Having better headlamps in Bangalore is a crime

If you happened to catch Times of India dated 13^th April, 2008 (Sunday); they have news about how the Bangalore Police have registered around 500 cases of vehicles using “flashy” lights. Now I know, considering the rather ‘Speed-ed Up’ attitude of the Bangalore youth, there are quite a few irritating headlamps on the road; the kind that flashes, like an Aircraft lamp, when it’s parked. Those are really irritating.

But one should also know that many of the new cars (like Honda Accord, Skoda Laurent, etc) come with Xenon lamps. The basic purpose of a headlamp is to illuminate the road without distracting the vehicle coming from the opposite side. But is there a fool proof solution with the Bangalore Police which will determine which headlamp causes discomfort. The obvious and sad truth is no. The world is moving forward to a world illuminated by xenon lamps and LED lighting for vehicles. LEDs are proven to be energy efficient, highly directional and widely illuminating. But the law and order in Bangalore hits unknown lows and stinks with the odor of brainlessness.

The Bangalore Police believes that any headlamp which is white colored (rather than the dull orange of regular headlamps) is bad for eyes. They go to the extent of proclaiming that such headlamps causes blindness. If you look at it theoretically, looking at the setting sun damages your eyes. Will the Bangalore Police go to the extent of giving a challan to the Sun? In this very out worldly real world of Bangalore and its various rules and regulations, that is an event that’s waiting to happen.

The Bangalore Traffic Police needed a casualty to finally install some reflectors along the median of the Inner Ring Road. Along with that they drew the lanes of the wide road. Again, reiterating, they needed a casualty for this. Is there a casualty for this drive against bright white light? None I could find. Have there been any complaints against vehicles using such lights? Again the answer is no. Then the sole and rather obvious purpose of this drive to crackdown on such ‘harmful’ light is to make the light pockets of many in the law and order department a little heavier.

Kudos to Bangalore police for once again turning the clock back.