THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bright headlights on vehicles have always been a menace on roads. Taking into account the frequent complaints by public, the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department will now rein in car and bike owners who use powerful headlights with luminous intensity that is above the prescribed limit.
In the past, traffic police were always forced to turn a blind eye to those who use powerful beams during the night as they did not have a device to measure the intensity of headlights on vehicles. However, with the introduction of lux metres, a light intensity measurement device, tracking such violators have become possible.
More than 2,000 cases of illegal and aftermarket headlamps were reported from the state. “ The decision was taken by the MVD because of the increasing number of accidents that occurred at night, primarily due to glare from oncoming cars,” said K Padmakumar, State Transport Commissioner.
The Motor Vehicle Department has already distributed lux metres in all 14 districts in the state. These lux meters can accurately measure the luminosity of the headlamps, which helps the police measure the intensity of headlamps. The cost of each of these device is around Rs 15,000. It has already been distributed to cops in various districts.
The cops have been given training on how to use the lux metres to find the exact intensity of the bulbs. The traffic police have started to flag down vehicles randomly to check the intensity of the headlamps. If the intensity of the light is above the permitted norms, then the cops can fine the owners. The cops have also been asked to instruct the violators to change the bulbs if the intensity is more than the prescribed limit. If the rules are violated again, strict action will be taken against the offenders resulting in cancelling their registrations.
Some owners have also resorted to illegally modifying their headlamp models which make the vehicles unsafe for road use. The high intensity bulbs used in headlamps can cause temporary blindness to the driver of the oncoming vehicles which often leads to accidents. There are many cases where vehicle owners use auxillary lamps. “With the use of lux meters, regular checks are being held in all the districts. Through these checks, we have found that most of the vehicles have headlamps with the light intensity that is above the prescribed limit,” said Rajeev Puthalath, Joint Transport Commissioner.