Things they don’t teach you at an Indian driving school

[SS-Traveller]

Thank you for such a detailed thread, SDP. Till the time that one can procure a driving license from any small town in India by paying a facilitation fee and never needing to appear for a structured driving test, I am pessimistic about improvement in driving standards in this country. However, I am sure your thread will inspire BHPians and our silent followers to put in some effort to improve their basic driving skills.

For the driver seeking to upgrade his skills to an advanced level, there's always this: http://www.iam.org.uk/. Even if you don't appear for their test, their Police Drivers' Handbook is the ultimate resource for advanced driving skills.

[parsh]

Hello Man! AND YOU WERE THINKING WHETHER IT WAS WORTHWHILE PUTTING THIS UP when the Highway Driving article came up?

I say, every single letter and every second you may have put into putting up such a fantabulous article together, ITS WORTH IT. Everybody and I mean not only from Team-BHP ever thought of driving should be indebted to you for this superb compilation. A BIG thank you for candidly putting up and more importantly taking so much efforts to dig up those details and respective depictions, images and videos to put those points across. This is one damn good Bible you have compiled. If people can take even 50% of this, we will see so much better driving sense and respect on the roads.

Hats Off! Tried searching for BOWing smiley, its not there.

[rohan_iitr]

Originally Posted by SDP

Rohan, there is a confusion. What I have listed in this thread are considered as "basic" skills.

The question is, are the basic skills taught in the first place?

In US, there is no compromise on the basics during the testing.

On the contrary, in India, the driving schools and RTO are letting loose drivers without adequate knowledge and skills on our roads and then we all complain about the bad drivers that we encounter everywhere. The problem should be fixed at its root.

Thats the point I was trying to make. In India, the RTO sets very low expectations from the applicants who apply for DL.

Hence, the driving schools in India provide us just the sufficient training to clear the driving test. Of course, as you have mentioned in this thread, this training is not sufficient to be a good driver on public roads.

If the RTO makes the driving test more intense, the way it is performed in US for example, the driving schools would automatically have to up their game.

Of course, corruption in India is a major factor this. No matter how tough the driving test becomes, there would always be scope for corruption.

Rohan

[saket77]

Thank you SDP for this herculean effort. It was a long & exhaustive write-up but highly informative. This would be great help to those new to the motoring world and even some tips will be handy for experienced drivers too.

Assuming how much we, in India, need education in this aspect, those willing to learn it the 'better' way should soak up all these in their mind. Some are not that lucky and they learn it the 'tougher' way!

Thanks for posting. I am thankful that a place as teambhp exists and there are wonderful people who make it possible!

Best Regards.
Saket

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by SDP

On the contrary, in India, the driving schools and RTO are letting loose drivers without adequate knowledge and skills on our roads and then we all complain about the bad drivers that we encounter everywhere. The problem should be fixed at its root.

Well said, but attacking the root problem is a bit difficult now as the problem has now grown into a menace.
To start with the RTO can authorize only those driving schools to be operational where the instructors are certified as approved driving instructor. This in many ways will discipline the new learners as against today where we see any person having a 4 wheeler becomes an driving instructor. Driving licence to be issued only if the learners have cleared the theorotical and practical tests as against bulk issual which we often see at the RTO offices, this will also reduce the palm greasing which is so prevalent today.

[SDP]

Last Sunday morning, I was again in the passenger seat with my cousin in the driver's seat. On 2 consecutive signals, he stopped the car not exactly behind the one in front but about 1-1.5 feet off. I gave him a benefit of doubt for the first 2 instances. At the third instance, I told him that he should stop exactly behind the car in front. Stopping 2-3 inches off is OK, but definitely not a foot and a half.

The following snap shows how dense traffic (or even a traffic jam) looks like elsewhere.


And this is how the same situation looks like in India.


Its not like other countries do not have traffic jams. Its also not about how nice those straight-line car queues look. Its about having basic discipline in life and respecting the existence & rights of others. Its about being able to wait in a line without having the additional stress of looking out for others who might try to jump the queue.

As you know, here's how a queue looks like in our country.


Unfortunately many carry the same ways to driving. The key is education. And it starts from home with our own kids.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by SDP

Last Sunday morning, I was again in the passenger seat with my cousin in the driver's seat. On 2 consecutive signals, he stopped the car not exactly behind the one in front but about 1-1.5 feet off. I gave him a benefit of doubt for the first 2 instances. At the third instance, I told him that he should stop exactly behind the car in front. Stopping 2-3 inches off is OK, but definitely not a foot and a half.

What I especially loved about your thread is the step-by-step explanation of the 'why' of every action on the road. However, regarding the quoted post, I would beg to differ with your opinion. A very good reason why a 1'-1.5' gap needs to be left from the car ahead is the risk of rollback when starting off. I was taught to stop where I could view the rear wheels of the car ahead, and not go up any closer.

An interesting law in Singapore says that in case the car ahead rolls back, the liability for the ensuing damage to both cars lies with the car behind, because he is expected to leave sufficient space when stopping, to account for such an eventuality. I would think your cousin is doing the right thing by stopping 1'-1.5' away from the car in front.

Or is it that you wanted to say that he is stopping 1'-1.5' laterally with relation to the car in front, and I am misunderstanding your post?

[SDP]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

What I especially loved about your thread is the step-by-step explanation of the 'why' of every action on the road. However, regarding the quoted post, I would beg to differ with your opinion. A very good reason why a 1'-1.5' gap needs to be left from the car ahead is the risk of rollback when starting off. I was taught to stop where I could view the rear wheels of the car ahead, and not go up any closer.

An interesting law in Singapore says that in case the car ahead rolls back, the liability for the ensuing damage to both cars lies with the car behind, because he is expected to leave sufficient space when stopping, to account for such an eventuality. I would think your cousin is doing the right thing by stopping 1'-1.5' away from the car in front.

Or is it that you wanted to say that he is stopping 1'-1.5' laterally with relation to the car in front, and I am misunderstanding your post?

Yes, I meant 1-1.5 feet off the vertical-axis of the car in front. Sorry for the confusion!

About the gap between 2 cars, you are absoutely right. One should be able to see the rear-wheels of the car in front.

[black12rr]

One more thing I think they don't teach is to when you stop a car in traffic , not to just open the door outright ,like 90 degree. But to look back in mirror or outside window and open it slowly .
I saw one guy today he just stopped and opened the door fully .Any 2 wheeler or 4 wheeler would not had a chance if it was going beside . Luckily nothing was beside .

[Nonstop-driver]

Perfect thread SDP, Thanks for such a nice and detailed informative lessons!

Just one more thing that you could've added - usage of indicators and hazard lights in rain/fog. The idea came up from a company advisory on drivng in foggy conditions:

Use hazard lights - Switch on the hazard lights in foggy conditions.

I protested to it, to no avail. People simply don't listen!

Originally Posted by lsp

2. As mentioned in post 11 here, the correct way of reversing is to hold the steering at 12o’clock position with right hand and place your Left hand at the back of passenger seat and look over the shoulder.
======
So this is definitely a learning for me as far as reversing goes.

I too would agree with Lalit. I've been familiar with BSF and their manoeuvring skills. With one of my relative going for UN assignment, the driving test comprised of reversing successfully just looking through the 3 RVMs. This is the impression I carried for correct way of driving and have perfected the art. But just now I searched the Internet and everywhere the correct way is described in the same manner that you've described. Guess I have some learning here.

Originally Posted by SDP

Its not like other countries do not have traffic jams. Its also not about how nice those straight-line car queues look. Its about having basic discipline in life and respecting the existence & rights of others. Its about being able to wait in a line without having the additional stress of looking out for others who might try to jump the queue.

. I have seen long traffic jams in and around Northern Ireland and London and never have I heard anyone honk or try zig-zag driving cutting across and changing lanes. Rightly said, it is about proper education which begins at home. Guess you can buy certain things by money, but not everything.

[opendro]

Great compilation. Just a minor mistake. You seemed to have copied the following line from US (right hand drive). For Indian driving, if you are turning right, you wait for oncoming traffic going straight (so far good), but you don't wait for a vehicle which is going to turn left to enter the same road you will enter after your right turn. Instead, the other person should yield.

http://www.chandigarhtrafficpolice.org/right_of_way.php
Driver turning left using a slip lane must give way to any vehicles on the road. He should give way to a vehicle that is coming straight or turning right into the road the driver is about to enter.

Their flashes used to work long ago. Many of them don't work now.

[Edit:] You seem to be right. The above rule is for slip lanes. I referred another right hand driving country: http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Safety/Que...iving-way.aspx (Giving way when turning right)

Originally Posted by SDP

2.4.2 RIGHT OF WAY
2. Yield to Oncoming Traffic
• When turning right, you must wait for oncoming traffic going straight ahead or turning left.

Attachment 1040056

[arvind71181]

Great thread!!!

Can you also include an article on how to cross a roundabout? I always see only the following rules being applied when it comes to roundabouts:

The thought process of the driver

"I am approaching the roundabout, hence its my right of way, vehicles already on the roundabout be damned!!"

"I am in the roundabout, hence its my right of way, vehicles approaching the roundabout watch out!!!"

No one understands that the vehicle which is already in the rounabout has the right of way. There is one particular roundabout on my way home which frustrates me daily by causing a deadlock. But why am I complaining, there is a (large?) category of people who also think that the red signal is a right of way

[opendro]

Regarding the round about, in India, we think that every junction need to have a physical round about to follow one's imaginary curve line while turning right. If there is no physical round about and if there is no median, a person who is going to turn right starts driving on the wrong side (US style) and make the right turn. If there was another vehicle from the right road trying to go straight and another idiot from the same side trying to make his right, that is, we have a traffic jam with just three cars.

[arvind71181]

Originally Posted by opendro

Regarding the round about, in India, we think that every junction need to have a physical round about to follow one's imaginary curve line while turning right. If there is no physical round about and if there is no median, a person who is going to turn right starts driving on the wrong side (US style) and make the right turn. If there was another vehicle from the right road trying to go straight and another idiot from the same side trying to make his right, that is, we have a traffic jam with just three cars.

And not to forget, none of the people mentioned above would want to reverse or back down an inch. Everyone is willing to waste time fighting whose right of way it is but no one will back off a meter or two to clear the traffic.

And on top of that, they give out free advice too. Sample this: Last week, in a narrow road, some moron had parked his car on the road, which resulted in a jam. All the bikes in front of me moved out one by one, and I got stuck as the space was not enough. One cab guy: "Bikes are going, why are you not able to pass through? Please learn to drive" It was so absurd I started to laugh.

[anachronix]

Brilliant thread SDP! You have done this brilliant job of putting all the tips in order and in detail.

A huge chunk of safety tips for us all here. I am a trained instructor educating people about safe driving etiquettes, this thread has given me lot of information which I can use for my sessions and make our roads safe

Thanks a lot!

Originally Posted by SDP

A lot of these topics have been discussed elsewhere on the forum – one topic at a time. My attempt is to collate that information, summarize it and present in an easy-to-understand fashion in a single thread.