Travelling by road during night is probably the worst nightmare one could ever go through. Riding my two-wheeler during night, I notice vehicles coming in the opposite direction speeding down the road with their headlights on in high beam. (This blinds the vehicle users and pedestrians coming in the opposite direction for a few minutes. Total black out one could say. A sort of panic or tension is created when visibility is next to nothing for those few moments.) I have tried indicating to them that the headlights are in high beam position and can be dipped for better vision for the other vehicles by alternating my lights from dipper to high beam and back to dipper again. The sad point is most of them neither acknowledge, having seen me alternating my headlights nor do they change to dipper position. They just speed past and in that fraction of a second all that I see ahead is total darkness. I have to strain my eyes for a few moments before I can see ahead clearly.
Same, is the case of vehicles coming behind with lights on high beam. The lights seen in the rear view mirror is equally glaring for the vehicle user, this in turn ensures the rider/driver of the vehicle (going ahead) has no clear sight of what is coming behind him.
I have also come across drivers of heavy vehicles and cars who probably feel they would save on their battery life if they don’t switch on the lights during night. They feel streetlight helps in seeing the way so why waste their vehicle’s battery life. And there are some very smart drivers of heavy vehicle who manage to keep just one of their headlights on in high beam. And vehicles coming in the opposite direction are lucky if the lights or on the right side of the oncoming vehicle. If it is on the left side and with the high beam lights glaring and blinding the eyes…it sure looks like an invitation from high above saying "Welcome home dear".
Some accidents occurring in the night could be averted to a large extent if the vehicle users just use their mind a little and switch their lights from high beam to dippers when they see a vehicle approaching.
An earnest request to vehicle users – Let not the high beam headlights that you use for your own convenience and sometimes due to negligence be the reason to create darkness in some lives.
2 comments:
hi Lakshmi,
very sensible writing and a useful post. keep writing.
ayesha
Such drivers are nightmare on the roads for rule abiding vehicle users.Compulsory painting of the glass is a must under pain of penalty.Your posts always have certain social content.Thanks
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