How Safe Are Our Highways?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by ramkya1

must have been doing 100+on my fusion when I saw this bullock cart on the wrong side heading for me

Same thing happened to me on Bangalore-Mysore road near Mandya. Except, it was a dark and stormy night (like snoopy says), rain was lashing. I was not driving fast because of rain, and I felt some movement in front me, probably due to reflected light from an oncoming vehicle on the other side. It was a bullock-cart on my lane, coming towards me without any lantern. I had enough time to avoid him, but I kept the horn pressed all the time until I passed the moron in question.

BTW, have you guys noticed that these Wrong Lane Morons [WLM] always stick to the divider, the fast lane. May be they feel safer next to a divider, although that is the fastest hence least safe lane.

Originally Posted by ramkya1

Another picture of a KSRTC bus trying to overtake when there is absolutely no space...... amlosot rammed me

Well, this is an everyday every hour scene. Happens on all highways all the time.

Originally Posted by ramkya1

so....... what say you ......... are our roads safe for 100+ KMPH?

No, therefore I have a personal rule. I always keep my braking distance shorter than the visibility.

[zenx]

Its simplistic to say it all sucks. Fact is that these highways are often accessed by multiple grades of traffic for multiple purposes - travel bet villages, long haul freight, tractors takig stuff to the mandi etc. Its probably not going to work to say 'get all these guys off the road so i can zip' - from a practical pov if traffic can move at 80+ on these they've served their purpose.
Yes the user education about usage, benefits, risks is needed given the higher speed traffic but there is no single quick fix to this.

and yeah - keeping the braking distance shorter than visibility is an excellent rule to follow at all times - rain/no rain/whatever speed.

[brainscooper]

Originally Posted by zenx

Yes the user education about usage, benefits, risks is needed given the higher speed traffic but there is no single quick fix to this.

Maybe you can get your friends and relatives to learn some traffic rules from the excellent site maintained by the
Chandigarh Traffic Police

[mohit]

Originally Posted by brainscooper

Maybe you can get your friends and relatives to learn some traffic rules from the excellent site maintained by the
Chandigarh Traffic Police

Seriously! This is the BEST government site I have seen to date!
I just wish that these rules are enforced everywhere.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by brainscooper

Maybe you can get your friends and relatives to learn some traffic rules from the excellent site maintained by the
Chandigarh Traffic Police

Unbelievable, they even publish the list of habitual offenders with address.

http://www.chandigarhtrafficpolice.o...ders/index.php

[Minardi]

That bus looks more like MSRTC than KSRTC. Just defending my native state

[RX135]

Well! It IS a MSRTC bus.

[bigman]

I remember years ago a relative came to visit us form India. I took him out a few times and he asked me if my side mirrors were broken as I was looking over my shoulder to check blind spots before overtaking etc on the motorway.

He insisted that there everything could be seen via the side mirrors.

Its not just about education. Many people just never bother thinking. I had a go at a cousin for parking the car on sharp bends, which not only endangers the person coming aorund the corner but also could result in damage to your car. He said that was how things were done in India. It would not have taken more than 20 seconds to park the car in a safer place. Plain stupidity and selfishness rules the day.

[.anshuman]

i agree i have hit countless dogs and suffered a lot of bumper damages on my cars ,and i wonder if we can call those roads highways even the best of the highways are worse than link roads in a devoloped country.

[sster]

ohh dude
never trust indian highways
i have had many bad experiences
was driving at 160 and a friend came and banged me from behind
luckily nothing happened to me but car lost control
since that day i dont go above 100 and even 100 i have started findin a bit risky

[revtech]

yes i agree going above 100 specially in the nights on indian highways is really asking for trouble.you never know what can come up suddenly.most of the vehicles do not have tail lights that work so seeing them from a distance is close to impossible.and next to villages these stupid villagers walk on the roads.its really unsafe.


Rev

[dodge3p]

I think we as a group could do something to improve the road safety.
suggestions please.. Something for the betterment of our country.

[normally_crazy]

Forget Education and all.....the main thing lacking is Self Discipline !

[zenx]

Originally Posted by revtech

.and next to villages these stupid villagers walk on the roads.

Rev

Well lets not be too harsh - they walk on the road because someone either built a road right through a village or at least let a village come up or grow all around the road. Given the access roads provide its a bit natural but needs to be planned better.
Why just villages - even our 'ring roads' have MNC campuses, residential blocks and shops etc directly facing/accessible from them. If you have a fast road there has to be a service network to get to these places - which must NOT face the road directly.
I've found highway driving far safer than city driving. I've also found driving around in India (at least the Southern highways) less stressful than feeways - cause its more one-on-one with your surroundings and less sterile. Yes you need to follow a few rules and be watchful near villages, traffic etc. I believe it has way more to do with the way we drive than the highways intrinsically.
For the record, I have been victim of someone's carelessness on a highway and been bashed up for no real fault of mine. I still maintain the same view.

[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by dodge3p

I think we as a group could do something to improve the road safety.
suggestions please.. Something for the betterment of our country.

yes we can - always follow the rules and drive safetly. Also we can try to make people and relatives and friends we know aware of the dangers of this kind of driving - thats all !how they understand and take it is upto them ....