[Prithvi]

I just did a 1675 km trip from Bangalore, goa, Gokarna, Murudeshwar, Udupi, Mangalore and back. During night nine out of ten trucks did not have any brake lights or night lights. 100% of them were going slow in the fast lane.

Even on the Bangalore-chennai route which I do often, none of these trucks have rear lights at all. This is so dangerous and many a times we see some trucks just parked on the side without any lights or hazard lights on.

Why is the RTO / Highway Traffic Police not doing anything about it. Are they too busy collecting hafta from the truck drivers. At what cost is this , saw several accidents on the way!

Shocking but true. When will we all ever wake up?
MERA BHARATH MAHAN!

[coloneljasi]

Originally Posted by Prithvi

Why is the RTO / Highway Traffic Police not doing anything about it. Are they too busy collecting hafta from the truck drivers. At what cost is this , saw several accidents on the way!

Shocking but true. When will we all ever wake up?
MERA BHARATH MAHAN!

The day our law enforcement agencies start pulling over motorists for having non-functional lights, worn tyres and what not will be the day the enforcers become rich(er) by getting paid off! The authorities do pull over some people for the aforementioned issues, but it's usally done to fill a quota or something that they find AFTER they pull the vehicle over!

I know it's fashionable to blame the establishment for everything that goes wrong in India. Then again, that's probably because most of the time, they are! I can't care to remember the number of times I've seen police vehicle with single headlights, no tail lamps....ah, but the roof-top beacons will be working perfectly!

There are a lot of private buses around here that look like moving christmas trees at night. They'd be having flashing LEDs in all colours, the hazards would be on for no apparent reason, the 4 or more headlights would be on full beam. And what do you know? The cops would be busy pulling over trucks or something because the driver is not in his khakhis! Some buses have green and/or blue lights moonlighting as tail lamps and they sail through their fitness tests every single time. Beat that!

[anujmishra]

For many buses and trucks even backlight was functioning you need a torch to see that light. Brightness was so low due to muck, old assembly, broken assembly, covered with metals.

Even, I see Volvo buses also have bad quality of lights in their buses. 800 back lights give more brightness than Volvo buses.

Most of the accidents happens on highway happens due to non-functioning of backlights, as trucks used to park in pitch dark on side of roads and it is very difficult for other drivers to see them. I have written several messages to Bangalore Traffic Police FB profile but of no use.

[k_nitin_r]

Within the cities, you will find vehicles (including cars) with brake lights that do not work (the rear lights simply light up when the head lamps are turned on). I don't mean just the buses and trucks but also cars. In other cases, the engine/transmission braking is enough to slow down the vehicle when the foot is taken off the accelerator so there's no brake light turning on (I notice this on the Esteem with the AC running). When the rest of the city switches to automatic transmission, which is an unrealistic expectation, we'll see functional brake lights the way they should be.

On the highway, trucks have without tail lights are far too common and the only way to spot them from a distance is from the effect of their head lamps, which is only possible when there is no oncoming traffic. For parked trucks, you have to rely on your own head lamps - that's probably where the market for accessory lights comes in. Rear reflectors should probably be mandatory for trucks, just as many of them have front reflectors that makes them visible when they are parked (when they are running, the blinding headlights make them absolutely hard to miss even if you are wearing shades at midnight and sitting in a vehicle with heavy tints)

[ghodlur]

Non functional rear lamps on heavy vehicle are a common eyesight in most of the metros/towns/highways. Most of them time the heavy vehicle get away with greasing the RTO officials afterwhich they are hardly left with anything to do the rectification jobs.

Once I had a word with a truck driver(Sardarji) at the RTO office in Thane (I had gone there during my earlier Santro NOC) as to why he was hesitatant in getting the rear lamps fixed to which he replied that the owner of the truck gave him a fixed amount for the journey which was already exhausted in paying the Octroi/RTO people that he was left with very little to survive (for his food and drinks). He was also of the opinion that it was the owners responsibility to get them fixed although he agreed that it was not good practice to drive without functional rear lamps. So the fault may not always lie with the drivers.

[sgiitk]

It is a real menace. Also, many smaller trucks and tempos do not even have a provision for rear lights, let alone their functioning. I have seen the same on some trucks as well.

[Prithvi]

I make sure that whenever I am driving at night or in the evenings I make it a point to wipe the rear lights and the headlight clean when I make a tea/coffee stop. I do this often especially when driving in the rain.

I am doing it my myself so that my lights are visible. Period. Care to hoots to what others think. Once saw another motorist who though I must be crazy cleaning the lights and my windscreen and rear screen!

IF your visibility is poor then how will you drive. I have some friends who can drive with a dirty windsheild. Me. Sorry not possible. Maybe I am crazy but thats the way I am.

Seen so many trucks with cakes of mud on their rear lights, you can barely see them, even if you do its a joke, looks like a 2W or 5W bulb

[SafeDrive]

I think there is a separate switch put in for rear lights. I've seen our company buses starting off with the lights off but having them on after I complained. So I guess the driver just "forgets" to put them on.

[navan49]

I always come across this blind back of most of the trucks and aces on the High ways. Some times we notice just near only. The authorities should look into the matter seriously. Most of the collides behind the trucks happens in Highway are due to this no back lighting.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by SafeDrive

I think there is a separate switch put in for rear lights. I've seen our company buses starting off with the lights off but having them on after I complained. So I guess the driver just "forgets" to put them on.

Why this separate switch. It should be integrated with the light switch, and come on automatically when the perking lights are switched on.

I know of someone who and his wife died in an accident when they rammed into a stationary truck while driving from Jodhpur to Jaipur. I think the vehicles must be forced to switch on the parking lights when parked on the side of a highway as well.

[informmaha]

Forget about switching on the hazzard lamps or tail lamps, some don't even have them. This is the picture that I clicked from Chennai to Bangalore GQ highway on 26-Oct-11, Really Scary.. This was going at around 20kmph max, so was able to take my camera out and click this picture . Check the width and the height of the vehicle, god only knows what the driver could look from his cabin. What do you say about this? I do not understand how these vehicles are let out on highways???

[a4anurag]

The interstate buses that I see when I go to work and back do have the provision of rear tail lights and flashers but no one use them and the way these buses change lanes there is just no warning given to the other road users. Of the whole lot the Mercedes and Volvo buses use the flashers and headlights properly!

How difficult could it be for an private operator/Govt operator to check these bulbs and the functions before they start the day? It would hardly cost any amount when compared to lives of other road users!

[Shivank]

Driving in India, that too at night, should be the 'professionals' level in top of the arcade games that we have in PS3s or Xbox.

First, there are some eye-blindingly high-beams coming from the opposite sides from intelligent masses, and then there are these trucks with no reflectors/taillamp at all. So, someone blinds your vision first and then you are killed the very next moment. Pefect recipe for disaster.

I remember an incident from a few years back when we 5 guys were on a trip in our humble M800. It's bare-basic when it comes to equipment, let alone safety. A truckee in its full glory blinded our vision up front. At speeds over 60kph (M800, remember) who cares to slow down further and check what's up front. So, we continued on our lane. Just when the truck crossed us, we saw a tree lying flat on road. Screeeeech...and ...BANG!!! Lucky enough to be alive. The tree was not that big and was now part of the wheelbase. It could have been much worse if the truck were a bit more slower. God bless him!

Moral of the story is- Dear brethrens, it's not only the trucks that need reflectors. Trees, dogs and cows are as much of a threat if you are driving on Indian roads. And forgot to add, some common sense is also expected from locals around.

Till then, drive safe...

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

..I think the vehicles must be forced to switch on the parking lights when parked on the side of a highway as well.

All day running lights as in Scandinavian countries!

[sgiitk]

@informmaha; The pics do not show a rear light at all. So obviously the vehicle is flouting the law. I guess the folks who made the trailer part can be called criminals. The obviously are totally unaware of the law.