India to mandate low-beam automatic headlights and stricter glare limits for vehicles

The Road Transport Ministry is preparing draft amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules that would require automatic headlamps on new two-wheelers to operate only in low-beam mode. Existing two-wheelers would not be affected. The proposal also lowers the ceiling for headlamp brightness, reducing the allowable intensity for two-wheelers from 1.5 lakh candela to 1 lakh candela and for four-wheelers from 2.25 lakh candela to 1.5 lakh candela.

Buses and other heavy vehicles must use authentic reflective tapes to improve night visibility. To curb glare, the rules tighten limits on high-intensity lamps across all vehicle categories. An added feature could issue a speed-sensitive audio prompt if a driver engages high beam in city traffic, while allowing high-beam use on highways above 60 kmph. The changes aim to address night-time crashes caused by inappropriate high-beam use in urban settings.