Small survival kit for Indian roads.

[Tgo]

Just a tip that i follow which my Dad told me,

While waiting for a Heavy Vehicle (Trucks mostly) to clear up your lane in case of overtaking,
Keep and eye in the RVM of the vehicle you are trailing
You will see an acknowledging look on the face of the Truck driver (Well at least he'll be looking at you) as soon as he clears your lane (acknowledging your request for an overtake).

I was surprised to see this the first time i was driving on the Highway. Works on the Highways in the north. Try it out.

[ashish1965]

Originally Posted by Zappo

Just a while back I was reading Amit's rantings (Close shaves everyday!)about the pathetic conditions of the Indian roads and the traffic sense (or rather the absense of it) amongst Indians. He finds it all perilious after his brief brush with the traffic in the western world. That set me thinking. I am sure most of us have our own ways to manage the scenario here...

So here is a personal checkpoint of things I do as soon as I hit the road everyday for a 60 km to and fro drive across the best and the worst of hyderabadi roads, wading through a sea of cars and bikes.

• Never go too close to a truck, bus etc... They just turn without looking anywhere.
• If a bus is parked at a stop immediately make a lane's gap between your car and the bus. You can count your lucky stars if he does not take a 90 degrees turn and land up on your car the moment you pass him by.
• Keep a distance from new cars, particularly the unregistered ones. The owners are prone to oversteer or understeer or roll back from a stand still and you may find that his car is kissing yours before you knew what happened.
• The moment a biker overtakes you take your feet off the accelerator for a moment. Chances are bright that he wil cut sharply across just in front of you and then brake.
• If you are about to reach a sharp turn where you can not see the other side of the bend honk loudly and/or flash. Reduce the speed also to a more manageable one. There is a very good chance that an overtaking biker or a cab (indicabs, qualis, any other) will be on your lane just at that very moment. You may also find a broken down car, bus etc or even just a parked vehicle at that very blind turn!
• If you see a couple of playful kids or even adults a bit ahead at the side of the road BEWARE. Once they are sure that you are now almost close enough not to be able to brake one of them will decide to chase the other one so that the bugger runs across the road, dodging his mate and lands up bang in front of the car.
• Lastly, the moment you hear a mad car or a bike (the variety that makes too much noise due to mods done in their exhaust chambers/manifolds etc) coming your way just move out. Thats more important here than making way for an ambulance, fire truck etc. Sad but thats how it is.

Alongwith all the above checkpoints make it a habit to be a "nervous" driver. Keep darting your eyes across the RVM, ORVMs and the corners of the road ahead periodically. May just give you the wisdom of the Oracle at times to be able to predict a suicide attempt by some madcap nut behind the wheels.

Feel free to add what you do over and above this to save your skin.

Hello,
Indeed well written and enjoyable too. You have covered all the points. no more need to be added. Except may be my experience.. I thing periodically the turning lights ( L-R)of our own car should be checked to. I was surprised to see one day that both of these lights on my tail of my car were not working. While, I was confidently cutting lanes of course after supposingly giving proper signals (I don't know since when !).
Thanks to the motorists around me, Everything was OK.
Aashish..

[JoeMichael]

Just to adding a few points

1) Never follow a bus too closely , especially on unknown routes , as they will not signal before a bus stop and 99% would have brake lights in non-working condition

2) Always expect someone to cross the road from the blind side behind a stopped bus.

3) Donot turn on indicators too early or too late

4) Never try to beat a signal countdown.

5) Always make the driver aware of your presence while overtaking

6) Its always better to err in side of caution

7) Donot slow down the vehicle too fast after completing overtaking.

8) Never expect an oncoming vehicle / vehicle being overtaken to slow down for you to pass.

9) Always use RVM - bothsides- before overtaking

10) Never splash a puddle

11) Always expect a person standing on the edge of the road to dart across as you reach nearer.

12) Always remember the winner is the one who reaches safe not the one who reaches first


13) Quoting my friend and TBHP reader Michelle Schneider (Not a member yet) - "On the road you are only as safe as the worst driver you come across - you can't control others, but you can ensure its not you".

[Nonstop-driver]

One more:

- It only takes 'two persons of the leaned kind' to create a traffic-jam at an intersection. If you happen to be following one (you can just tell them, they're different!), take care to avoid following them closely. Better choose a separate lane so that you can pass before they start creating their magic on the road.

[animdas]

From my part (experience):

1. While changing lanes, apart from using indicators & SRVMs, do turn your head over the shoulder (left/right- depending on which side you are turning) to cover the blind spot. Many a times, it helped me locate somebody.

2. While entering left/right lane, turn over your shoulder to check for the smart guy going straight from your right/left, when you are taking right/left turn!

[fedexp]

Originally Posted by Zappo

Just a while back I was reading Amit's rantings (Close shaves everyday!)about the pathetic conditions of the Indian roads and the traffic sense (or rather the absense of it) amongst Indians. He finds it all perilious after his brief brush with the traffic in the western world. That set me thinking. I am sure most of us have our own ways to manage the scenario here...

So here is a personal checkpoint of things I do as soon as I hit the road everyday for a 60 km to and fro drive across the best and the worst of hyderabadi roads, wading through a sea of cars and bikes.

• Never go too close to a truck, bus etc... They just turn without looking anywhere.
• If a bus is parked at a stop immediately make a lane's gap between your car and the bus. You can count your lucky stars if he does not take a 90 degrees turn and land up on your car the moment you pass him by.
• Keep a distance from new cars, particularly the unregistered ones. The owners are prone to oversteer or understeer or roll back from a stand still and you may find that his car is kissing yours before you knew what happened.
• The moment a biker overtakes you take your feet off the accelerator for a moment. Chances are bright that he wil cut sharply across just in front of you and then brake.
• If you are about to reach a sharp turn where you can not see the other side of the bend honk loudly and/or flash. Reduce the speed also to a more manageable one. There is a very good chance that an overtaking biker or a cab (indicabs, qualis, any other) will be on your lane just at that very moment. You may also find a broken down car, bus etc or even just a parked vehicle at that very blind turn!
• If you see a couple of playful kids or even adults a bit ahead at the side of the road BEWARE. Once they are sure that you are now almost close enough not to be able to brake one of them will decide to chase the other one so that the bugger runs across the road, dodging his mate and lands up bang in front of the car.
• Lastly, the moment you hear a mad car or a bike (the variety that makes too much noise due to mods done in their exhaust chambers/manifolds etc) coming your way just move out. Thats more important here than making way for an ambulance, fire truck etc. Sad but thats how it is.

Alongwith all the above checkpoints make it a habit to be a "nervous" driver. Keep darting your eyes across the RVM, ORVMs and the corners of the road ahead periodically. May just give you the wisdom of the Oracle at times to be able to predict a suicide attempt by some madcap nut behind the wheels.

Feel free to add what you do over and above this to save your skin.

Well, when I read all that, to me it more or less sounds like .. " get a driver for your car OR don't drive at all ". :-) no offence.

[Johnn]

One story was the differences between the experts and the ordinary drivers on the Italian Alps. The experts could predict when there was a car coming around the blind turn.

Its like that. You need to predict what every other guy on the road is doing, and the plot the safest way thro, from them and you.

Watching their front tyres is a visible hint, apart from glances over the shoulder - which makes it important to use the Govt recommended sun-film for the drivers behind to see the intentions.

[Swifdeep]

Originally Posted by JoeMichael

Just to adding a few points

1) Never follow a bus too closely , especially on unknown routes , as they will not signal before a bus stop and 99% would have brake lights in non-working condition

Would like to add to this: Never follow a bus (public transport) too closely, especially on unknown routes, they are never concerned about the well being of their vehicle and will travel over potholes/speed-breakers etc etc at the same speed. Such a situation can unsettle and damage tailing smaller vehicles big time.

[srinih75]

If there is a slightest indication you are going to slowdown or stop people will jump in front of your car. To prevent it you have to always to show the people around you that you are not intending to stop and can be done by not making eye contact with pedestrians. This could be pedestrians or two wheelers or any one.

If you see undecided people - use your horn in a on-off-on-off mode (you can play some popular tune manually) not a single continuous honk. People are all mostly not even looking at you or another car on the road. Only this will alert them probably stop.

Always make sure your blind spot on your LHS is clear. Possibly a biker is trying to pass you when you slow down to turn left!