[Sridhar K]

In the interview with the Chennai Police commissioner that I read, he stated that if one cannot see the car due to the glare when standing eight feet in front of the it, then they will penalize.

[Rahulkool]

This is really good move, people with al cheapo HID installed on the stock reflectors and the light goes everywhere except on the road, IMO high beam itself should be removed from cars, almost 80% of people drive with high beams on without knowing.

[dhawcash]

here is drawing i made to demonstrate what happens without a secondary reflector. a Projector lens also acts in a similar way to control where the light goes

.

In the upper right corner lens diagram, the red lines represent the unwanted eye hurting light waves. the yellow ones are the ones which show how a low beam is supposed to be.

Also, the brightness of a light source does not depend on its wattage, but luminious efficiency (how much energy is being converted to light) Halogens convert a lot of input energy into heat. HIDs are efficient, so even 35 watts is enough to cause mayhem on the road (unless these are installed in specifically designed headlamps)

[dr_anurag]

Here I would like to mention the auto-headlight feature on the Scorpio VLX. The headlights not only come on in the dark, they are always in low beam by default. To use the high beam one has to knowingly do it. Such a feature on other cars would be of immense help as I have encountered several morons who do not even know their car has a dipped beam option.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Although I agree with the sentiment that its like the sunfilm ban where due to the stupidity of some people, everyone has to suffer. But this is a little different. First the number of morons is extremely high in this case. I with a high myopic power in my eyes find it extremely difficult, infact borderline impossible, to drive in the night with such people around me. And they are in plenty. Also this is a much more serious offence since it directly puts lives in danger. I literally come down to crawling speeds whenever such a moron decides not to shift to low beam.
So for me its a welcome move.

I am very sorry to hear about your condition DrMohitg!. I also understand that is it because of your specs that you get dazzled by high beams at night? Can contact lenses help you with this? I find your condition dangerous for you/your family and outsiders, if you do decide to drive at night. As you know it is impossible to stop drivers from using high beams, especially cab drivers. Also high set lights of most SUV's and trucks make them equal to high beams to lower slung cars.

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

This is really good move, people with al cheapo HID installed on the stock reflectors and the light goes everywhere except on the road, IMO high beam itself should be removed from cars, almost 80% of people drive with high beams on without knowing.

Really? You sir, sound exactly as our 'honorable' supreme courts, when they said 'ban all sun-films'. When we all drive on low beams by default, will you guarantee that moron pedestrians, cyclists, handcarts, bullock carts, colored in black and no reflectors, don't cross the road or obstruct it? Will you guarantee all the highways we drive wont have any unmarked/unreflected obstacles? Will all vehicles have working tail lamps and blinkers?

In India, if something troubles us, simple, ban it.

Originally Posted by Sridhar K

In the interview with the Chennai Police commissioner that I read, he stated that if one cannot see the car due to the glare when standing eight feet in front of the it, then they will penalize.

What a moron!!! So if this 5 feet dwarf stands in front of a Safari or a truck whose beam is at 3 feet high and he cant see the vehicle he will ban it? Also has he stated how dark will the surroundings be? On a pitch dark night he wont be able to see a Luna on dippers leave alone a car.

I believe a long time back Mumbai police had a solution where in , driving in well light areas (roads with streetlamps on both sides) one had to drive on parking lamps. That was a fantastic solution and since most of Mumbai's roads were well lit, for a while we had all vehicles using parking beams. Wonder why it has stopped.

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

Really? You sir, sound exactly as our 'honorable' supreme courts, when they said 'ban all sun-films'. When we all drive on low beams by default, will you guarantee that moron pedestrians, cyclists, handcarts, bullock carts, colored in black and no reflectors, don't cross the road or obstruct it? Will you guarantee all the highways we drive wont have any unmarked/unreflected obstacles? Will all vehicles have working tail lamps and blinkers?

In India, if something troubles us, simple, ban it.

I am sorry but i said that sarcastically. I drive mostly on low beam, i can say 99% of time on low beam in city. On highways i switch on high beam if only there is no oncoming traffic or there is big divider between the lanes. and if every other car is on high beam how would you feel ? In chennai i can see almost 80% vehicles are on high beam. Even vehicles will follow you in start stop traffic with high beam, i get so irritated :-/. And there is always the idiot with HID installed with throw like a flood lamp. IMO ban is the only solution, no one is going to follow the rules . sorry for the long rant but high beam is one thing i really cant tolerate.

[RajaTaurus]

The problem in Chennai is, all those three wheelers, Tata Aces, Ambassador cars, Mahindra Vans, City riders and similar kind of four wheeled Boxes, are modified with 80 W or more bulbs without any dipper mechanism and those lights will hit straight in your face, blinding you for few minutes for sure. Forget 8 meters, you stand even at 20 meters, still it will blind you. And the irony is they all get away from cops, but those luxury cars with HIDs get pulled over for 'dazzling lights'? Well, that's just another way to make some bucks and will whither in a few weeks time, like the sun films.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

I am sorry but i said that sarcastically. I drive mostly on low beam, i can say 99% of time on low beam in city. On highways i switch on high beam if only there is no oncoming traffic or there is big divider between the lanes. and if every other car is on high beam how would you feel. In chennai i can see almost 80% vehicles are high beam. Even the vehicles will follow you in start stop traffic with high beam, i get so irritated :-/. And there is always the idiot with HID installed with through like a flood lamp. IMO ban is the only solution, no one is going to follow the rules . sorry for the long rant but high beam is one thing i really cant tolerate.

I agree with you completely. I too drive on low beams inside city, mostly with parking lamps only. I am not sure if the problem is only HID. I guess different cities have different problems. In Mumbai, its the taxi/private cab morons with full beam always. Especially the Tata Ace. I am not sure if its a manufacturing defect, but Ace has the highest glare factor of all.

[RajaTaurus]

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

I am sorry but i said that sarcastically. I drive mostly on low beam, i can say 99% of time on low beam in city. On highways i switch on high beam if only there is no oncoming traffic or there is big divider between the lanes. and if every other car is on high beam how would you feel. In chennai i can see almost 80% vehicles are high beam. Even the vehicles will follow you in start stop traffic with high beam, i get so irritated :-/. And there is always the idiot with HID installed with through like a flood lamp. IMO ban is the only solution, no one is going to follow the rules . sorry for the long rant but high beam is one thing i really cant tolerate.

There is more to high beams in Chennai. I have asked this question to most of the cab drivers and Innova drivers in CHennai and got the same answer from all:
"Why do you always drive on high-beam and when a car comes in front you dip to low beam?"
"Sir, you see this blue light here? That is for normal driving and when there is a car, I must dip and then come back to normal."
They think that the High Beam indicator is for him to know if the Headlight is on or not!
WhattccanIdo.?

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by RajaTaurus

There is more to high beams in Chennai. I have asked this question to most of the cab drivers and Innova drivers in CHennai and got the same answer from all:
"Why do you always drive on high-beam and when a car comes in front you dip to low beam?"
"Sir, you see this blue light here? That is for normal driving and when there is a car, I must dip and then come back to normal."
They think that the High Beam indicator is for him to know if the Headlight is on or not!
WhattccanIdo.?

Lovely!!! So it finally comes back to one common reason. If we look at all threads, the accidents in India, road rage, moron drivers, pedestrian etc, the root cause is eerily common. Complete lack of knowledge about road, road rules, vehicle features and the biggest. Lack of common sense.

It is high time we seriously tighten up the driving licence tests and also make it mandatory to have a refresher exam say every 3 years, where in the minimum failure rate should be 70%. This is the biggest change needed to make our roads safer.

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

Lovely!!! So it finally comes back to one common reason. If we look at all threads, the accidents in India, road rage, moron drivers, pedestrian etc, the root cause is eerily common. Complete lack of knowledge about road, road rules, vehicle features and the biggest. Lack of common sense.

It is high time we seriously tighten up the driving licence tests and also make it mandatory to have a refresher exam say every 3 years, where in the minimum failure rate should be 70%. This is the biggest change needed to make our roads safer.

+1 to it. I feel its high time our researchers and doctors find a medicine which could give a dose of common sense to our policy makers and its protectors. More than changing the rules for driving licence, I feel, a dose common sense needs to be injected into most of the bhabhus and politicos of our country. Its pathetic to see such unscientific methodologies are coming from a respected Person such as a Police commissioner. This goes on to say how good(bad) the quality has deteriorated in our country.

I accept the high-beam menace, but how can one simply rule out or single out cars just based on 8 metre or 8 feet distance thumb rule!. Didnt the Police Comissioner not study Optics(physics) in his 12th standard?Either the guys are educated idiots or TN police is giving some supernatural powers to policemen who can judge the lights by just standing 8feet away from it.

First it was Gujarat justice division now its Chennai city police. Great going guys. Even in a game called cricket, there is something called as light meter. The lesser I talk, the better it is for my membership status here. I dont want to get banned.

[Daewood]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

I believe a long time back Mumbai police had a solution where in , driving in well light areas (roads with streetlamps on both sides) one had to drive on parking lamps. That was a fantastic solution and since most of Mumbai's roads were well lit, for a while we had all vehicles using parking beams. Wonder why it has stopped.

It was also the norm in MG road in Bangalore 2 decades back.

In chennai there is a 1 km stretch lit up by a private manufacturer of lights. The lights are so bright, that headlights whether in low or high beam have no effect. Wish all roads had such lights, and then headlights will become redundant. If such a scenario emerges headlights will become something to be used, only in an emergency.

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by Daewood

It was also the norm in MG road in Bangalore 2 decades back.

In chennai there is a 1 km stretch lit up by a private manufacturer of lights. The lights are so bright, that headlights whether in low or high beam have no effect. Wish all roads had such lights, and then headlights will become redundant. If such a scenario emerges headlights will become something to be used, only in an emergency.

Where is this 1 Km of dream road in Chennai? Can you please post a picture of the same! Because our lovely Madras is known for such start-ups but nothing lasts for over a year!

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

I am very sorry to hear about your condition DrMohitg!. I also understand that is it because of your specs that you get dazzled by high beams at night? Can contact lenses help you with this? I find your condition dangerous for you/your family and outsiders, if you do decide to drive at night. As you know it is impossible to stop drivers from using high beams, especially cab drivers. Also high set lights of most SUV's and trucks make them equal to high beams to lower slung cars.

Yup due to the specs the glare is too much on your eyes. With the lenses too it would stay to some extent and then lenses do have there own set of problems. So thats something that doesn't work for me. My solution: I don't venture out on highways in the night. National highways are still manageable but state highways are a big no no. City driving is not a problem since in Delhi you will find street lighting in abundance.

[optimist]

Any one noticed that proper HID's/H4's in projectors on low beam do not dazzle the oncoming traffic unless you are directly in front on a collision course. A 55w Hi beam is much worse as the source is bigger, wider, and glares more.

All a projector does is spread the light, shape the cutoff beautifully that all the light output goes down and the pattern is perfectly horizontal.

And again how is the cop going to judge if the beam is not correct? By his own methods? Get ready to pay money. The law enforcement needs to be practical and scientific.