Bright lights debate rages on

by the feedback that we have been receiving.
Our last article was not an exception and as such we want to continue pursuing the issue of bright lights at night on the road.
We have selected a number of the responses that we got and hope to respond to them to the best of our knowledge.
One reader said:
“Thank you for your highly important article on headlights. It will be interesting to hear whether there are regulations on the type of lights especially the coloured ones.”
As we wrote last week to the best of our knowledge these lights are called cosmetic lights and have no relevance here in Zimbabwe save in emergency situations, sporting and off-road activities.
As a general comment there should be no more than three lights at the front.
The lighting system of a motor vehicle is made up of lighting and signalling devices mounted or integrated to the front.
The purpose of this system is to provide illumination for the driver to see well after dark.
The colour of the light is largely universal according to the convention first crafted in 1949 that is Vienna Convention of Road Traffic and later the United Nations Convention of Road Traffic in 1968.
Firstly, in response to regulations we believe the lights on the rear of every vehicle should show a red colour with the exception of reversing lights.
The lights at the front on the other hand should be white while those facing sideways and all turning lights must be amber.
Those that point ahead or forward must reflect white or a selective yellow light and no other colours except for emergency vehicles such as police ambulances.
Light focusing ahead should have both high and low beam headlamps which could be augmented by foglamps (this is more appropriate in Europe than in Zimbabwe).
The dipped beam also referred to as passing or meeting beam headlamps provide a light distribution to give adequate forward and later illumination without blinding other road users.
The high beam, on the other hand, provides excessive glare that is of concern on our roads.
This beam is specifically for use whenever there are other vehicles ahead that have faulty back light or where there is no oncoming vehicle to increase visibility.
The ECE regulations are clear on the head- lamps specifically a beam with a sharp, asymmetric cut off presenting significant amounts of light being cast into the eyes of drivers of oncoming traffic.
Control of glare is less strict in the USA and Canada as per SAE beam standard FMVSS.
In Russia a vehicle is not allowed to have more than three lights at the front whereas in Paraguay auxiliary driving lamps must be off and covered with an opaque material when being driven in urban areas.

Off road/Rally cars
These cars have extra lights to increase
visibility and broaden the area of focus and are sometimes fitted on a bat facing the front
above the roof which protects them from road hazards.
In our case it is relevant at Donnybrook racecourse and the recent Zambian Car Rally won by our own Zimbabwean driver.
Front fog lamps are normally wide bar shaped beam of light with sharp cut off at the top and generally aimed and mounted low.
They may be either white or selective yellow. They are intended for use at low speeds to increase the illumination directed towards the road surface and verge in conditions of poor visibility due to rain, fog and dust.
The respective purpose of front fog and driving lamps are often confused due in part to the stage- managed misrepresentation that fog lamps are necessary selective yellow as described above on forward lights, while any auxiliary lamps in white colour is a driving lamp.
Carmakers and suppliers of hardware stores frequently refer interchangeably to these as “fog” and “driving lights” but fog lights use is extremely cosmetic as Zimbabwe is not prone to fog and are therefore irrelevant.
The key word in the use of lights is that they should not be very bright or increase glare.
We believe that as a motoring community we should make the initial move for the adjustment of such lights and address the situation.
Please observe the type of cars having bright colours in the Belvedere area of Harare.
We suggest that the Zimbabwe Traffic Safety Council mount an awareness campaign and take note of all such cars with flashy lights and give them time at least 30 days in which to regularise this.
If this is not done, we believe action should
be taken when the vehicle is due for licence renewal.
Let’s make a date for more titbits next Friday.
l Contact us on above numbers or through G.Mbeya 0774 215 505.
PROUDLY ZIMBABWEAN