at driving any other car, not even my Dad's Ameo when he offered to switch.

[FarPatel]

Originally Posted by COMMUTER

Second Mod - I have pasted a 5"X7" path of headlight tint on the windscreen. I have chosen the angle such that when I sit on a 4 inch seat cushion during the night drive, I am able to raise my head and sheild my eyes from insane glares. The shield is 50% opaque and tames the highbeams considerably while allowing me to see reasonably even during that fraction of a second. When I do sit on the seat without the cushion the patch is so higher up m field of vision that it never interferes in day driving.
.

A couple of observations: wouldn't it be a bit dangerous to have to look through that tinted patch at night, when you are sitting on that cushion? And if your car has anti-submarine seats the cushion would ensure you don't get the benefit of this feature in the case of a hard shunt. Anyway it would reduce the friction between your behind and the seat and that's definitely not a good thing.
Drive safe.

[COMMUTER]

Originally Posted by FarPatel

A couple of observations: wouldn't it be a bit dangerous to have to look through that tinted patch at night, when you are sitting on that cushion? And if your car has anti-submarine seats the cushion would ensure you don't get the benefit of this feature in the case of a hard shunt. Anyway it would reduce the friction between your behind and the seat and that's definitely not a good thing.
Drive safe.

I want to clarify further that I never see through the tint patch and drive. I duck behind the patch by tilting my head upward by less than five degrees, not whipping my head around. I do that when I'm completely blinded by a sea of light and am unable to see anything through the windscreen. This act of ducking behind the patch helps me have a little more visibility than being completely blinded like a hunted rabbit.

Another point I want to highlight is that I have had this patch on for the past 15000kms(95% night drives) and have felt no disadvantage at all. :thumbup:

[FarPatel]

OK, point noted. I too face this menace on Mumbai's roads, though more from the rear view mirrors, since almost all roads here are one way and there's not much scope of being blinded by oncoming vehicles. My solution, which does work, is to use polarising lenses clipped on to my normal spectacles. I have a brown one for sunny days and a yellow one for night driving.
Do check out the issue of using a 4" cushion on the seat though.
Cheers

[SJM1214]

Traffic advisory against the use of high beam light.

Srinagar, September 14

The traffic police have warned of strict action against the drivers using high beam lights during the night hours.

Issuing an advisory, the traffic police said the use of high beam lights causes inconvenience to the drivers of vehicles coming from the opposite direction and increases the risk of accidents.

“All vehicle owners are advised to drive their vehicles on low beam light during night hours and paint their upper headlights black to avoid an untoward incident/accident. The violators will be dealt strictly as per the law,” said Senior Superintendent of Police, Traffic City, Tahir Gilani.

The menace of high beam lights continues unabated not only in Srinagar but across the Valley making commuting extremely difficult.

News Source : https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ja...ht/652915.html

paint their upper headlights black to avoid an untoward incident/accident

.
Is this something similar to "Yellow strip on headlight" rule in Gujarat?

[SCORPION]

Originally Posted by SJM1214

Traffic advisory against the use of high beam light.

The traffic police have warned of strict action against the drivers using high beam lights during the night hours.

In today's world of unscrupulous use of cheap and absolutely blinding LED lights both due to thoughtless modifications by individuals, and by manufacturers to comply with the AHO regulations in 2 wheelers, this advisory should now extend to using high beams even during day light.
In any case, a step in the right direction. At least a few cops, scattered far and wide, like in Pune (for wrong side driving) and in this case, Srinagar, are taking the onus on themselves to at least rid the roads of some morons.

Is this something similar to "Yellow strip on headlight" rule in Gujarat?

I remember in earlier days, in the days of Premier Padminis and Ambassadors, most cars had the upper part of the headlights blackened with paint. Later it was changed to a large (about 1.5 inch dia) circle in the middle of the headlights.
The yellow strip rule in Gujarat is unique indeed. Cops still catch you if your car is from outside the state and are unaware of this rule, and also that this rule doesn't exist any more.

In any case, I wonder how blackening the upper half will affect a projector or an LED set up, considering many cars and bikes come with factory fitted projectors, some even for high beams. Imagine a spanking new 7 series or an Audi A6 with blackened headlights.