[Secretariat]

Originally Posted by Sheel

There absolutely is no need to honk in *ANY* corner of a hill. While driving in the hills, all drivers in under all circumstances stick to their side, i.e. to the left.

It is us, city dwellers who honk or break the rules [in case of a landslide break the queue] Even inside the city [for eg Gangtok] no one honks. And I mean no one. You have to stick to left and give way to drivers descending.

I remember, even I started with this honking every corner practice in my first sojourn to the hills, but within 5 kilometers I realized that, either there is something wrong with me or no one has a functioning horn in the hills. And just because of this, I look forward to driving up the hills at every possible opportunity.

Hope the post is taken in the right spirit

Thanks very much for your post on Honking in response to my report on XCent. Much appreciate your taking the time to point out - no worries about "right spirit" at all

I am moving our discussion to the right thread so that others may chip in.

I have almost the opposite view, so it might be worth a debate. You are a very experienced driver, so will take your views with great respect and consider them carefully.

On Honking

I would never honk in a city - Gangtok, Aizawl, Shillong - yes nobody honks and we should respect the sanctity of the place. There is steady traffic in these places, the roads are wider and there is rarely a need to honk.

The issue comes on deserted hill roads. In parts of Arunachal and Nagaland, especially, there is often just space for one vehicle on the road. If an opposite vehicle comes, one has to find a safe passing spot (maybe go back) and only then can we pass. Even if this were not so, I would think the safer strategy at a blind corner would always be to honk. The fact that others don't do is neither here nor there - it is their call whether they want to be safe or not.

There are innumerable signs on corners to honk. Our own Team-BHP advice on safe driving in hills is to honk - see Post No 6 on this thread.

I know we don't want to disturb the serenity of the hills, and I hate noise making as much as you do, but a toot isn't too much !!

Right of Way

I thought in the hills, the right of way is always for the ascending vehicle and not the descending vehicle.

This is a debate in completely the right spirit - just to become better and safer drivers. Grateful for your considered view- as I said there is much respect for you and I am always learning on driving.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Sir, please don't.

There absolutely is no need to honk in *ANY* corner of a hill. While driving in the hills, all drivers in under all circumstances stick to their side, i.e. to the left.

It is us, city dwellers who honk or break the rules [in case of a landslide break the queue] Even inside the city [for eg Gangtok] no one honks. And I mean no one. You have to stick to left and give way to drivers descending.

I remember, even I started with this honking every corner practice in my first sojourn to the hills, but within 5 kilometers I realized that, either there is something wrong with me or no one has a functioning horn in the hills. And just because of this, I look forward to driving up the hills at every possible opportunity.

Hope the post is taken in the right spirit

Originally Posted by Secretariat

On Honking
...
Even if this were not so, I would think the safer strategy at a blind corner would always be to honk. The fact that others don't do is neither here nor there - it is their call whether they want to be safe or not.

There are innumerable signs on corners to honk. Our own Team-BHP advice on safe driving in hills is to honk - see Post No 6 on this thread.

I know we don't want to disturb the serenity of the hills, and I hate noise making as much as you do, but a toot isn't too much !!

Right of Way

I thought in the hills, the right of way is always for the ascending vehicle and not the descending vehicle.
...

Well, even I was of the view there is no need to honk. But a few trips to Himachal and now I do so religiously - just to stay safe. The locals, Mahindra pickups and even HPRTC buses don't refrain from overtaking on blind curves! Plus there are occasional trucks stopped right at a turn, and the passage is restricted to one vehicle only. Wish I still had the dash cam footage to show some examples.

Right of Way - yes, ascending vehicle always gets preference, unless it is a bus or truck or a local taxi, in which case, they always take preference - ascending/descending does't matter

[akshay380]

How mandatory it is to stop every 90-120 minutes on a highway drives from car/tires perspective considering avg speeds of about 100kmph?

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by akshay380

How mandatory it is to stop every 90-120 minutes on a highway drives from car/tires perspective considering avg speeds of about 100kmph?

I don't think it is required if your tyres are healthy and properly inflated.

I have had multiple 8+ hour runs and never took more than 1 break. Due to the conditions on our highways, you will be slowing down occasionally anyway. The longest high speed runs that I have had so far, have been on YEW. Here too, you stop occasionally at the tolls. So I don't think there is a need to specifically remember and rest the tyres as such.

- Check your tyre's condition before setting off.
- Maintain slight higher tyre pressure than usual - tyre bursts are usually due to under inflation.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Secretariat

There are innumerable signs on corners to honk. Our own Team-BHP advice on safe driving in hills is to honk - see Post No 6 on this thread.

My take on honking in the hills:

1. Drive keeping in mind first principles - go as fast as you can see, i.e. your speed is determined by your visible stopping distance. Slow down around a corner to allow you to stop without crashing if there is a parked truck or a landslide boulder around the bend.

2. Expect the mad driver trying to overtake on a blind corner. Honk on suspicion - not every time. Listen to the sound of other engines and horns. Keep the window wound down partly, and the ICE off / on low volume.

3. Night driving in the mountains is easier - you can see headlights of oncoming vehicles and anticipate better accordingly.

4. Exercise greater caution when your left side is towards the edge of the road. You don't want to go too close to the edge for fear of setting off a road subsidence and going off the edge.

5. Offer right of way to vehicles going up, but don't expect the same when coming down. Other drivers in the hills don't read this thread.

Originally Posted by akshay380

How mandatory it is to stop every 90-120 minutes on a highway drives from car/tires perspective considering avg speeds of about 100kmph?

Not mandatory at all, but a short 10-minute stop after 2 hours of driving is not a bad idea from the human point of view. Rests the driver, restores circulation in lower body, improves concentration, allows cleaning up of windscreens etc.

From the perspective of cars and tyres, you could keep driving round the clock at speeds up to perhaps 70% of a vehicle's top speed, and modern cars don't complain at all. Obviously, a Nano would complain if driven at average speeds of 100 kmph, but a Swift or similar (or bigger) car will not.

[Horizon81]

Cross posting from Accidents in India - PICS thread, since there is an active discussion on the same here

This video showed up on my Facebook feed. Looks like the lady dropped her purse on the road and came back to pick it up. Unfortunately she ends up in front of a speeding Bolero. Don't know if she survived the hit.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by Secretariat

Right of Way
I thought in the hills, the right of way is always for the ascending vehicle and not the descending vehicle.

While the general principle is what you've mentioned, it ends up being more nuanced:

1. If the vehicles are similar, then yes, vehicles that are climbing should be given preference (since losing momentum is a pain)
2. If it is a smaller vehicle vs. a bus/lorry, then the bus/lorry always gets preference, irrespective of where its going (if going up, its the same momentum reason; if going down, they still have handling and braking challenges compared to smaller vehicles)
3. The exception to the above is if the driver/cleaner of the bus/lorry asks us to move first. This usually means he needs us to get out of the way, since he needs the piece of road we're occupying!

I base this on watching good drivers drive up the Nilgiri ghat roads, and my own experience.

[aerohit]

Yes, there is a wiki page on how to drive cars in India.








































12, Avoid cars too expensive, because you never know

[sudev]

@Mods - trying to compile sort of bullet point list gleaned from personal experience and many other threads. It would be good to have a sticky topic merged into single post.

@All - Please contribute. Make precise points and not add "discussion" Give links to other posts where a topic has been discussed in detail.

The idea of this thread is to have a list of safe driving tips condensed into a easy read and refer posts.

#1 Safety, yours and others, is in your hands. Even if others may be at fault you could mitigate damage.

#2 Drive with alertness. Stop if you are tired or sleepy. Do not be let sleep over come you behind the wheel. Wall a bit outside if you must continue.

#3 Alway be vigilant about other traffic, pedestrians, etc. Even in divided highways folks drive on wrong side.

#4 Anticipate unsafe situations developing. Like a kid getting to run across the road if a cricket ball shoots over .

#5 Be on lookout for drivers who are unsafe or erratic. They may make sudden move or may be driving under influence.

#6 Maintain collision avoidance distance. Imagine the vehicle ahead of you coming to dead stop abruptly. Can you stop ramming into it?

#7 Try not to be on inner (fast) lane all the time. Pedestrian or animal stepping suddenly in front from bushes on median leave very little room to maneuver or brake.

More later.

[adi_gt]

#8 Always drive in correct gear( 2nd or 3rd) on hill descent otherwise brakes will fail.
#9 Never overtake from left side even on six lanes because sometimes the last lane(slowest lane) may be blocked by debris which gives you very little time to adjust at high speeds.

[rpunwani]

#10 Ensure correct tyre pressure & do not overload the vehicle. If you are driving a fully loaded vehicle, be aware that braking distance will increase

[rohanak1]

Hi guys,

I own a Renault Duster RxL petrol model which I purchased in 2014. On a trip to Coonoor I was returning from the "Acres Wild farmstay". The roads here are broken and extremely steep. While returning downhill, I was finding it tough to control the car speed even in the first gear. The car sped off and was touching 4500rpm. I needed to use the brakes repeatedly to reduce the speed and rpm's. Using brakes repeatedly downhill is not a good idea I believe. Is there any way of controlling speed in such situations provided many cars do not have hill descent control?

[dhanushs]

Considering your car is new, compression loss can be ruled out. Its a petrol engine, so expect less engine braking.

If you are driving the engine down the hill, then there is nothing much you can do other than tap the brakes. If the incline is very steep and considerably long, I would suggest to stop midway, let your brakes cool off and proceed.

[ssambyal1980]

* Driving calmly with cool mindset is the essence of safe driving. Never ever let the rude behaviour of other road users affect your temperament. No matter how complicated the situation may be, always try to remain composed and in control.

* Road rage is momentary and it should always be nipped in the bud. In case of violation or aggression, avoid eye contact with the other driver at all costs and try to move away from the conflict zone as soon as possible. Remember that road rage is momentary but its consequences are always ugly, with far reaching repercussions.

* Always start off early to reach well in time. This will not only ensure a happy and enjoyable drive but will also save you from avoidable frustrations, which are most common when one is getting late and is stuck in traffic.

* Nothing is personal on roads, so no point in getting into arguments over trivial issues. Exchange pleasantries with fellow road users whenever possible and smile off over minor issues. Courtesy begets courtesy, being courteous leads to happiness and makes drive a memorable experience.

[fine69]

Same has been the case with my Swift diesel also. In fact I had posted about it thinking that why isn't the engine braking working but even in my case the engine would redline in first gear instead of maintaining the 900-1100 rpm speed.

However, in response to that someone had mentioned that petrol engines are better when it comes to engine braking compared to the oil burners.