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| Oncoming
traffic is heralded by headlamp glare. Flash ahead to warn of
your approach and dip your lights to see better and avoid blinding
oncoming drivers. Vehicles on the inside of a bend create dazzle
before the lights of a vehicle on the outside. |
In
the past few editions, we have focused on riding in the wet and
making the best of terrible road conditions. In this edition we
will focus on riding in the night, which demands adjusting to a
whole new set of conditions. Riding in the night not only restricts
your visibility but your visibility to other road users is also
reduced. Your judgement of speed and distance is drastically altered
by both incomplete vision of other vehicles and the inability to
judge perspective and dimensions from roadside objects.
A solo motorcycle as it passes behind an obstruction, can be overlooked
by another road user stationary at a road junction. Even though
you are wearing a reflective jacket, if you are physically out of
view you will not be seen by others and will not enter into their
consideration and judgement, at least not until it is too late.
| Electrical
system faults usually become apparent at night. Check equipment
regularly and correct any faults before onset of the rains. |
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While
riding in the night, seeing and being seen should be your number
one priority. Start right at the basics; check your lights, never
assume that the lights are all in order. Check them thoroughly and
regularly. Terminals can get dirty, wires can work loose and nothing
is more dangerous than all the lighting blacking out on a dark or
dimly lit road. Even a dirty headlamp lens will cut down the limit
of your visibility to other road users. A motorcyclist has less
excuse for not noticing a lamp failure - and more reason to rectify
it. The efficiency of lenses can deteriorate imperceptibly with
the daily build up of road dirt and the resulting decline in light
value may go unnoticed. Also another reason for you lazy bums to
clean your bike - a clean machine is not only a more reliable machine,
as defects are discovered as matter of course during regular cleaning.
Also shining paintwork and metalwork will reflect surrounding light.
If your bike has side-mounted amber reflectors, keep them clean
and if you don't have them, install them.
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| At
over 100kmph the main beam will not illuminate the braking distance.
Readjust the beam when carrying a load or passenger. |
Set
up headlamps correctly, always bearing in mind that a pillion passenger
will alter the line of your lamp beam. Remember that on a bumpy
road, particularly on lightweight 100cc machines, the headlamp can
bounce up and down quite considerably. Always set a dipped beam
to cut in well to the near side to save others the discomfort of
being dazzled.
Whatever message you want to convey, never flash your main beam
into the face of other road users. A dazzled driver becomes disoriented
and may quite rapidly collide with you or any other road user. This
kind of discourteous behaviour is commonly observed among road users
in our country and should be avoided. Also never take another driver's
flashed signal for granted. The lights may have been switched on
by accident.
 Ride
so that you are not shielded from view by your close proximity to
other vehicles. Keep out from the kerb to improve your vision ahead
and avoid the risk of colliding with a suddenly opened car door.
Remember that you are less visible at night and make allowances
for it.
| Don't
pass another vehicle until you can see the road ahead of it.
Flash a warning before overtaking. Headlamps, particularly a
motorcycle light that is high enough to blind drivers easily,
should dip to the near side. |
Ever
been dazzled by the lights of oncoming vehicles? The trick is never
to look straight into oncoming headlamps. When traffic is approaching,
always dip your headlamps and look away from the glare of oncoming
headlights. Stay in from the centre of the road. The vehicle may
have an overhang that obstructs your part of the road or it may
be hiding a vehicle running with only the near side lights on. This
is particularly important when the road is narrow. There is no point
being angry about unlit vehicles, loads or road obstructions, simply
be alert enough to avoid them and stay alive.
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| Expect
to be dazzled by the lights of vehicles approaching over the
brow of a hill, on a bridge or undulating roads, whether they
are on main beam or dip. If a driver refuses to dip, slow down
and look away - to the near side preferably. Don't try to out-dazzle
him; he may have badly adjusted lights which are already dipped
and which he could flash with blinding effect. |
On an unlit road, always momentarily dip your headlamp as you approach
a bend or corner. This will enable you to detect the glare of an
approaching set of headlamps. This early warning could be denied
if your main beam has outflared them.
Always
dip the headlights on the approach to the brow of a hill. If the
main beam shines into the open sky ahead and is bounced back as
a white glare, and vision is lost.
Remember to read every cue at night. Take nothing for granted. If
you cannot see, don't go. If you are not sure of the situation,
don't go. Never ride into a position from which there is no visible
exit. Never overtake when you cannot see what is in front of the
vehicle to be passed.
That's it for night riding. In the next edition we shall look at
the importance of and how to be conspicuous at all times. Till then
happy riding and don't forget that helmet.
Author: Sirish Chandran |
