[gauravanekar]

I scrolled through 4 pages of this thread and couldn’t notice anyone mentioning the following point:

White (bluish or otherwise) light that LEDs are produced by the combination of 3-5 different monochromatic lights. Like how LED mobile screen reproduce various colours using RGB lights.
White light (yellowish or otherwise) that halogen bulbs produce is made of infinite number of frequencies of light over a range (does not mimic sunlight but close)

In Indian road conditions the roads are full of surprises like potholes, dead animals, humps if the surface material of these object are not very reflective in the frequencies of your LED lights it becomes hard to see ( as the headlight beam lights may get absorbed).

To compensate for the loss of detail due to frequency spike , LED headlamps has to be much more brighter.

This coupled with the explanation about the fact that LED headlamp lights are parallel is the gist of the matter according to me. Please correct me if I’m wrong or if the information I’m sharing is outdated.

Definitely this is more of technological problem rather than bad Indian drivers problem.

[unmesh]

One of the worst examples of LED headlight adoption are the current gen scooters. Their headlights align perfectly with the IRVM of most cars, and become particularly irritating in high beam mode. They also blind a majority of the oncoming traffic (Two wheelers and non-SUVs).

The double threat IMO is as follows:
1. The user also does benefit because illumination is poor to begin with
2. Blinding the oncoming traffic

I own a Dominar and a Duke 390, both have decent headlights in isolation. But the utility of stock headlamps diminishes as soon the roads become unmarked or there's another set of LEDs approaching. Aux lights is a mandatory thing for any safe night riding.

[rkv_2401]

I second the opinion that the headlights of modern Toyotas, the DRLs and brakelights of modern Marutis are quite blinding when encountered. I'm surprised that these manufacturers have been able to slip through this legislature : https://morth.gov.in/sites/default/f...0SS%2015-1.pdf.
(I hope it's okay for me to share this link here)

I suppose we have to make some noise and convince the manufacturers to take a second look at their fittings. Particularly Maruti's implementation, I found it quite jarring to be blinded by the brake lights of a new Baleno on my drive today in the evening lights. I found it difficult to see the road ahead for a moment. Worst thing is the drivers don't know/can't do anything about it either. At least with the Toyotas it's a headlight and with good driving manners(no high beam in the city/usage of dipper) it can be managed. It's not hard to imagine how being blinded by a pair of brakelights under emergency braking can be quite disastrous. :/

[jasjotbains]

Originally Posted by unmesh

One of the worst examples of LED headlight adoption are the current gen scooters. Their headlights align perfectly with the IRVM of most cars, and become particularly irritating in high beam mode. They also blind a majority of the oncoming traffic (Two wheelers and non-SUVs).

The double threat IMO is as follows:
1. The user also does benefit because illumination is poor to begin with
2. Blinding the oncoming traffic

I own an Activa 5G and completely agree with you. The high beam is pretty useless when it comes to illumination, but is perfect in blinding any oncoming traffic or the IRVM of the car ahead of you. I am not sure why scooters have high beam headlights to begin with since they are as helpful as a heater in Sahara desert in daytime

[tp_dominator]

IMO, high beams are the real menace and not the type of lighting setup. Around 10 years back, I had an accident due to the very bright halogen headlights of a Tata Ace. The road me and mom were travelling on was supposed to be a highway and it was being built too at that time with construction material lying randomly on the road sometimes on the left lane and sometimes on the right lane (it was a 2-lane highway). This Tata Ace's headlights blinded me totally and I was braking the car due to it but luck wasn't on our side and the construction material (loose gravel) about 4 feet high was lying directly ahead of us.

But we only saw it at the last moment and I swerved the car a bit to the right since by now that Ace was directly beside us, I couldn't move further. We struck that material with the car half on the loose gravel and half on the road and we stopped. The car did not have much damage but my mom was a bit tossed around although she was buckled up. That really agonized me and I took cognizance of this menace from then on.

All these Ace/Dost drivers typically drive only on high beams and they have always been blinding to me. After that incident, I always slow down (sometimes even to a halt) if the road is unknown to me and I am blinded by the oncoming traffic's headlights. Halogen/HID/LED doesn't matter, people should learn and start using low beams only especially if they are blinding other road users.

[Vasanth]

Thanks to the one who brought this thread up.
Yes. The new gen scooters’ headlights are literally irritating. Urgh!! Why do they even need such bright lights? How fast will they go?
I travel weekly to my native place in Kerala. About 120 km. There was a time I used to feel pity for 2 wheeler riders. I always used to dip the light when I see oncoming 2 wheeler.
Those humble scooters had halogen lights, despite his high beam, I still used to dip my lights. And now scooters have lights on even during day time due to ‘laws’.
So is this thread just about cars?
I also want to mention about long distance trucks and lorries.
They have minimum 4 - 6 sets of lights.
One or two is permanent high beam , the other one depends on the car which is approaching it.
If the approaching car has bright white lights he will dip his 2 lights and remaining 4 are permanent high beams. Do they not have any regulations? And applause to highway police, they stop cars and check dicky.

[rapid_fire]

In my opinion there should be some mandatory acoustic warning for high beam, like the one for speed. If you use high beam continuously for more than 2 minutes, it should emit a warning beep and should beep continuously if used for more than 5 minutes.

I completely agree with the comment on the LED break lights of new generation Maruti’s. The one’s in baleno and swift in particular will give me a headache, if I happen to be behind them in bumper to bumper traffic. It is very sad that we don’t have any proper regulations to control such trends among automakers.

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by adi_petrolhead

Not sure if this should go here, but check this Instagram post by Autocar India's Renuka Kriplani, posted today. https://www.instagram.com/p/CJdsxqdg...d=cod92v76nz6l

I understand it is frustrating when people drive in the over taking lane and much below the speed limit, but to bully a Santro, with a mighty Defender, seemed a bit too much.

She wouldn’t have been able to bully the Santro with her Seltos hence the Defender it is
Even when I saw the post I thought how can someone flash high beams 10 times right at the bumper of the front car!

[VijayAnand1]

Adding to the light pollution grievance, two wheelers are more brutal and unforgiving in the name of AHO or DRL. The modern day scooter masses all come together to unanimously assault with those flickering lights that almost triggers photosensitive epilepsy. In my experience, I have felt these LEDs to be a disgrace during monsoon and drizzle. The rain drops acts as tiny mirrors and they literally cut through your iris and back to your spine and trust me this combination is worse during monsoon and constant drizzle.

It all has to do with the legislation and the lobbyists who are pushed to deal with heresay than practical groundwork, let alone in any decisions they make. DRLs or AHO are by their inherent design a great visual aid in helping motorists, but it must be be applied astutely enough such that it is effective enough to be noticed and not cause blinding discomfort.

Gone are the lovely days of pilot lamps which used to serve as DRLs. If manufacturers can turn a simple 5w LED pilot lamps to AHO and DRL it would help motorists be even more vigilant and reduce the unwarranted light pollution and in turn visual-strain induced mishaps which are a dime plenty.

Then there are truckers, Fortuners are not at all a fortune, they are a miscreant on roads that literally "blind" and did I forget those politicians with auxiliaries on their Fortuners and coming on full glory? I have literally blinded and cursed many a times with Fortuners and strangely none of them have the courtesy to use dipper, I wonder why. The average trucker dips at times, but these glory boys just don't care.

Hightime, we as motorists understand the importance of light pollution, the disadvantages and mutual respect for one another -- goes a long way.

Cheers!
VJ

[Rathore_13]

When I drive the XUV, headlights of other cars become less of an irritant. Maybe it's something to do with the seating position(higher than sedans and hatchbacks).

One of the reasons I bought the Baleno was for the headlights. They are superb in lighting up the roads. The sad part is most people don't use these lights responsibly.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by Rathore_13

When I drive the XUV, headlights of other cars become less of an irritant. Maybe it's something to do with the seating position(higher than sedans and hatchbacks).

I agree. Our seating position does help in ameliorating the impact of oncoming high beamed headlights. I witnessed the effect of this first-hand recently when on a roadtrip in my TUV 300. A high seating position does remove us from the stated problem quite a bit. Quoting myself -

Of the 1500 Km, roughly 300 Km were spent driving around at dark on unlit 2 lane state highways. We spotted 2 sedans that would brake and pull over to the side whenever any vehicles would come with their high beam headlights glaring at us. We had no such problems in the high tower that the TUV 300 is. We kept roaring through the night nonchalantly.

[stallmaster]

Originally Posted by adi_petrolhead

Not sure if this should go here, but check this Instagram post by Autocar India's Renuka Kriplani, posted today. https://www.instagram.com/p/CJdsxqdg...d=cod92v76nz6l

I understand it is frustrating when people drive in the over taking lane and much below the speed limit, but to bully a Santro, with a mighty Defender, seemed a bit too much.

This SUPER entitled attitude of 'bullying' small cars with SUVs is so toxic I swear! My blood boils every time I see this. Passive-aggressiveness of flashing lights and declaring 'road presence'

I have seen full-scale military convoys with T-90s on trailers and towing artillery guns display better decorum than this instance.

[a4anurag]

Activa 5G onwards, Baleno, Dzire, Swift (LED variants), Fortuner (due to headlight position) are major pain points on the road. The latest additions to the list are Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos with LED headlights.

Higher sales of these cars and scooters are making life difficult at night. Moreover, none of them bother to switch to low beam even after repeatedly flashing the lights makes me go mad.

I feel bad for drivers where a fortuner is tailing them, even if the Fortuner is on low beam, due to the height of the headlight, sedans and hatchbacks will be blinded for sure.

[Adam]

Most new generation Scooter headlight position combined with powerful LED are really a pain in the road, latest generation Fortuners headlight position is so bad combined with the fact that it have a very bright white light and most people don't even bother to switch it to low beam makes it the number 1 in my irritant list.

IMO there should be some kind of irritating warning chimes along with auto cut off for High beam if it is used continuously for a particular time and it need to be mandatory in all vehicles.

Also Headlight positioning for SUV with a particular height need to be changed , such as we see in Harrier and some other models.

And I really don't get the attitude of many high end SUV owners ,just by flashing the light wont reduce the traffic block or neither does the road widens.

Unfortunately I daily drive a Polo in an extremely busy wannabe 4 lane road/market and its headlight is even nonexistent while driving under street light

[sarathlal]

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

I am absolutely blinded with LED/HID headlights in certain cars.

Amongst the vehicles with LED/HID on Indian roads, some are more disturbing than others. The most disturbing headlight, by far is the one on Suzuki Baleno, and to a lesser extent Ciaz.

Thanks for highlighting this new road menace. While LED lights have been doing the rounds for many years, it is certain new OEM cars that are causing the most damage.
Especially the Suzuki Next cars. Baleno, Ignis etc are really pain to have behind you or in front of you from opposite line. Their light emittance is really blinding and painful (literally) to ones eyes.

Also wondering what good these bluish lights will be when it rains. Absolutely useless without proper fog lamps.