The state government has launched a statewide crackdown on vehicles fitted with unauthorised high-intensity white LED headlights, citing growing road safety concerns caused by their blinding glare.
Acting on persistent complaints from motorists, the Transport Department has directed all Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) and assistant RTOs to carry out strict enforcement drives during both daytime and night hours. The order, issued from the Transport Commissioner’s office in Gandhinagar, applies to major cities including Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat, as well as rural highways where the misuse of powerful headlights has become a serious hazard.
Officials said non-standard aftermarket LED headlights often exceed permissible intensity levels, temporarily impairing the vision of oncoming drivers. This momentary loss of visibility, they warned, significantly raises the risk of head-on collisions and accidents involving pedestrians, some of which have proved fatal.
Under the enforcement plan, RTO staff have been instructed to identify and penalise two-wheelers, cars and heavy vehicles using illegal LED conversions or excessively bright headlights. The crackdown will also extend to vehicle dealerships and service centres to ensure unauthorised lighting systems are not being installed during sale or servicing.
Despite repeated directives, enforcement has remained a challenge. Since November 2023, the Transport Commissioner’s office has issued similar instructions at least seven times, but with limited impact on the ground. Modified SUVs and heavy vehicles with piercing LED beams continue to dominate roads, particularly in cities like Ahmedabad, with only sporadic checks acting as a deterrent.
The problem is compounded by the misuse of high beams, especially on highways, where some heavy vehicle drivers flash intense LED lights to intimidate smaller vehicles, causing panic and momentary blindness. In urban areas, vehicles parked on the wrong side with bright LEDs switched on often create a wall of glare, disrupting traffic and endangering road users.