ARTICLE: Safe Driving in the Rains

[supercars]

Originally Posted by gpa

This seems to be a neat trick. If indeed true, it will be a boon to those without an a/c system in the car.

Please do not rub Liquid Soap.

The visibility drops to ZERO.

[Roy.S]

Originally Posted by gpa

This seems to be a neat trick. If indeed true, it will be a boon to those without an a/c system in the car.

I used to drive a non a/c m800 for 4 yrs. This trick always works. Very useful for bathroom mirrors too
EDIT: @supercars, the visibility reduces only if you have not completely rubbed out the soap. I had no problems with this across 4 monsoons. It is a tedious process, however.

[gpa]

Originally Posted by supercars

You can give the guy behind a Hard Time everytime by pressing the Brake Pedal.

He might even rear-end your car if he's following close (bumper to bumper) if you suddenly step on the brakes.

[gpa]

Originally Posted by supercars

Please do not rub Liquid Soap. The visibility drops to ZERO

I thing he mentioned about rubbing liquid soap till it disappears and the glass is clear so as to not leave the thin film that you are referring to.

[gpa]

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[fi.robin]

Most of us already know this.

Cold air has less capacity to hold moisture. So if temprature is low outside, the temperature of the window glass will be low (even on the inside). This results in the cooler air near the glass (inside). As a result of cooling of air, its capacity to hold moisture reduces. The balance of the moisture is what we see as mist (inside). Try pouring cold water in a steel vessel on a hot day, you will notice mist on the outside of the vessel.

[GTO]

A member NSK123 dropped this useful note by us:

Now most of the cars have remote boot release which is mechanically operated. In case if the doors are locked due to rain, use remote boot release and get out. No need to break the car glass.

[aaggoswami]

I dont know if they are discussed before this or not. If yes, mods, delete this post.

1) Lights : Rather than having 100W headlamps with poor focusing, its better to have 65W but with proper focusing. Get this done in your presence. Anyother thing and you will end up in a tizzy.

2) Wiper Blades : I think Bosch has a wide range. I suggest two sets,
a) Standard set : The set that came as standard with the car.
b) A seperate set of better wiper blades.

During monsoon, change the standard set to better wiper blades. As soon as monsoon is over, take out the set of better wiper blades, pack them in plastic bag, and store them. Put back the standard set.

This helps us by having a normal set that is just about OK for driving in seasons other than monsoon and we have a separate set for monsoon. This way one need not change the blades every two years or so.

Both 1) and 2) in our Baleno are quite useless. Came to know about their shortcomings in recent expresshighway drive where it was raining like hell. Bulbs are 60W but poor focusing means they are useless.

[bblost]

A pair of Bosch wipers cost about Rs 200 ~ 300.

Why do we need a Standard set and a separate set.
Just replace them every year.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by bblost

A pair of Bosch wipers cost about Rs 200 ~ 300.

Why do we need a Standard set and a separate set.
Just replace them every year.

For two reasons : Reduce wastage and getting parts.
Suppose I install Bosch wiper blades and then dont change them after monsoon. Then after the summer season, the wiper blades are rendered useless due to intense heat. Rather than letting this happen, I will put in the older standard set to let it be there for summers. If with this little job I am able to extract maximum life out of wiper blades, why not ? And its pleasure to work on the car too.

Now comes the main reason. Finding Bosch wiper blades. For me its tough. I mentioned this name at MASS ( Kiran Motors ) and reply to me was " There is nothing like Bosch wiper blades ". Was cursing that guy all the way on NE-1. Other problem is getting fake parts. May be this is applicable to me as I want minimum wastage and I dont have to worry every year.

[bblost]

@aaggoswami, are you simply defending your earlier statement or really mean what you wrote.

And just for the record, it takes 2 minutes to change a wiper blade.
Esp those with bosch locking mechanism.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by bblost

@aaggoswami, are you simply defending your earlier statement or really mean what you wrote.

Simply not defending. This is a city where I have got around 5 fake bulbs under Halogen bulbs. A mobo costing Rs. 5K is sold at Rs. 7.5K. Anything automotive = the person who is selling is the most knowledgeable in the world.

This is not a very developed place as far as automotive knowledge goes. A kid standing on front seat and father is driving car, a kid in lap, kid playing lose in the car with the parent driving, so now you get extent. I am tired of bad quality parts. M800 wiper blades installed two months ago are now not useful. Even highly educated persons dont know what is high beam and low beam, and most of the time they are driving with high beams on.

I have posted what I am now doing and I think it is the best solution for me. You can get three range of Amaron batteries of same capacity but warranty and cost are different. Apparently fake products are a lot in this city. The day MASS told me about Bosch wiper blades, I was shocked.

If its my mistake, I would readily accept it. We will now have two set of wiper blades for each car.

[psp62in]

Originally Posted by ACM

The practice of switching on hazard lights is one of the most hazardous practices that exist. It is incorrect to drive with lights blinking. These lights are supposed to be left blinking in a crippled vehicle parked by the side of the road. .

After a bad car pile-up in Dubai about 2 years back (~80 vehicles involved) due to poor visibility in fog, the local traffic dept issued an advisory warning drivers against this WRONG practice. Why cant our authorities do the same?

Have many time wondered how this incorrect practice of other drivers can be stopped, but there seems to be no solution to the ever increasing virus that has spread.

Share this sentiment. Can you imagine... just a few weeks back, I saw a full article in a Times publication on monsoon car safety, and the "expert" author advised - to my horror - the use of Hazard lights. I have tried to explain to some fellow drivers but they fail to understand.

A very simple solution exists to warn the vehicles behind you, instead of using the Hazard lights. Just switch on the headlights or the parking lights. Because with that, the tails lights get switched on too, and that really helps. (I have seen some idiots driving in tunnels or other poor visibility situations without headlights because they can see the road in front of them clearly, but without realizing that the vehicles behind them do not see them clearly. Also I guess, some of them are trying conserve on fuel! The virus also has spread to Mumbai-Pune expressway tunnels).

Originally Posted by asethi

Yeah on the Indian highways flashing the indicator means giving way. The right side indicator means, overtake from the right!

This ridiculous practice exists perhaps only in India. If one tried it in other places, the driver would be give a ticket. I have not seen any traffic authority ever trying to discourage such practices.

[deepclutch]

Last week during a Very Heavy Rain in the hilly highway near koothattukulam(MC Road,kerala) around 20:00hours visibility levels stooped very low despite having 100/90 headlamps.I wonder whether a Fog lamp will help in such scenario much?moreover ,parking is not an option in those parts of MC road.I have never experience such a heavy rain BTW!.
All cars and other vehicles uses Hazard Lights since it was the only option to be seen by other vehicles!

[Thad E Ginathom]

A rear fog lamp should be of very high intensity compared to hazard lights --- and a big nuisance to follow in ordinary visibility.

Of course, people should be driving at a speed where they can stop within their visibilty, even if that means crawling, but I guess that is too much to ask.