How well do we drive?

[Rtech]

better to use the term Overtaking lane rather than fast lane. Fast can mean different things to different people!

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by RajaTaurus

When the guy behind me flashes on me, I stay on my lane and even slow down a bit, which frustrates him. He now starts honking at full bore and I still do the same. move slower and stay on the lane. Then after few moments, he moves to the left lane afte scaring away some poor old man driving Maruti-800 and comes in parallel to me. Then I ask him 'whats wrong' by sign language. He, seems beaten, just gives an offensive look and goes his way...
3007, we will be driving like the europeans do...

I am sure we have all learnt a lesson in how the Europeans drive (by blocking a person who wants to overtake). Are you sure you do this when the person trying to overtake you is a big bad mean roadway bus, high speed truck, or a Safari/Innova.

`Whats wrong'- who should be saying that!!!

[thefreak]

Originally Posted by w 12

To me it looks like a sweeping generalisation. I have seen as many superbly fit people as unfit ones in US and an equal number of paunchy unfit population in Europe. The worst racism I have come across was in Europe and not US. Germany , France and UK , for all their talk of Culture have the worst record in assimilating immigrants compared to USA.

It is uber cool to brand USA uncool , but the number of Visa applications to US , paints a different picture altogether.

My personal views based on my experience and absolutely no offence meant to anyone.

Yeah my personal experience too. We talk about culture in the US/UK/Europe when they talk about culture in India. I have actually seen an 8-10 year old kid telling his mother to "shut the fu** up bit**" in the UK. And from what I have heard it is not all that one off an occurence. For all their openness they still talk about the brown skinned and dark skinned people albeit in hushed tones. The list is endless. Call that culture?

I dont think that the way anyone drives has anything to do with culture. The difference is the law enforcements. This problem can be traced through and at a very low level it will boil down to two related things - prosperity of the junta (read en masse economic development) and education. We will get there mate. Let us start to make the difference. And spread the word. Things will change. The change will be gradual and maybe we will see marked improvement only in a couple of decades or so. But what the heck! The sooner we start the better it is.

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by MaserQ

Ram, I see the point you are trying to drive home. Yes, the cultural difference is striking indeed. But applying your own theory, if we are brought up with compassion and always taught to obey and respect our elders, why do we not replicate the same in other areas of our lives...like in our road & driving habits for example.

We Indians hang on to our culture/traditions for all the wrong reasons. We use tradition as a reason to fight / kill each other, chew pan and spit anywhere, drive like idiots, not give respect to others (to get respect, you got to give first) etc.

We have compassion only for dogs. If a dog gets killed in a road accident you might end up in jail. But nobody is there to question people who murder innocent people on the streets.

I get irritated whenever i see the words "INDIA SHINING". As long as we Indians DON'T understand the meaning of Patience, Queue, Stop Signal, Wait etc, We will be LIKE THIS ONLY.

God, save this country.

-- Torqy

[amit]

Originally Posted by RajaTaurus

When the guy behind me flashes on me, I stay on my lane and even slow down a bit, which frustrates him. He now starts honking at full bore and I still do the same. move slower and stay on the lane. Then after few moments, he moves to the left lane afte scaring away some poor old man driving Maruti-800 and comes in parallel to me. Then I ask him 'whats wrong' by sign language. He, seems beaten, just gives an offensive look and goes his way...

Same way, I sometimes stop my car right in front of the guys who come on to me with HI-BEAM on a single road. Wherever possible I ask him to dip his lights. Of course they never understand why I did that, but, they seemed to be uninterested in finding out the reason.
Well, I am only hoping that by educating the ignorant drivers this way, by 3007, we will be driving like the europeans do...

1. No European drives the way you do.

2. Your educating drivers on driving the way you mention will not result in us driving like the Euroepans even till infinity.

When the guy behind me flashes on me, I stay on my lane and even slow down a bit. He now starts honking at full bore and I still do the same. move slower and stay on the lane.

Better stop doing what you are becausing what you are doing is illegal. Newsflash: It's you whose wrong not the car behind you. A good driver wouldn't let the car behind flash or honk at him to move away. There is a reason for the 3 rear view mirrors provided in your car.

The right most lane, popularly called the fast lane, is, by law, the overtaking lane. You drive in that lane ONLY when you want to overtake. Finish that and move back into the middle lane. This, of course, applies only where lanes exsist.

[ravi23]

I follow the rules most of the time but, when you hit the bangalore roads you also need to watch other drivers (especially those cab/BMTC/Lorry) to avoid unnecessary trouble.

[suman]

Originally Posted by amit

The right most lane, popularly called the fast lane, is, by law, the overtaking lane. You drive in that lane ONLY when you want to overtake. Finish that and move back into the middle lane. This, of course, applies only where lanes exsist.

And, of course, where you don't have autos, private cars being driven by ex-call-centre-cab-drivers or other such lunatics around. You should see some of these specimens on the NH8 hugging the extreme right lane & furiously cruising at 30-40 kmph

[amit]

Originally Posted by suman

And, of course, where you don't have autos, private cars being driven by ex-call-centre-cab-drivers or other such lunatics around. You should see some of these specimens on the NH8 hugging the extreme right lane & furiously cruising at 30-40 kmph

Tell me about it suman. When I drive up behind these cars and honk at them they actually put their hands out and make gestures like "what do you want?" and wave at me showing me that the middle lane is empty and why I can't overtake from there .

[Rtech]

Guys, take it easy. Lets educate, not persecute him. it's obvious that he was doing something he thought was right. I think he realises the mistake now. Lets end it there.

[RajaTaurus]

Well Amit, I see your point.
I am not talking about doing that on the Autobahn, mate..!
I am on Chennai's mount road, with five lanes on the road with and eight lanes of vehciles moving bumper-to-bumper at 5 kms per hour speed and the guy behind me (most of the times a Scorpio or an Innova or a Tavera with yellow board) keeps flashing non-stop on me and I end up doing that. I even sometimes turn back and signal him "tell me where I can go?"

Of course, on a highway, I won't do that...

Regarding fast lane, Come and check in Tamil Nadu, the right most lane is for slow-moving vehicles like Buses, Lorries and over-loaded mini-vans. Almost all the other vehciles overtake from the left.. Yes From the left... on a road with dividers...

I appreciate your advises and thanks for those, Amit..

Please note that I am a clean-chit holder, having clocked more than 11 Lakh Kilometers cumulative in my 16 years of driving Camrys, Corollas, Ford Taurus, Lancers.etc, in Kuwait/ Saudi Arabia and I am aware of all the traffic rules and road manners... (btw, Saudis are no less to Indians when it comes to rash-driving/ ignorance of rules/ breaking rules)

Anyways Amit, I agree with you that I should not have created an impression that what I am doing is right and I thank you for pointing that out...

[D1ISTHE1]

Originally Posted by RajaTaurus

I do exactly the same Dileep. When the guy behind me flashes on me, I stay on my lane and even slow down a bit, which frustrates him. He now starts honking at full bore and I still do the same. move slower and stay on the lane. Then after few moments, he moves to the left lane afte scaring away some poor old man driving Maruti-800 and comes in parallel to me. Then I ask him 'whats wrong' by sign language. He, seems beaten, just gives an offensive look and goes his way...
I am sort of enjoying this lessons.
Same way, I sometimes stop my car right in front of the guys who come on to me with HI-BEAM on a single road. Wherever possible I ask him to dip his lights. Of course they never understand why I did that, but, they seemed to be uninterested in finding out the reason.
Well, I am only hoping that by educating the ignorant drivers this way, by 3007, we will be driving like the europeans do...

Hey @RajaTaurus, this proves two things
Firstly you are not that proficient with the use of lights and dippers on an highway.
Dippers can be interprated in various ways when used accordiingto the situation. In day time, dipper to an oncoming traffic means that you request a little more space. At night it also means that you request the other guy to low-beam his headlamps.

I usually drive between Shimla - Delhi (Hill/Highway). If at any point of time i am travelling from Delhi to Chandigarh or either and i'm doing say about 120-160 kmph flashing a dipper or two at the car in front of me, means, i am crusing at a high speed and IF you are in the Fast/Extreme right lane, you should generously give way(provided you have space to move to the left lane), but what reflects from your statement is that you are the problem here, you intentionally slow down just for the sake of blowing the momentum of car crusing at a high speed than you. When a vehicle flashes me in the RVM, i immediately move to the left,and why not, i dont' own the road..!!
And as stated by you, even i would be staring at you too, coz you were intentionally being an hazard to the car behind you, and what makes you think that u have accomplished anything from doing such an act? which i'm afaraid is not a very good thing to do
Secondly, when on the roads with your lights on what beam do you usually drive on and why?

[spadival]

Some times you have to be practical since most of the slow moving traffic keep to the right lane or the WRONG lane on the highway.

While overtaking, Normally I come behind the slow moving vehicle, check if any vehicle is there on the left lane (BOTH ahead and behind me), signal that I am switching lanes, over take and then switch back to the right lane after signalling.

If I spot a faster moving vehicle approaching me from behind, I signal and switch to the left lane, let them pass and then switch back (again, after signalling - with indicators of course, not waving of hands and legs).

PS: If I spot a vehicle approaching me from the WRONG side, I head straight at em with horns blaring and headlights flashing.. just close enough to make them nervous and sweat a bit, yet safe enough to avoid a head on with the moron.

[thefreak]

Originally Posted by Rtech

Guys, take it easy. Lets educate, not persecute him. it's obvious that he was doing something he thought was right. I think he realises the mistake now. Lets end it there.

I second that!

Also I would say that his fault is that he said it out in the open. Most of us would have done something like this when irritated by another driver. (Please dont jump on me guys - I seriously dont remember the last time I did it but I know that I am not perfect - far from it actually - and may have done it sometime. Probably would have done it sometime).

But yes if he realises his mistake and does not repeat it we have started the revolution haven't we? We just made a better driver.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by spadival

PS: If I spot a vehicle approaching me from the WRONG side, I head straight at em with horns blaring and headlights flashing.. just close enough to make them nervous and sweat a bit, yet safe enough to avoid a head on with the moron.

I do the same if it is a bike or a cycle. I am not so bold with oncoming trucks

[amit]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

I do the same if it is a bike or a cycle. I am not so bold with oncoming trucks

Problem is if you hit them, it will be "car mows down pedestrian/two wheeler." Thanks to our media, these guys think they are always right and four wheelers are always wrong. Another problem would be when a mob would collect and thrash the four wheeler driver and destroy his "swanky" set of wheels for crushing an innocent and poor pedestrian and two wheeler. We have to thank bollywood and Mr.Bachchan for this attitude