What is AHO (Automatic Headlight On) - Know Its Pros & Cons

We often get to hear the news of a loss of life because of the road accident or other mishaps which occurred because of the involvement of the vehicles. This led to the introduction of AHO in bikes by the Ministry of Road and Transport of India based on the report which says that two-wheelers account the most number of road crashes all over the country.

What is an AHO?
 

AHO stands for the "Automatic Headlights On" which has been initiated by the Ministry of Road and Transportation from 1st of April 2017 onwards for the security purpose of the familiar lot. The law clearly states that as long as the bike is on ignition mode, the headlights will be switched on even in the daylight, i.e., there will be no on and off button in the handlebar of the bike for the lights due to which overall visibility of the bike will be more better.

The Need for AHOs
 

AHO in bikes is necessary because the government has initiated the safety measure in which the headlights of the two-wheelers will be on even in the daytime, same as the policy in the international countries. In many parts of the world, AHO has helped in reducing crashes especially when it comes to the case of two-wheelers as it also helps in the daytime during sunset and sunrise as it helps in identifying if two-wheelers are coming from a distance or not.

Government has taken small initiative for the collective safety of both the driver and the pedestrian so that we can see whether two-wheelers or four-wheelers are coming from the opposite side. The headlight of the motorcycle is always switched on, making it much easier to assess the progress of even the best mileage bikes from great distances. Bajaj Dominor, 390 Duke/RC 390, 2017 KTM, were the first one to implement these features.

Additional Read: Modern Features You Should Have For A Performance Motorcycle

AHO Impact On The Bikes’ Functioning
 

As the headlights of the motorcycle will be on continuously, it would cause further drainage of the battery a little more but will have no adverse effect on the battery. All the bikes launched after the implementation of the AHO comes with the unique technology which offers advanced battery and alternators that can easily handle the extra load and manage the functioning comfortably.

AHO on Older Bikes
 

After the implementation of AHO, the bikes being manufactured comes with the AHO service. Still, the bikes which have been produced before the application of the AHO does not come with these facilities. . Two-wheeler loan interest rates have also gone down because of the promotion of AHO in bikes as with lower rate people would buy more bikes with AHOs in them.

Additional Read: What Is ABS In Bikes - How It Works And Why It Is Important?

Since the government has taken the initiative for our safety, it’s our foremost responsibility to keep the lights of the motorcycle on even in the daytime. People who ride two-wheelers should also be made aware of this initiative taken by the government.

AHO Advantages and Disadvantages
 

  1. Even with the implementation of AHO, the cost price of the motorcycle will remain almost the same.
  2. AHO in bikes will be helpful in the area where there is foggy weather that is mainly in hilly and northern Indian. At such places, the roads are more prone to accidents, but with the gleaming headlights, one would be able to see the forthcoming vehicle.
  3. Power consumption of the vehicle will be reduced, which will further reduce the overall mileage of the vehicle to about 1kpl. However, technology has given an alternative in the form of best mileage bikes with AHO to cater to our needs.
  4. In India, the vehicle is mostly idle when stuck in the traffic. The headlight of the bikes should be designed as the reflector caused inside the headlamp can fade the bulb inside much more comfortable as the bulb will be on as long as the vehicle will on its ignition mode.
  5. As cities with dense traffic, AHO is less needed over there, and preferably it should have been implemented on the highways where the speed of the vehicle is much faster compared to the cities.
  6. If the vehicle does not support the angle change of its light of low beam, then it will cause the drivers coming from the opposite side not to see clearly which can further cause accidents but if the vehicle has LED DRL these things are less likely to happen.

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