How To Handle 'All Time' High Beam Users?

[K!NkY]

Guys,

I am a regular night time driver. I go back home late nights or early mornings from office. Initialy it was the toughest time for me to drive in nights because of high beamers. What I did is changed my headlamps to 100/120 watts. When ever an high beamer try to tear my vision I too put high beam and then turn to low beam. By this they come to aware and respect our 120 watt light. But previously whenI had normal 55/60w bulbs the dont even mind my dim and dips. I even see heavy trucks too respect to my light. But some people still are annoyed they never mind others they still continue to use high beams. For that you need to learn to drive on such situations. Never look at those lights. If you try to glare once gone you will be blind out for few seconds.
The tough part is during rainy and mixed fogy seasons where you windshield fogs out and your vision is blurred due to oncoming high beamer. Oh boy! that is a tough time. I have once blined out like that even after you defog it still it takes some time. It will be a frustrating moment your follower car will start blowing his horn badly. Tough times are those. I am driving in night for past 8 years I learned a lot. Now it is easy for me to drive in nights.

 

[Shantanu.lko]

Cars with high seat height can somehow tolerate the on-coming high beamers, but what about owners of cars like M800, zen, esteem etc. The headlights of SUVs, trucks and even some two wheelers are in a straight line with the car drivers eyes.

I have fitted a pair of pulsar headlamps with 60/55 H4 bulbs. Although it looks a bit odd, the illumination on the road is perfect. The lights are angled in such a way that it illuminates the complete area in front of the car.

Thus whenever a vehicle with high beams approach me, I flash the lights. If they dip, its good else I have the road ahead properly illuminated and I see towards the road instead of staring the oncoming lights.

Also to save ourselves from the nasty high beamers, the windshield should be properly cleaned before every drive. The windshield washer bottle should be filled with shampoo+water and not only water to clean the windshield while driving. Also proper care of the windshield should be taken to save it from scratches or small dings, as the light from on coming vehicle scatters when it hits a scratch or ding. The same applies to spects if the driver wears them. Anti glare spects are recommended
Proper alignment of headlights and auxiliary lights are necessary to achieve maximum output from them.

 

[linkin]

That's a good idea mate. Now, I am gonna think of fitting it in my car.

 

[icecool]

nice idea indeed...
But frankly whenever i dip my lights to see in my front when another vehicle is approaching me, i expect the other to also dip it, but to my annoyance, the idiots or road think that i have dipped my headlights as a mark of defeat and he should increase his headlight to highest power and proclaim his dominance. Also when the one in front is at high beam and even after i have dipped my headlight he is still on at full strength, i continuously fluctuate my headlights from high to low to high to remind him of the idea that he can use dippers.. but roads are ruled by IDIOTS.
Also there are some who are just at opposite extreme. They come in dark alleys without headlights... terrifying at times. And mainly these are localites and the cabbies

Also those coming behind at high beam, i make sure i tilt my RVM a bit to the down so that the reflection doesn't fall on my eyes but somewhere down on my nose/lips.

 

[vikyjoshi]

In my driving experience, I feel that the Truckers private car owners are most sensible and use Dipper you you have switched to dipper.

the Cabs Like Innovas, Qualis drivers do not bother to go dipper.

 

[Shantanu.lko]

The main reason of High beamers are the people who don't take proper training or the trainer who don't bother to tell about dipping beams and signaling etc.
There is a long stretch of a narrow road filled with potholes, cyclists and children where I have to drive frequently. Few times when I see a high beamer not dipping his/her lights I start driving in front of him and make him stop and try to educate about high low beams. Many of them apologize and say that no one told them about it whereas many don't bother to listen and tell me to get aside.

 

[sethumurugan]

we should be having a technology that would switch from high beam to low beam if any vehicle approaches,

how does this sounds if anyone driving with high beam on their HID headlamps which is not needed and the person should be driving in the first place if not he should check his eyes properly.

100 Times I agree with Manjoo. Only two possibilities to eradicate this issue.

• Every driver should be thought of this and the effect other drivers have and they themselves change [We can not change single soul here]
• Or something like automatic device which dims automatically when a vehicle come in front

Got it from other forum.

I love that cartoon Bozz. How much it costs

I hate those morons. As some one mentioned every one is like that. if we think private car owners are the one who drives rarely and may not feel the pinch, but the cab drivers are regularly on roads and they at-least feel the pain of others and they will use low beam when a vehicle is coming in opposite side! no. They also don't do that.

I believe most of the two wheeler riders are not aware of those concept. 99% of two wheeler are with high beam always.

Another irritating thing is this Tata ACE. I really don't know who designed that head lights. Even in low beam it hits you like High beam. I literally faught with a guy and he shown me the switches which was in low beam.

 

[Godfather]

This is indeed a most frustrating phenomenon no doubt. The solution to this is AFLS - Adaptive/Advanced Front Lighting systems.

AFLS works with the help of a separate ECU which has an intelligent software mechanism to optimize beam patterns for specific driving conditions such as speed, vehicle direction and road conditions, and function seamlessly so that drivers enjoy enhanced vision without having to manually adjust and readjust the system. It has an added capacity to augment visibility while driving along bends also. As the driver enters a curve, the headlight's beam turns to follow the direction of the road. Conventional fixed headlights cast their beam straight ahead only. On bends, this means the beam can fall on the oncoming traffic, blinding other drivers while leaving the road ahead in darkness. In contrast, AFLS use swiveling headlights that always point in the direction the vehicle is steering. The road ahead is better illuminated and obstacles become visible sooner, providing significant safety benefits.

AFLS is an ideal solution to solve the problems faced by the driver due to poor vision while driving his/her vehicle, as they automatically adjust headlamp beam distribution to the prevailing road profile and visibility condition. This technology is already available in high end cars and i reckon this should be a standard by all OEMs so that it provides a permanent solution to what we are facing today.

Adaptive Frontlight System (AFS) - YouTube

SKODA Superb - Adaptive Frontlight System - YouTube

 

[sethumurugan]

This is indeed a most frustrating phenomenon no doubt. The solution to this is AFLS - Adaptive/Advanced Front Lighting systems.

AFLS works with the help of a separate ECU which has an intelligent software mechanism to optimize beam patterns for specific driving conditions such as speed, vehicle direction and road conditions, and function seamlessly so that drivers enjoy enhanced vision without having to manually adjust and readjust the system. It has an added capacity to augment visibility while driving along bends also. As the driver enters a curve, the headlight's beam turns to follow the direction of the road. Conventional fixed headlights cast their beam straight ahead only. On bends, this means the beam can fall on the oncoming traffic, blinding other drivers while leaving the road ahead in darkness. In contrast, AFLS use swiveling headlights that always point in the direction the vehicle is steering. The road ahead is better illuminated and obstacles become visible sooner, providing significant safety benefits.

AFLS is an ideal solution to solve the problems faced by the driver due to poor vision while driving his/her vehicle, as they automatically adjust headlamp beam distribution to the prevailing road profile and visibility condition. This technology is already available in high end cars and i reckon this should be a standard by all OEMs so that it provides a permanent solution to what we are facing today.

Adaptive Frontlight System (AFS) - YouTube

SKODA Superb - Adaptive Frontlight System - YouTube

That is really a good feature. Yes as you have mentioned unless it is mandatory for all cars (like red light in rear top)

 

[Mahender Singh]

whenever i drive on single lane road if other is coming with high beam, i simply switch to low for few seconds, if he low them good, if he doesn't then i too switch to high and slow down..

and whenever i came very narrow with trucks like on narrow bridge in slow moving traffic. i first low down beams then for few seconds switch off light and stop a side so that he can better see road and my car too.

 

[pravin1987]

here is a method used by my uncle: He is TNSTC state bus driver. He drives from Cuddalore to Coimbatore. I traveled with him. When there is on coming hi beam at a distance, he switches off his head light and looks at the road and switches one. In rainy and fog conditions, before he starts the vehicle he rubs the windshield with tobacco and the uses ash and then cleans with the water. he says that water and fog on the windshield rolls down without accumulating on the wind shield. I followed his technique and it really works. He has been driving for 27 years without a single accident and mostly he drives the night service buses.

 

[Shantanu.lko]

here is a method used by my uncle: He is TNSTC state bus driver. He drives from Cuddalore to Coimbatore. I traveled with him. When there is on coming hi beam at a distance, he switches off his head light and looks at the road and switches one. In rainy and fog conditions, before he starts the vehicle he rubs the windshield with tobacco and the uses ash and then cleans with the water. he says that water and fog on the windshield rolls down without accumulating on the wind shield. I followed his technique and it really works. He has been driving for 27 years without a single accident and mostly he drives the night service buses.

Buses have good seat height and the bikes and cars headlights rarely cause any glare. Glare is only caused when the on coming vehicle is at distance. On nearing the oncoming vehicle, buses can easily force oncoming cars to dip the beams.
I have done many night journeys and always sat in the front chatting with the drivers. I feel that the bus drivers are the decent in matter of dipping. The best thing in buses are the use of reflective strips which help to judge the distance.

 

[sambit_mech]

For better visibility which is extremely important in Indian Pathetic Road condition, I think high beam is essential. I drive with high beam as well as low beam depending on the vehicle distance in front of me. But I was not able to do so and most of the time used to drive in high beam which was mainly attributed to my lack of driving skill. So I think many high beam users are not bullies but do so unknowingly. Yes, still those guys are irritating on the road.
How I adjust myself with those high beam users is I adjust my eye position to avoid my eyes getting blind. Also, I use specs which is having highest possible quality of antiglare coating which really works (I wear Crizal UV lens). So I think instead of investing og hi-fi sun-film, a hi-fi spes can do it for you. This is the only solution in India where cops don't give tickets saying "Failed to Dim" and your insurance premium increases next year! That's what happens in advanced countries but since I love Kolkata, India, I don't complain but adjust to the system to show the fondness of my birthland.

 

[Vishwas]

Thanks to my anti-glare IRVM and small mirrors, i can drive peacefully at nights without these high beam vehicles.

 

[nozzlering]

Driving at night is very annoying only because of high beam users. I am generally pissed of while driving at night. I avoid night driving, but its not in our control always. I have observed that many of the drivers aren't aware of the dipper stick beside the steering wheel. And there are those ***HOLES who are aware of it, but have serious attitude problem. Sometimes I wish I could drive a tank and finish them off.
IMO, the problem is not only of awareness or education. Most of the interstate truckers are less educated or illiterate. But I have found them to be most civilised on highways. Problem lies with small commercial vehicles, Water tankers, many private vehicles, most of the yellow board vehicles, wannabe SUV/ MUV drivers. The problem lies in attidude. A serious problem. I dont know what could be done to curb this problem. I cant find an answer.
* You could slow down or pull out. But that doesnt help. These people aren't affected.
* You can install a stronger lamp and flash on them. Now they are getting a taste of it. But isnt it suicidal? If the oncoming vehicle's driver is blinded, it increases the risk of us getting hit too.
* Totally avoid night driving. But this is not in our control.
* Create awareness. This might help. But those ***holes I mentioned above will remain ***holes.

@ sambit. Nothing wrong in driving with high beams. Problem starts when its not lowered for oncoming traffic. The system is not only in Bengal. I have driven in many states. And I found the same problem everywhere. More prominent inside the cities than on highways.