IN dark time days, driving along deserted city roads and country roads, many drivers turn on their high beams. However, not everyone remembers that when another vehicle approaches, it must be switched to the next one - this moment regulated by rules traffic. Such frivolity may well lead to the appearance of emergency situation- blindness high beam disorients the driver of an oncoming car, confuses him, dulls his reaction speed.
What to do if you are in danger of being blinded by high beams
Don't panic if the driver coming straight at you doesn't intend to switch his high beams to low beams. Just use the old, time-tested method of solving the problem - close one eye and look at the road with the other. Moreover, you will be able to open your eyes only after you have passed a car whose driver forgot or did not consider it necessary to switch the high beam to the low beam.
There is another option for solving the problem under consideration - only in in this case should be prepared in advance. IN daylight hours day, sitting behind the wheel of your car, find on it windshield such a point that you could look at while simultaneously following the road with your peripheral vision. Remember it and, as soon as a car appears on the road in front of you with its high beams on, immediately turn your gaze to this point. This simple technique should definitely help you.
What to do if you are still blinded by high beams
However, it also happens that, despite all the measures taken, the oncoming car blinds the driver with its high beams. The most important thing is not to panic! If you get nervous and jerk or turn the steering wheel sharply, you may get into an accident. So keep driving forward, sticking to the predetermined direction and gradually reducing your speed. And when you stop, just sit in the car for a while, waiting for your vision to return, and only then continue on your way.
Should you take revenge when you are blinded by high beams?
Some motorists believe that a person who does not adhere to the established traffic rules must take revenge (so that he does not violate them in the future). In particular, in many sources you can find the following advice: wait until the driver who is blinding you with high beams approaches, and suddenly turn on your high beams to blind him. Do not do this under any circumstances! After all, a person driving an oncoming car may unexpectedly lose control and collide with you. So, of course, you will teach him a lesson, only this, quite possibly, will cost you your health or even your life. It will be much better if every driver tries to look after himself, strictly following the rules of the road and respecting other car owners.
In conclusion, I would like to say that any person traveling in his car at night must remember his own safety and avoid violating traffic rules. After all, many accidents occur late in the evening or at night, when drivers relax and forget about the need to watch the road. Take care of your safety - do not break traffic rules and do not exceed speed unless absolutely necessary, then the consequences of being blinded by high beams will not be so catastrophic for you.
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By new traffic rules, which came into force on November 20, 2010, low beam headlights must always be used. This makes the car more visible in traffic, especially on cloudy days. According to clause 19.2 of the traffic rules, it is prohibited to use high beam headlights in populated areas if the road is illuminated. However, in many cities in the evening, even with the street illuminated, visibility is very poor. In such cases, I always turn on the high beam, unless, of course, there are oncoming cars.
On the highway at night it is more convenient to drive with high beams, but I always recommend switching to low beams when other cars are driving towards you and they blind you or ask you to do so by blinking their high beams. In addition, I recommend paying attention to climbs and turns. At night, the headlights are very visible, so switch to low beam not when you see the headlights of an oncoming car, but before that. Quite often, many drivers switch their headlights to low beam when they see your headlights, although you can do this earlier, because... Headlights are visible earlier at night. To avoid being dazzled, do not look at the headlights of oncoming cars (especially those driving uphill or around a curve). Sometimes it happens that an oncoming car is driving with high beams and does not switch to low beams, even when you ask. Everyone has their own actions in this regard, personally, after a series of flashes, I switch the high beam to the low beam and press to the side of the road.
Before switching to low beam, try to find out as much as possible what is ahead on the road; you need to move your foot from the gas pedal to the brake. You can switch to distant only when the cars are level with the cabs, otherwise you will greatly blind the other driver.
However, high beams are not always better. In snowstorms and fog, visibility will be much better when using low beams.
When stopping on the side of the road parallel to the road, drivers often do not turn off their headlights (although this does not contradict the rules of the road, see paragraph 19.3 of the traffic rules). For oncoming cars, especially in the rain in the fall, this greatly reduces the visibility of the road due to the possibility of blinding even from low-beam headlights. In addition, turning on the headlights shows another car that your car is moving, so drivers of oncoming cars may have a suspicion - “are they driving in the wrong lane.” Therefore, I recommend leaving only the lights on when stopping. If you stop on the highway, even on the side of the road or at a public transport stop, I strongly recommend turning on your emergency lights. In general, I advise you to turn off the headlights at any stop, even in courtyards, because... they greatly impede the visibility of other road users.
Talking with light signals
Vehicle lights do more than just indicate maneuvers. They can perform the functions of negotiations with other road users. See table.
| Action name | Purpose |
| Single blinking high beam headlights | 1. Warns that traffic police officers are on the highway. It is clear that in this case it is necessary to take all precautions. While observing this driver solidarity, do not forget to notify other drivers about the traffic police officers you saw. 2. Before overtaking, you can flash your distant blinker, thereby showing the car in front that you are about to overtake. 3. If you ask to pass, for example, when turning left, and there are a lot of oncoming people, then a single blink of an oncoming car means “I allow.” 4. Used on the highway (although it is also acceptable in the city) if you are blinded by an oncoming car, and serves as an instruction to the driver of the oncoming car to turn off the high beam headlights. If a single blink is not enough, periodic blinking is used. 5. If you are moving along a section of the road where two cars cannot pass, you need to flash your high beams to the cars on the other side of the section so that you do not have to maneuver in reverse later. |
| Periodic (nervous) blinking of high beam headlights | 1. Most often used on the highway when there are several lanes for traffic. If a car ahead is slower than yours, first blink your high beams once; if there is no result, you can blink your high beams to demand that you give way. If there is no result here either, honk the horn or drive around. 2. In addition, you can ask to use high beam headlights to let you pass if you are turning left and there are a lot of oncoming people or in all other cases when according to traffic rules you must wait for everyone. As a rule, if you don’t ask, you can stand for a very long time. 3. This is also used when at an intersection someone in front of you did not notice the traffic light (this is much better than a horn signal). As a rule, in all these three cases, to begin with, it is enough to blink once, but if you did not notice or did not understand, then several clicks. |
| Left turn signal | 1. This signal is usually shown (should be shown) when your car is being overtaken and there is a danger ahead that is visible only to you. It could be an oncoming car on a hill, a turn, or something else. In other words, this signal warns other drivers that overtaking is now dangerous. 2. It is useful to turn on left turn for a short time if you are driving high speed on the highway in the left lane and after 300-500 meters you will turn left. At the same time, another car is either already following you, or is catching up. Also this method Suitable where there are several left exits in a row on the road. In this case, the driver behind will understand that you will be turning at the next intersection, so he will slow down in advance or calmly change lanes to the right and continue driving. But remember that it is important to turn it on “for a short time”. If you drive in the left lane for a long time with the left turn signal on, you may have turned it on involuntarily or forgotten to turn it off! |
| Emergency crew | 1. Usually shown on the highway when there is danger ahead. Usually after given signal braking follows immediately. 2. The hazard lights also need to be turned on in situations (most often on the highway) that require sharp braking, so that it is easier for drivers behind to react. 3. When you are passed in a traffic jam while changing lanes, you need to turn on the emergency lights for a second, i.e. give thanks. The same can be done when you overtake a car whose driver helped you complete this maneuver(showed a right turn signal or pulled to the side of the road). 3. An accident warning can also be used to apologize if someone was “cut off” or violated the rules by interfering with another car. |
| Right turn signal | Typically used to inform road users on the highway who want to overtake. If the car in front shows a right turn signal without reducing speed, then you can overtake. But it's better to check everything before that. Overtake only after making sure that this maneuver is safe. When overtaking comes your way. By turning on the right turn signal, you will tell the driver of the car you are overtaking that you will go to the right; he will try to pass in the middle. |
| Turning headlights off and on | Sometimes drivers forget to turn on their low beams, so this signal serves as a reminder. |
Remember that the listed methods of talking with light signals are not known to everyone, so you should not rely on them completely.
Anyone who has ever driven at night knows how blinding headlights can be. It is enough for an oncoming car to suddenly appear due to the rise, and the driver experiences temporary blindness. This phenomenon is quite dangerous, since the motorist continues to drive with little or no control over what is happening on the road. It is not surprising that traffic rules in such cases require turning on the hazard warning lights and, without changing lanes, reducing speed and stopping.
But why does oncoming headlights have such a negative effect? It turns out there are several reasons. Have you ever thought that modern headlights shine much brighter than before? If yes, then you are absolutely right. The fact is that current lighting equipment is manufactured using completely different technologies. If previously in optics they were used exclusively halogen lamps, then later xenon also became widespread, and more recently - LEDs. That is, we can almost say with certainty that what more modern car, the brighter its headlights shine. It seems that this is a definite advantage, because the dark road is better illuminated. However, it turns out that this achievement also has disadvantages, because simultaneously with the spread of more bright headlights The number of accidents due to blinding is also increasing. For example, according to UK police statistics, in 2014 alone, at least 320 accidents occurred in the kingdom for this reason - 11% more accidents than in 2010. But researchers say that in reality the number of such incidents is much higher, it’s just that in case of minor accidents, drivers do not contact the police.
“We get thousands of complaints,” says Roy Milnes, an activist with the Lightmare movement, which fights to reduce the level of brightness in cars. “The problem is that the brightness of the headlights is far beyond human endurance.” Peter Heilig, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Vienna, agrees with him. According to him, harsh light causes a reaction similar to pain. "This light sends a warning signal to the brain saying, 'Enough is enough!' Is it true modern lamps worse than those before? Professor Heilig is sure so. “Bright blue light has a much higher radiation intensity. That is, such a light bulb shines much brighter than a halogen light bulb because it has a shorter wavelength,” he notes.
Demonstration of adaptive headlights operation
At the same time, scientists have found that as drivers age, the likelihood of blindness increases. The fact is that the lens and cornea of the eye are not completely transparent. Therefore, bright light passing through them is refracted in one way or another, resulting in a person experiencing blindness or a blurred image. “The same effect can be seen if you try to look at a bright light through fogged glass,” says ophthalmologist Professor John Marshall from University College London. “But the older you get, the more more changes happens to your eyes, even if you are completely healthy. For example, the lens and cornea become less transparent. Hence the problems with blinding. At night, your pupil dilates to let in as much light as possible. And when the headlights suddenly hit your eyes, you are blinded,” he explained.
So, headlights blind us because the eye is not ready to react to a sudden stream of light. Modern lighting technology has a much greater blinding effect than old ones, and with age, the likelihood of experiencing temporary blindness on the road increases. It is interesting that drivers knew about this problem even at the dawn of the automotive industry. For example, this effect was first discovered back in 1927. Moreover, in different years they tried to fight blindness. For example, in Soviet time The installation of “anti-headlights” was very popular among drivers – special device, creating a bluish background. It was assumed that thanks to this, the eyes would quickly adapt to the light from an oncoming car. Truth, efficiency of this device was never proven, and so it was eventually simply stopped being used. But in recent years 20 World automakers have taken the problem of blinding seriously. For example, these days many models use so-called adaptive headlights, which rotate when the car turns, and also lower the beams when a powerful oncoming light stream occurs. But, despite the advancement of this technology, scientists point out that the system still needs to respond to the appearance of an oncoming car, which is why the possibility of blinding remains. Is there some more matrix headlights, disconnecting some sections. They reduce the risk of blinding oncoming drivers to almost zero. But so far this technology is very expensive and is used only on the most prestigious models.
19.2. High beam should be switched to low beam:
in populated areas, if the road is illuminated;
when passing oncoming traffic at a distance of at least 150 m from the vehicle, and also at a greater distance, if the driver of the oncoming vehicle periodically switching the headlights indicates the need for this;
in any other cases to eliminate the possibility of blinding drivers of both oncoming and passing vehicles.
If blinded, the driver must turn on the hazard warning lights and, without changing lanes, reduce speed and stop.
Comments
The high beam headlights must be switched to low beam:
Within populated areas
This means that when moving within the city limits or in populated areas indicated by signs 5.23.1 or 5.23.2 “Beginning of a populated area,” the driver must switch the headlights on his vehicle from high beam to low beam. From November 20, 2010, vehicles are allowed to start moving only with daylight switches on. running lights, fog lights or low beam headlights. From this we can conclude that within the boundaries of a populated area, at any time of the day and under any conditions, drivers are allowed to drive with low beam headlights on, and high beam headlights are allowed to be turned on in populated areas if the road is not lit or outside populated areas.
When an oncoming vehicle passes
Drivers of vehicles driving in the opposite direction at night must switch their headlights from high to low beam in advance so as not to blind the driver of an oncoming vehicle. This usually happens somewhere around 150 meters or earlier. The headlights on different vehicles are configured differently, so it is worth switching the headlights to low beam as soon as you notice that a vehicle is driving towards you or a pedestrian is approaching.
If the driver of an oncoming vehicle gives a signal
The signal is given by alternately switching the headlights from low beam to high beam. This is an already established international signal for drivers. Thus, one driver warns the other that he is blinding or may be blinded by high beams.
Other cases
With the light of its headlights, it can dazzle a driver who is driving both in the opposite direction and in the same direction. A logical question immediately arises: how can you blind a driver who is driving in the same direction as you? The answer is quite simple. When moving behind a vehicle that is traveling in the same direction as you, you can blind its driver when he looks in the rear-view mirrors, and the refraction of light from the headlights can be at such an angle that, when reflected in the rear-view mirrors, it can simply blind the driver and shine directly into his eyes, even if he does not directly look in the mirror. Therefore, you should not come close to a vehicle that is traveling in the same direction in the dark, even if there is another vehicle The headlights are on low beam, but if there is such a need to perform a maneuver, then you should not linger so as not to blind the driver with the headlights.
When blinded by headlights
The driver must turn on the emergency lights and, without changing lanes, reduce speed and stop
Responsibility
For violation of this rule - a warning or a fine of 500 rubles, Article 12.20 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.
Safe movement of the car at night is ensured by its own lighting system. For a better outlook, the driver uses high beam headlights. Every motorist knows, but for some reason does not comply with the regulation that regulates turning off the high beams when an oncoming car approaches less than 150 meters. Such disregard for the rules can provoke an accident, since it is very difficult for a driver blinded by headlights to navigate the road.
What to do if you are blinded by high beams
The human eye is unable to instantly switch from bright light to complete darkness and vice versa. It will take at least 10 seconds to restore your visual abilities. For a car moving on the road at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour, this is a long period of time during which a serious accident can occur.
Blinding on the road does not always occur on purpose; ordinary fatigue, forgetfulness and carelessness are triggered. The driver may also have incorrectly adjusted low beam headlights. Mutual respect and a culture of behavior on the road will help avoid accidents.
If a car is moving towards you with its high beams on and is not going to switch them, try the following method: close one eye and carefully watch the highway with the other. After the “intruder’s” car has passed by, open your eye slightly and close the blinded one. This method works great and allows you to continue calmly further movement on the way to.
It is not necessary that the person driving does not specifically turn off the high beams; he may simply forget to switch. Remind him, just flash your headlights, most of the time it works.
But if the oncoming car has not responded to your request, you should reduce your speed or even stop, hugging the side of the road, leaving the low beams on.
It happens that blinding occurs when overtaking when the first driver looks in the rearview mirror. The “blind” driver should slow down and move away from the overtaking car, otherwise a collision simply cannot be avoided.
For drivers who are exposed to high beam headlights, there are specific traffic rules: “You need to reduce your speed without changing your trajectory, and you must turn on your hazard lights.”
It will be difficult for a newbie on the road to perform such actions blindly. Especially if there are several tens of meters left before the expected turn and it is impossible to enter it by touch. Turned on in time alarm, will warn other drivers, and even a sharp decline and stopping movement will save the car from a collision. Of course, if the driver has managed to remember a section of the road, then it is better to turn to the side of the road and stop driving there, since the middle of the highway is not the best place to restore visual abilities.
How to punish an impolite driver
It’s a shame when a motorist uses headlight signals to ask an oncoming car to switch to low beam, but it doesn’t react. The driver understands that he is about to be blinded and wants to take revenge. A good method of vendetta is to suddenly turn on the high beams when a “careless” driver approaches. Of course, the oncoming motorist will remember this “lesson” for a long time. Such an action could cause an accident. It is especially unpleasant if a collision occurs with the car of an “avenger driver.”
Punishing the driver will not lead to anything good. If a person simply forgot to switch, blink him with your high beam several times; if this does not help, then no amount of “science” will work. Such a driver only cares about his own comfort, and he simply doesn’t care about other road users. Therefore, first of all, worry about your safety and accept everything necessary measures to avoid an emergency.
