Social media users debated the validity of the removal of xenon headlights from Chechen roads.

LED headlights blind oncoming drivers, and their removal will help reduce accidents, several commenters noted in response to a report about the removal of LED bulbs on Chechen roads. In some cases, such headlights help drivers see what's happening on the road, others countered.

As "Caucasian Knot" reported, raids to confiscate LED bulbs from drivers on Chechen roads are illegal, commenters pointed out in response to reports about raids on roads in Chenchi. The use of overly bright bulbs leads to accidents, and similar raids would be useful in Dagestan, their opponents countered.

Inspectors from the 2nd Battalion of the Traffic Police Regiment of the State Traffic Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Chechen Republic are conducting preventative measures to identify and prevent serious traffic violations, reported the Grozny State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company.

When xenon bulbs are installed in a headlight that is not designed for them, the light is dispersed incorrectly: it can glare into the eyes of oncoming drivers, reducing road illumination. "Installing xenon and various LED bulbs in headlights designed for halogen bulbs is prohibited, as this can blind other drivers. Proper headlight adjustment is crucial, which is why drivers often cite this issue, but this alone does not legalize the use of non-standard xenon. Moreover, if the vehicle's horizontal position changes due to passengers or cargo, the headlights will blind oncoming drivers, as there is no automatic headlight adjustment. This violation, which can result in a fine and, in some cases, the loss of a driver's license, is often the cause of traffic accidents," the agency quoted department representatives as saying.

This message was published by the Instagram* public page "Emergency in Grozny", which has 660,000 followers. By 8:37 p.m. Moscow time, the post had garnered 69 comments.

Most Russian-language commenters supported the police officers' actions.

"Even when they're driving by, you need a moment to recover from their glare, like you're looking at a welder, and on a busy highway, it could cost lives... let there be a yellow light," ismamaestro noted.

"To the impound lot for a month if they commit this violation again," suggested user scarl981.

Another commenter pointed out that the ban on LED headlights should also apply to cars in which they are factory-installed.

"I almost got into an accident several times because (my car) wasn't equipped with LED headlights, and a cool car with LED headlights was driving in the oncoming lane, and they blinded me when, due to a factor "I couldn't see well enough on wet asphalt anyway. Now the question is: where is the objectivity of your laws regarding this phenomenon? I told you about a real situation that occurred in practice. Or is the law just for show, and not for fair, objective practice? In that case, ban the import and import of cars into our country that are equipped with LED lamps by the manufacturer. Or does this LED stop blinding if it's factory-installed? What nonsense," wrote ali_bai_oo1.

"The way you're doing it is simply wonderful. I hope Dagestan will take this up too—it's impossible to drive at night; my eyes hurt like welding," commented alpa_stoyn.

"Those who have poor visibility should also install normal lamps; why remove them from everyone else," pointed out user abdlv.700.

"These are called fog lights because they diffuse light in fog; they shine around, not on..." "Beam. Therefore, these headlights cannot be adjusted so that they do not interfere with oncoming traffic. They cannot be turned on without fog," noted 8888mausal.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," on January 8, the head of Chechnya called tinting any car windows in Chechnya unacceptable and suggested that those afraid of raids "stay home." At the end of 2023, drivers in Chechnya faced new raids by security forces against car tinting; attempts to argue with the police resulted in summonses, according to local residents. In December 2024, roadside inspections in Chechnya were again intensified, with drivers linking the raids to the fight against tinting. The ban on window tinting in Chechnya does not apply to the head of the republic himself and his associates, commentators have pointed out.

Earlier, Ramzan Kadyrov linked the accident rate on Chechen roads to the increase in tinted cars. He demanded that this problem be "completely eradicated," including by involving drivers' relatives. For more information on what exactly about the actions of Chechen security forces outrages car owners and the legal procedure for removing the film, see the "Caucasian Knot" report "How Chechnya is Combating Car Tinting."