[Suess]

Originally Posted by asdon

The purpose you have stated for high beams are impractical and useless.
Regarding OEM lights - Cars below 7 lakh mark go the cost cutting way when it comes to headlights, 99% of the cars have sigle headlight unit with low-high beam(other than Palio). Vision should be equal for all at road, if 55/60 lamp was enough for the roads, then most of the best cars would not have gone HID way, hids are not for fashion statements but they provide better visibility, and one way they count for safety for the car. Anyways its you choice if you don't want to use high beam for the reasons it ment for, have a safe drive.

i didn't say that the HID/upgrades doesn't make a difference. what i was saying that i have taken kind of worse/minimum requirements for lighting defined by Automotive Standards into my consideration above and those are sufficient for most of driving purposes. for more light, longer throw and better driving pleasure/comfort we can by all means change to higher legally allowed ratings of lamps. Xenon/HID/LEDs are coming there in picture beacuse they do all this more effectively(cost, reliability etc.).

[Suess]

Originally Posted by asdon

Did you drive at any of the busiest highways in India at night before posting this or just saw an article in wiki and posting this? with no offense I think you must get some practical experience before commenting. I am not in for teaching any lessons to the on comming driver but I will ensure my safety first, and for that I will not read an wiki article before using high beam, that will be too childish. The wiki writer may have not driven on Indian roads at night before posting that article, its good for reference check but don't go by each of them, you will end up in trouble at some time, I am not an expert driver I just drove 65000 kms and 75% of those in night, I first ensure my and my car's safety while on road.

sorry, a newbie on team-bhp doesn't mean a newbie on road. I am driving for last 10yrs. in india, europe and on highway, expressway, pathways you name it. i gave wikipedia because it is accessable to anyone. i can come up with other link or book reference to support my view.

I have supported my view with facts and logical conclusions. i think you missed the point, this wiki article doesn't tell you if you should use highbeam/lowbeam. it tells the difference between these two things which exist in vehicle lighting systems. you can simply go to your car and confirm it.

BTW, have you tried driving on low beam on highways(indian)? i am not convinced that i am making it safe for myself and for others by driving on highbeam(until unless rrequired).

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by Suess

I would like to point out some technical points here:

1. In night driving on indian roads, i am 100% sure that you don't need high beam and if you feel you need to see further down the road, slow down, you are going too fast.

2. todays cars/vehicle(fitted with standard lamps), through the sufficient light beam till ca. 50-60 mts. away in "low beam". with this much light/visibility you should be able to drive at speed as high as 100-120kmph. and i don't know many roads in india where you can so fast in night.(normally speed limits are at 80-100kmph on express highways, and mind they are there for reasons like road conditions, road construction quality, bends on the road etc.). If you are not sure about road conditions, you shouldn't be driving at 100kmph anyway.

3. With highbeams, the visibility is further increased by ca. 20-30mts. and now you can see both side of road equally and will be able to see tree tops, so now you can drive at speeds above 200kmph. where are you going to do that?

4. Blinding in-return won't serve any purpose. it will just make two blind people driving on same road.

5. High power lamps look cool. well that's all about them. but you don't need them as expained in point 2.

I don't want to write much about how to avoid the glare from high beams except the try and tested method of "look away" and "look where you want to go, not where you are avoiding to go". and agian please, if others don't put their low beams on, don't try to "get back at them/teach them lesson" by putting your own high beams on. This will only going to increases glare for oncoming drivers and will in turn increases the chance of a collision.

The points are 100% correct
By trying to teach a lesson or two to others one end up in an unwanted situation. By blinding one another, one may hit a poor pedestrian, because both of them are blinded and start groping in the light in the blinding situation, Right?

Originally Posted by Suess

BTW, have you tried driving on low beam on highways(indian)? i am not convinced that i am making it safe for myself and for others by driving on highbeam(until unless rrequired).

Many high beam addicts are ignorant about the hazards this can cause and the benefits of driving in low beam.
My request to such guys is to try driving in low beams and know about the difference. This way Indian roads would be a lot more safer during night.

[condor]

Originally Posted by mobike008

To me it seems the classic case of : Quid Pro Quo

How else do you tell the other guy that his use of H/b is causing a problem ? If he then dips, I return the favor. If he doesn't, then I'm kind of forced to use the h/b till he passes.

Even the guys on bikes. They need to understand that even a single bulb on h/b is sufficient to cause a problem to the on-coming driver.

But apart from the guys who have dirty windshields, worse are the guys who think that one h/b can compensate for the other blown bulb. If one bulb is not working, they think that they have a right to use the h/b on the other.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Over two hundred posts on such a simple thing is unbelievable.

Say no to high beam? No: use it when appropriate. When is that? When you have a clear road ahead of you, with no oncoming traffic (and, of course, when it's dark ). It doesn't matter what 'pedia or national driving code happens to say the same thing, this is the right answer.

In a place, though, where no-one know, nor cares, about the right answer, only about the speed they want to drive at, perhaps its all irrelevant. Let's all just keep blinding each other.

[VW2010]

Let's all just keep blinding each other

Its just sad that we have to end it that way. May be we can be civilized and use the high beams only based on needs.

If i have to pick the group i hate the most i have two. The SUV's and the Tata ace/Kutti Yanai. Atleast the SUV design in not at fault. But the Kutti Yanai head light design is just plain stupid. Blinds everyone on its path.

Personally i want to drive something bigger and ram them. Wanna see them bleed. But i then wake up from the momentary visit to angry imaginary land and just stop the car showing signs that i cant see. It worked so well that the bus driver started laughing and switched of his lights.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by VW2010

If i have to pick the group i hate the most i have two. The SUV's and the Tata ace/Kutti Yanai. Atleast the SUV design in not at fault. But the Kutti Yanai head light design is just plain stupid. Blinds everyone on its path.

Personally i want to drive something bigger and ram them. Wanna see them bleed. But i then wake up from the momentary visit to angry imaginary land and just stop the car showing signs that i cant see. It worked so well that the bus driver started laughing and switched of his lights.

The Kutti Aana is damn powerful; on the light front.
Your method conveyed the message in the right perspective. But be careful all may not be that humorous.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Oh! Those times when we want to be driving a tank

Like, "get this main beam, punk... it's shell-shaped."

Yep... we are but human!

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by VW2010

...But the Kutti Yanai head light design is just plain stupid. Blinds everyone on its path. ...

There is nothing wrong or stupid with the design of that headlight. To be honest, the beam spread from that head-light dome is one of the best. When it is driven with low-beam, it does not bother oncoming traffic at all, but it has a good horizontal spread. But, with high beams on, it can light up the road from a few feet ahead of the vehicle to the top of coconut trees 50 metres away. This is similar to the Autopal headlight dome of Ambassador cars....deadly high beam, but very wide-spread low beam, with a knife-edge line between the light and dark zones.

And it looks like Tata provides all the Aces with 100/90W bulbs factory-fitted.

It is just that it is being used by morons (who get a kick out of counting the hair on the oncoming drivers' heads, using the high beam).

Only on a rare couple of occasions have these drivers dipped their beams in response to my flashing the high-beam at them.

[rajeev k]

Another danger with the high beams is on curvy roads rather than in straight ones.
The morons coming with high beams on their left curves will make the life of the opposing driver very very miserable.

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder

And it looks like Tata provides all the Aces with 100/90W bulbs factory-fitted.

Is it not mandatory to have only 55/60W as standard factory fitment?

[Suess]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Another danger with the high beams is on curvy roads rather than in straight ones.
The morons coming with high beams on their left curves will make the life of the opposing driver very very miserable.


Is it not mandatory to have only 55/60W as standard factory fitment?

i think rule says 55/60/65W depending on your vehicle. 100/90W these are for rallies or off roading where there is no opposite traffic.

[SupratikDebnath]

Originally Posted by Suess

I have gone through many threads here and seen many complaining about high beams but i wonder why still there so many cars/vehicles driving out there with high beams! e.g.
=========
This will only going to increases glare for oncoming drivers and will in turn increases the chance of a collision.

Thanks, this is quite a comprehensive explanation to all confusions. I am learning everyday, on the roads but more so via team-bhp. :-)

[VW2010]

Last night i was driving in ECR. I have taken a oath not to drive in ECR after dusk. Its absolutely impossible to drive with 99% if the oncoming traffic on high beams and never even obliging with your frantic attempt to be in low beam.

I honestly wanted to throw eggs at their windshield. But i prefer not to drive at all after dusk in these median less lanes.

The Kelambakkam to Vandular stretch felt far safer.

[rohittunga]

Here is another reason why they should ban the use of HID's on normal reflector housing. This guy next to my house got this new 5000k H4 HID Kit and this is the end result. I pity the oncoming drivers who get to see this



High beam with 100w fog lights



Just the low beams

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by rohittunga

Here is another reason why they should ban the use of HID's on normal reflector housing. This guy next to my house got this new 5000k H4 HID Kit and this is the end result. I pity the oncoming drivers who get to see this

Which Brand??

The low beam is not focussed properly, it will blind the traffic even with Halogens.