KOCHI: It is high time that drivers be told how using high beam lights at night poses major accident risks.
Realising this, the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) will start a campaign to dissuade motorists in the state from using high beam lights. As part of the campaign, it will come out with a short film on the subject in association with the St Joseph College of Communication, Changanassery. The 90-second film will have actor Unni Mukundan, model Tharushi and child actor Barbie. Its shooting will begin this week and will be held at Eloor and Fort Kochi.
“Use of high beam lights by motorists at night has become a menace. Though the state has high literacy, most of its people do not know when to dim their vehicle’s lights. It is the responsibility of the driver to dim the light when a vehicle is passing from the opposite lane. Doing so allows proper visibility to the other vehicle and also signifies mutual respect,” said Ernakulam Road Transport Officer Sadik Ali P H.
“Using high beam lights in cities and townships is unnecessary. Making motorists aware about accidents caused due to the use of high beam lights is the first step to counter the menace,” he added.
This is the second traffic-related short film by the St Joseph College of Communication. Earlier, its students had made a short film promoting the use of helmets. Maruti Suzuki has extended support to its latest venture.
In an inspection last week, MVD officers booked around 300 drivers in Kochi city alone for using high beam lights. However, checking each vehicle is a daunting task for the MVD. To counter this, MVD will be procuring devices that can detect vehicles unnecessarily using high beam lights on highways. “The transport commissioner has requested the government to procure 10 new interceptor vehicles in which devices to detect high beam lights will also be fitted,” said Ernakulam RTO Sadik Ali P H.