Team-BHP - Say NO to HIGH-BEAM

I am always bewildered as to why does people in India drive with Head Lights to HIGH. Aren’t we told by our elders or driving schools not to put High Beam where ever it is not required?

I remember when I started driving in Ernakulum, Kerala, my brother always told me than things not to do while driving and few of them where, NO HIGH Beam, NO Horn etc. I remember in Ernakulum you get fined for driving in City with High Beam ON. (Not sure if they are strict now)

During my recent visit to Kerala, I was astonished to find that people in Kerala, at least most of them do not put on High Beam unless needed, in-fact I feel people who use Horn is far lesser than the place I call my Home for last 12 years Hyderabad/Secunderabad. In Hyderabad/Secunderabad Area it is like a norm, to see people drive with their head light set to High Beam., which causes so much difficulty to the vehicle coming in the opposite direction.

Few years back one of my colleague purchased a Swift and while driving with him on one of the trip, I asked him why has he put the head light to High Beam, the look he gave me suggested that he felt that I have got whacked out. I asked him if he didn’t know that one is not supposed be putting the head lights to high and also told him that it causes pain to the drivers of oncoming vehicle. I told him in some states in India and abroad it is “illegal/ fined” to drive with the head light set to high. He had a laugh of his life. I had nothing more to say to him, I just felt stupid.

But what happened the next day is that, he did go back and speak to few people and came back and told sorry to me and I did notice that he never had the head lights set to high in his car.

Let us Spread the word “SAY NO TO HIGH BEAM” and don’t forget to educate people whom you see driving with the Head Lights set to HIGH . (This includes the Cab drivers that you pick to travel to which ever location that might be)

LET ME HERE PEOPLE SAY “NO TO HIGH BEAM”

I agree Ajit. It indeed is a pain to be on the opposite side of a vehicle driving with lights on high beam. There have been several occassions when I have had close shaves on the road because of some ill informed people who think nothing of driving with their high beams on, when it is completely unnecessary.

Guys is there any way to deal with this ? I am discounting the option of educating the driving population to the ill-effects of driving with lights on high beam unnecessarily. I am looking at any tricks, techniques or methods to lessen the effects of the light from the high beam of oncoming vehicles which are in most cases good enough to light up a small part of a decent stadium.

Educating drivers on the usage of high-beam is one important issue...there is one other equally important one.

Let me explain with something that i have experienced quite many times (in slow-moving city traffic). Usually when some moron tails me with a blinding high-beam, i lower the window glass and signal to him to dip the beam. And they usually understand and do it. Once, when I did this, the guy behind switched to the high beam ( so , he was actually in low beam, which was itself blinding me ). Which brings us to the other issue : correct focussing of the headlight in low-beam. I have noticed many cabs which do duty in our company have the low-beam itself focussed in such a way that it serves as a high beam. It is focussed high, illuminates the road ahead beautifully and blinds the oncoming traffic. In high-beam, it shines into the tree-tops :Frustrati. I guess the high-beam is to target the bus/lorry drivers' high seat position.

So, in addition to creating awareness of the usage of the low-beam, it is also important to create awareness about the correct focussing of the head-light beam.

Ditto here. This is one thing that I noticed during my trip to Kerala(from Hyd). Almost all the vehicles in Kerala will dim the High Beam for you and they expect you to do so. Even though roads are narrow the traffic is much disciplned too.
But in Hyderabad most of the guys drive in High beams and only half of them will dim teh ligh for oncoming vehicles, that too after requesting(flashing). Once I saw a guy near Image hospital lane,Madhapur, on his indigo. He was on high beams and even after repeatedly flashing and requesting him to dim, he did not. When we crossed he had to stop the car and I asked him why cant he dim the lights and it is illegal to drive with HIGH beams with in the city limits. He smiled and put the lights to park lights and drove off. :eek:

Come to Chennai, here even in bumper to bumper traffic its "high" beam.

I'd have to agree its really due to sheer ignorance and 0 common sense.

Sometime back was stuck slow moving traffic. Government Bus come with high beam right in front of me, I have just enough room to let him squeeze pass me . Unfortunately I cannot move as I can't see anything (I have a Zen and the bus's light is at my eye level). I'm in low beam, flashes my light.

Bus guy starts honking. I roll down my window and tells the guy politely (with whatever tamil I know). He is asking what does light has to do anything with moving my car. I again calmly explains I "cannot see anything" as the light is blinding me. Finally he "gets" it.

Its an everyday thing here in Chennai, its really rare to see anyone driving around with low beam. Cab guys are the best, they does't even know there is a low beam.

Anyway, I'm done teaching the folks here. I'd rather drive slow than get hit head own by some mindless zombie.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobike008 (Post 1403793)

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

You give me a problem by putting on High Beam, here i go, I do the same:D

agree: I second that completely. I have always been a decent driver never having used the high beam unless it is absolutely necessary. However, of late I seem to have lost my patience with more and more vehicles (esp trucks and cabbies) shooting right into my eyes with their high beams. This has made me switch over to powerful lights and in the event of any vehicle bothering me with his high beam, I return the favour promptly.:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by watashi75 (Post 1404061)

Many cabs and even personal cars don't maintain clean glasses. I think that is why they put on high beams, as if that would make them see better.

I clean my glasses meticulously, including the rear ones, and have never felt the need to put on high beams in the city. Even slightly dirty glasses can make a lot of difference during night driving.

+10000000000000000000000

clean lens will translate to much better illumination.

BUt people spend money to smoke the headlights. :deadhorse

I usually drive around with the low beam in the city.
In the highways if there is no oncoming traffic i will switch to hig beam.But if i saw an oncoming car,i will dip it for him and usually he will do the same(except for some cabs and trucks).

Even KSRTC buses will dip their lights if i flash the head lights 2-3 times.

But there are some guys who will never dip their lights even if i flash for 5-6 times.Only thing logical to do is to return the favour and it usually works.