Traffic Police To Fine Modified Headlights; To Use A Lux Meter To Check Intensity

The Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) of Kerala has taken strict measures to reduce the traffic violations of the state. Using a lux meter to fine cars (or bikes) with illegal headlamps is just Kerala Police's one of many plans to reduce the breaking of traffic rules.

The police claim that illegal and high-intensity headlights often cause accidents at night, since the approaching traffic is blinded by them. The Motor Vehicles Act has already set a recommended power output for vehicle headlamps, but many cars on the road use headlights with obnoxiously-high brightness.

So far, the police have supplied lux meters to four main districts for checking: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta. According to the officials, these districts have the highest majority of cars and bikes with illegal headlights. The lux meters will be supplied to the other districts, in the coming weeks.

The lux meters used by the Kerala Police cost almost Rs 15,000 each. The light-measuring devices will accurately check if the headlight intensity is within the permissible limits, just by pointing it onto an oncoming car at night.

If the device detects a violator, the police will immediately charge a fine of Rs 1000 the driver or owner. The fined will then have to change the headlamps to comply with the allowed norms put by the government, within a stipulated time period.

Some vehicles are also equipped with aftermarket high-intensity auxillary headlamps; especially on SUVs and other off-roaders. Even though they are functional and purpose-oriented to an extent, they pose a threat if used in normal traffic conditions.

Kerala has got a relatively-low accident rate compared to the other states in India, but the numbers are still not acceptable. The overall death rates on the road could be brought down to a certain extent if the same strategy is implied in the remaining states.

Thoughts On Kerala Police Using Lux Meters To Fine Illegal Headlights

As per data, most of the accidents which happen at night are either due to the driver falling asleep or getting blinded by the oncoming traffic. Hopefully, the new strategy of the Kerala Police to use lux metres to fine cars with illegal headlights will bring down the casualties at night. Do you think that other Indian states should also implement the same?