High beam headlights: A road safety hazard in Karachi

Improper use of beams can disorient or blind other drivers at night and even lead to an accident


Razzak Abro December 06, 2021
PHOTO: REUTERS/file

KARACHI:

Driving at night, especially in a city as bustling as Karachi, can prove to be a daunting experience for many. The general disregard for traffic laws, occasional hooliganism at the hands of underage drivers and the pothole-ridden road infrastructure of the city, can make most people think twice before bracing the steering wheel past wee hours.

In such circumstances, using high lights incorrectly might make night driving even more perilous. On a wet road or through a driver’s windshield, the glare from high beams might make it hard to see the road, other cars, pedestrians, or crossing animals, or even temporarily disorient a driver. “Contrary to popular belief, these high beam lights are not a fancy ad-on, but serve a very important purpose,” said car enthusiast Muhammad Saleem.

“They are designed to provide better visibility when driving in rural areas where street lights aren’t common. You should only use your high beams if you’re driving at night and you aren’t within 200- 300 feet of another driver. If you do approach another car, switch to your low beams until you’re safely out of the way,” he told. However, improper use of high beams and fancy, glaring headlights continues to remain a source of nuisance for many of Karachi’s night-time drivers. “It’s super irritating and incredibly dangerous,” said Asim, a Malir Cantt resident who has to drive several kilometres to and from work five days a week.

“Every other day, there’s some idiot on the road flashing LED or HID bulbs without projectors. In such cases, there’s almost zero visibility when they’re coming from the opposite side or tailgating, and quite frankly, these are just casualties waiting to happen,” he added. Interestingly enough, the city’s car mechanics and modifiers appear to be completely in the dark about traffic laws regarding such modifications. “I didn’t know these lights were banned,” remarked Ahmed, a spare parts dealer who operates close to Saddar.

Similarly, Qamar, a motorcyclist who was in the process of having LED lights fitted into his swanky two-wheeler, also said that he had never heard of “traffic laws about what kind of headlights to use and not to use.” Despite the unpopularity of the law, driving vehicles with beam headlights is actually a punishable offence under traffic rules of the Sindh government. However, the public disregard for it stems from the carelessness of the local traffic police, that often chooses to oversee such violations. On the other hand, according to SP Traffic Police, District Kemari, Noorul Haq Rind, the use of extra lights in any type of vehicle is prohibited under traffic rules and the traffic police duly takes action against such violations.

However, the traffic police’s lack of interest in taking these people accountable is mirrored in the department’s own statistics. According to official data of penalties for traffic violations, the traffic police fined only 218 drivers during 2021 in Karachi for using extra lights and decorations on their vehicles. Similarly, only 161 persons were fined throughout the year for using revolving lights and hooters.

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