Centre admits data gap on high-beam glare accidents amid rising night-time crashes

The Union Government has admitted that it does not maintain specific data on road accidents caused by the blinding glare of high-beam headlights, even as official records show a consistently high number of night-time accidents on Indian roads in recent years. Responding to a written question in the Lok Sabha, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari said that road accidents are multi-causal and typically stem from a mix of human error, road conditions, and vehicle-related issues. While the ministry publishes annual reports on “Road Accidents in India” based on inputs from states and union territories, no separate data is maintained on mishaps attributed specifically to high-beam usage. However, statistics shared in the reply show that a substantial number of accidents occur between 6 pm and 6 am, with more than 94,000 road crashes reported during the 6 pm to 9 pm slot in 2022 alone. The combined total for the four night-time slots in 2022 — covering 6 pm to 6 am — amounted to over 2.24 lakh accidents, nearly half of the 4.61 lakh total crashes recorded nationwide that year.

The minister also confirmed that the government has prescribed specific Automotive Industry Standards (AIS) for vehicle lighting, including AIS-008, AIS-009, and AIS-010, which govern headlamp installation, alignment, and type of beam. These are intended to regulate lighting to prevent glare-related hazards, but enforcement and compliance remain concerns. On the issue of highway illumination, Gadkari said that lighting infrastructure on national highways is governed by guidelines of Indian Road Congress (IRC). Illumination is typically mandated for toll plazas, flyovers, underpasses, interchanges, rest areas, and built-up zones. Lighting requirements are embedded in contract agreements and reviewed during project execution. Despite these provisions, no centralised assessment has been made public regarding the adequacy or functionality of such lighting, especially in rural or accident-prone stretches.

The absence of data on accidents caused by high-beam glare leaves a critical blind spot in the government’s road safety policy, especially at a time when India continues to report one of the highest road fatality rates in the world. According to the ministry’s data, India reported 4.61 lakh road accidents in 2022, a sharp rise from 3.72 lakh in pandemic-affected 2020, underscoring the urgent need to address night-time driving risks and improve visibility infrastructure on highways.