Driving At Night? New Headlight Rules Could Change How Vehicles Use High Beam
Your vehicle’s headlights could work a little differently in the future. The government has proposed changes to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules to reduce the glare caused by powerful headlights and make vehicles easier to spot at night. The proposed changes cover two-wheelers, cars, buses and heavy vehicles. (Image: PTI)
New Bikes And Scooters May Have To Use Low Beam Automatically
One of the key proposals concerns Automatic Headlamp On (AHO) systems fitted to new two-wheelers. Under the proposed rules, the AHO system on new two-wheelers may have to keep the light on low beam. In simple terms, bikes and scooters with automatic headlights would not switch to high beam automatically. This rule would apply to new vehicles, not the bikes and scooters already on the road. (Image: Pexels)
Why Is This Being Proposed?
The main reason is headlight glare. A very bright high beam can temporarily make it difficult for a driver coming from the opposite direction to see the road properly. The proposed changes aim to reduce this problem and make night-time driving safer. (Image: Pexels)
High-Beam Lights On Bikes May Become Less Powerful
The government has also proposed reducing the maximum brightness allowed for high-beam headlights on two-wheelers. The limit could come down from 1.5 lakh candela to 1 lakh candela. Candela is simply a unit used to measure how intense a light is. (Image: Pexels)
Cars Could Also Get A Lower Headlight Limit
Cars and other four-wheelers could also see a reduction in the maximum permitted high-beam intensity. The proposed limit could fall from 2.25 lakh candela to 1.5 lakh candela. The aim is again to prevent headlights from being unnecessarily bright for other road users. (Image: Pexels)
Headlight Colour Could Also Have A Limit
The proposed rules also set a maximum colour temperature of 6,500 Kelvin for the lighting covered by the changes. This is essentially about how warm or cool the light appears. (Image: Pexels)
Buses And Heavy Vehicles May Need Reflective Tape
There is also a proposed change for buses and other heavy vehicles. They may have to use proper reflective tapes so that they are easier to spot at night or when visibility is poor. This could help other motorists identify large vehicles from a greater distance. (Image: Pexels)
New Rules Could Also Cover Advanced Headlights
Modern vehicles increasingly come with headlights that can automatically adjust their beam depending on the road and traffic. The proposed amendments would also update requirements for technologies such as adaptive high beam and adaptive passing beam. (Image: Pexels)
