Highway driving etiquette and rules

[highsteem]

Originally Posted by anainar

I agree wit Thad. Tailgating while may look like a nice technque, it really irritates the guy ahead. So, please do not tailgate thinking it is a nice technique.
Nainar

Nainar, you have a very valid point. So it will be good if you keep your headlights in low beam when you have intention of following the guy ahead. If you keep your headlights in high beam for sure you are causing lot of trouble to the guy in front of you (you are blinding him). Very less stress for sure and have followed this technique many times when I want to relax a little bit.

[ubsmart]

Originally Posted by rr_zen

I learnt this wonderful technique while getting ready to give my driving test in the US and guess what ! Its part of my everyday driving now. The importance of "looking over the shoulder" cannot be undermined. Unfortunately, how many of the drivers in India know about this, how many practise this at all ?

Ditto goes with me. My driving test and my driving etiquitte in US is helping me till date in India. I always make it a point to look in all my mirrors and over my shoulder while taking a right or a left cut in the multi lane traffic or while overtaking. I simple dont understand how people drive without their left side mirror. Most of the drivers who learnt their driving in street corner driving schools are just thought how to control steering and change the gear. They were never advised on the etiquitte.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by anainar

I agree wit Thad. Tailgating while may look like a nice technque, it really irritates the guy ahead. Atleast me if I am in the front and I will do exactly what Thad said. The headlights of the rear car reflect from both the ORVMs and inside mirror irritating the front driver.

I have done even the other way around to such guys during my drives. Slowed down, came to a complete stop so that the other car can pass, then tailgated them to let them know that it is irritating indeed.

So, please do not tailgate thinking it is a nice technique.

Nainar

I HATE tailgaters.... Most of them get the middle finger in the mirror treatment and either i speed away or slow down to crawling speeds. Sometimes sudden acceleration/braking and swerving works well

Originally Posted by ubsmart

Most of the drivers who learnt their driving in street corner driving schools are just thought how to control steering and change the gear. They were never advised on the etiquitte.

It helps if you treat all other road users as uneducated and compensate for their lack of skills. I believe this is called defensive driving?

[prince_pervez]

Tailgating in the night with 7-8 seconds distance is fine and sometimes overly cautious. It really helps when you have an experienced driver in front and one who knows the road conditions like the back of his palm. It saves a lot of time and energy and stress levels are also in check. But, to each his own.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I don't think I would call a 7-8 second gap "tailgating" --- although these things are strictly speed-relative. Whether it is fine or not rather depends on whether the person you are following thinks it is fine, and on what happens when they slam their brakes on.

The added hypnotic effect of night driving, the greater difficulty of judging distance, and the likelihood of tiredness mean that distances at night should be much much greater than in the day.

Remember, also that even if your response times are not diminished by tiredness, those of the guy in front of you may be.

As to having an experienced driver in front: unless it is your friend, how are you ever going to know that?

[anainar]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

As to having an experienced driver in front: unless it is your friend, how are you ever going to know that?

Precisely!! How do one know the guy ahead is an experienced driver? We have done convoys of 14 cars for 450 kilometers and we tailgated but we knew exactly what we are doing and if I am irritated because of light, I can always call the guy behind to back off a little bit so that the lights don't come on my eyes. With a stranger, no such liberty.

So, please do not tailgate, how ever cool and relaxing that technique may be. The risks outweigh this comfort.

Nainar

[ssengo]

During my night drive on the highway i have seen vehicles switching on both the indicators and moving ahead. Any idea what does this indicate?

[watashi75]

Originally Posted by ssengo

During my night drive on the highway i have seen vehicles switching on both the indicators and moving ahead. Any idea what does this indicate?

Some drivers use this signalling at crossings when they want to drive straight across, instead of turning left or right.

Some drivers use this signalling (wrongly) when driving through thick fog.

[anainar]

Originally Posted by ssengo

During my night drive on the highway i have seen vehicles switching on both the indicators and moving ahead. Any idea what does this indicate?

I have no idea why they should do it and in my view there is no reason also, unless otherwise there is a hazard with their vehicle. That is why it is called Hazard light. I have seen people doing this regularly inside tunnels, which are lit. Never understood the need. During heavy rains or fog people do turn on the indicators because the environment is hazardous.

Nainar

[prince_pervez]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I don't think I would call a 7-8 second gap "tailgating" --- although these things are strictly speed-relative.

7-8 seconds when you are doing speeds like - o'ho, I'd rather not mention it here. Braking and driver alertness also matters.

Originally Posted by anainar

Precisely!! How do one know the guy ahead is an experienced driver?

Sometimes the way a person is driving, yellow plates and instincts etc. Comes with experience and @anainar you are a veteran on NH4 come on

Originally Posted by ssengo

During my night drive on the highway i have seen vehicles switching on both the indicators and moving ahead. Any idea what does this indicate?

I know of reasons:
1) Let the driver ahead of the caravan know that I am going to stop at the shoulder of the road so you too stop.

2) In a tunnel to make known the distance at all times not only after the brake lights have been lit after braking.

[anainar]

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

Sometimes the way a person is driving, yellow plates and instincts etc. Comes with experience and @anainar you are a veteran on NH4 come on

I know the instinct factor and yes, one can make out the driver after a while. And it is fun to be driving with such guys because they respect you and you respect them in return, when passing, a mere glance and a smile makes us "Hey buddy,enjoy the drive". But still I dont tail gate, especially in the night.

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

I know of reasons:
1) Let the driver ahead of the caravan know that I am going to stop at the shoulder of the road so you too stop.

2) In a tunnel to make known the distance at all times not only after the brake lights have been lit after braking.

Hmm! This sounds reasonable! But what about guys driving alone using hazard lights? May be I am picky but I am trying to understand so that I have few choices of why people do that and bracket the guy ahead into one of those and be prepared.

And is'nt switching on the headlights/parking lights switch on the tail lights also, which is a better option than hazard light?

Nainar

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

7-8 seconds when you are doing speeds like - o'ho, I'd rather not mention it here....

In that case it is way too little. Double or triple it. Seriously!

Sometimes the way a person is driving, yellow plates ...

Here, those are just the cars to stay well away from

1) Let the driver ahead of the caravan know that I am going to stop at the shoulder of the road so you too stop.

In UK driving, slowing down and indicating left is the way to say so. Not sure how one tells the person behind that you want them to stop too, apart from turning round and making wild gestures at them --- during which, of course, you colide with the bus coming the other way!

2) In a tunnel to make known the distance at all times not only after the brake lights have been lit after braking.

How is that?

[Ravveendrra]

Tailgating is simply not recommended. Maintain visual contact if you are following someone but stay good distance away. For reference check the spy novels and movies on following someone without being discovered.

I do not know about experience or lack of it, but a good driver is easy to spot. The vehicle will travel in a smooth line maintaining a constant distance from the edges of the road, the vehicle will not swing from one part of the road to the other, any changes in direction will be smooth (to avoid potholes, stones, obstacles etc.). He will not tailgate. He will plan his overtaking and overtake neatly i.e. move to the right after ensuring that there is no traffic then accelerate neatly and not cut back in too fast. Good/bad, experienced/inexperienced does not really matter, if you are comfortable following him and your styles of driving and speeds match you may follow him.

Signalling language changes from region to region (a bit like the local language), it is best to observe the traffic patterns and signalling behaviour and interpret them without reference to what they do in the Americas or Europe.

Drivers switching on hazard lights when driving is because they think they have to extract every penny's worth out of the gadgets in the car. There are only two situations in which hazard lights can be used - (1) car is stationery and in distress and, (2) there is a serious hazard ahead (traffic pile up, road washed away, water flowing over the road, ice on road or landslip. Every other usage of hazard lights on a moving vehicle is wrong. I have seen Indicab drivers (who else!) drive through an intersection with hazard lights on to indicate that he is going straight, his logic: since both indicators are on, they cancel each other out meaning I am going straight. Personally, I do not mind ambulances using their hazard warning lights in conjuntion with their flashing lights and siren and think it is justified.

What Thad wrote is the correct way of signalling to the vehicles in a convoy to stop. (Not the turning around and gesticulating but the slowing down and using left indicator).

Cheers,

[Thad E Ginathom]

Not the turning around and gesticulating

*

Your analysis of the good driver in front is very informative. Such a driver will observe lane discipline, but without cutting in and out fast. When one follows such a vehicle , and the driver changes lane, one knows there is a good reason and can act accordingly. Of course, the cow they are driving around may have moved by the time we get there!


*I wasn't really serious. Of course, if they are your friend, you just call them up on the mobile.


... Or send them as SMS!

[Harry1983]

Originally Posted by ubsmart

Ditto goes with me. My driving test and my driving etiquitte in US is helping me till date in India. I always make it a point to look in all my mirrors and over my shoulder while taking a right or a left cut in the multi lane traffic or while overtaking. I simple dont understand how people drive without their left side mirror. Most of the drivers who learnt their driving in street corner driving schools are just thought how to control steering and change the gear. They were never advised on the etiquitte.

I agree with you. On highways I don't understand how they reach their destinations without using their mirrors. I think its a miracle. About tailgating, I am a victim of it. Few years ago when travelling from vizag to Hyd in indica, the cab driver was tailgating all the time. I told him to stop but won't listen. Result- an oil tanker hit us and the right side of the car completely damaged. Its only God's will that we came out of it unhurt.

I believe, this should be the primary rule for anyone driving on highways