Kohima,23 May: The Motor Vehicles Department, Office of the Transport Commissioner, Nagaland, has, in a press release, reiterated the Central Motor Vehicles Rules with regard to the hazards of dazzling head lights on vehicles.
The Rules prescribe that no lamp showing a light to the front shall be used on any motor vehicle unless such lamp is so constructed, fitted and maintained that the beam of light emitted therefrom is permanently deflected downwards to such an extent that it is not capable of dazzling any person whose eye position is:
– at a distance of 8 metres from the front of lamp,
– at a distance of 0.5 metre to the right side of the lamps, i.e. fitted at right extreme of the vehicle, from the right edge of the lamp, and
– at a height of 1.5 metres from the supporting plane of the vehicle,
– is capable of being deflected downwards by the driver in such manner as to render it incapable of dazzling any person in the above circumstances.
One of the main cause of accidents after dark is the carelessness/indiscipline/poor judgment of drivers to dip the head lights for oncoming vehicles. Studies have shown that much of the road accidents are caused by human failure rather than by mechanical failures. While continuous research improves motor transport technology day by day its proper usage is left to man at the wheel. Road safety is every road users’ concern and every effort should be made to reduce road accidents and the misery associated with it.
It is imperative that every driver on the road obey the road rules with discipline and use the road prudently. Use of low beam for city/town traffic, dipping of headlights for oncoming vehicles is not of choice but mandated by law, the release added.