Team-BHP > Road Safety


Reply
  Search this Thread
66,348 views
Old 15th November 2018, 17:11   #61
Distinguished - BHPian
 
Kosfactor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: COK\BLR\MYS
Posts: 3,589
Thanked: 10,110 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samba View Post

What actually saves time in a long journey?
Excellent points let me add a few.

For a fatigue free trip

1. Fill up before the trip.
2. Carry some snacks & water.
3. Reduce the number of stops, fill up fuel where there is food also available.
4. Maintain a steady pace with smooth shifts and lane changes.
5. Maintain safe distance and it allows you to drive smoothly.
6. Give way to anyone driving faster than you, No need for any Ego its a public road - even an argument will cost you time.
7. Read the road ahead and drive at a speed that allows you to drive smooth, too fast and you`ll end up chasing people unnecessarily, too slow and you are going to get rear ended.
8. Use google maps even if you know the route, helps you plan which lanes to be in, be in the right gear for approaching junctions or curves or anything that is not blue.
8. Use google maps to plan the next stop, the assistant is very helpful.
9. Do not allow rash drivers to be behind the wheel, it tires everyone out.
10. Recharge Fastag before you leave.

and the last one.

Take leisure breaks to enjoy the country side, get some tea, the whole point of having your own vehicle is freedom. Live free and have a grand tour (sort of, in our own way).
Kosfactor is offline   (14) Thanks
Old 15th November 2018, 23:54   #62
BHPian
 
bharatbits's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Gurgaon
Posts: 471
Thanked: 634 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

I wouldn't call myself a slow driver. I do drive swiftly in the city when i get open stretches like on hot afternoons or weekends . I do rapid acceleration for that adrenaline gush but not rapid deceleration. Rapid deceleration negates the purpose of rapid acceleration and also the additional wear tear of brake pads. I try to minimize brake usage as much as possible. In b2b traffic just crawl - no point trying to cut lanes and risk getting your car scratched. I prefer right most lane since i need to worry about bikers on the left side only else you'll have to worry about both sides.

In normal city conditions however rash or sedately you drive you cannot beat the G Maps time estimate by more than a minute. So, this rules out the purpose of driving rash with added benefits including better fuel efficiency, lesser wear and tear and safety of other road users.
bharatbits is offline  
Old 16th November 2018, 10:44   #63
BHPian
 
slackyboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Chennai
Posts: 75
Thanked: 53 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

Very well written article and the subject is pretty much the need of the hour. Apart from taxi drivers its rare to see rash drivers in privately owned vehicles these days. But yes the occasional teenager enjoying his powerful car can still be seen. As long as it doesn't bother others its fine. But then the safety factor also needs to be taken care of. Hopefully with better policing this will slowly come down.
slackyboy is offline  
Old 16th November 2018, 11:34   #64
BHPian
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Blr/Lax
Posts: 66
Thanked: 143 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

A very relevant topic for the current day traffic situation, especially in Blr. Thanks for bringing this up Malyaj. I pick-up conversations with the Uber/Ola drivers, when I use them. I tried to fathom the reasons for such rash driving by cabbies on already choked roads. Quite a few drivers have told me one common reason why most of the cabbies drive so wildly. According to them, they work on the same roads for 12-14 hours a day and the constant usage of clutch and brakes creates a perpetual fatigue in them which leads to the impatience thats displayed on the roads. Some of them dont even sleep well which adds to the impatience levels. Infact one of the BMTC driver in Blr told me the same reason for the aggressiveness shown by the BMTC buses. This is a chicken and egg problem and I dont see a solution on the horizon unless you bring in homogenity into the traffic which is not possible in India.

One irritating behavior I have observed with cabs/taxis on multi-lane highways is they drive in the middle of the two lanes positioning the car in such a way the white lane markers are exactly in their middle. When asked for such behavior, I understand that its the way they were taught driving. Most of them learn driving in rural areas or areas with narrow roads. On such narrow roads for novice drivers, their tutors advise them to drive in the middle of the road, moving to the side only when there is an on-coming vehicle. It was a contextual advise to a new driver so that they dont hit something on the side of the road. But they carry this habit out of the context even when they drive in a wide multi lane highway.

As a new driver, I used to be very impatient and tried to cut across vehicles and drive very aggressively, though not exactly in the "Coorg/Jatt boy" mode. But all that changed with one incident. Many years back, I was returning from a party late in the night in New Jersey. It was a 3 lane freeway with a speed limit of 55mph and is a designated safe zone(where fines are doubled for any traffic violation). I was doing 80 on that road in the fast lane with an Audi in front of me for company. Suddenly the Audi guy noticed a cop lurching in the dark with his speed gun. He slowed immediately coming to 50mph. I didnt notice the cop and got irritated that the Audi guy suddenly slowed down. Cursing him, I crossed him by moving to the adjacent lane and came back in front of him on to the fast lane. With in 500 mts, the cop stopped me for over speeding. He showed me the speed gun which showed 75mph on a 55 mph safe zone. He ticketed me and refused to tell the fine amount asking me to appear in the court. Going to the court was really a humbling experience to say the least. I was standing in a queue which had all sorts of people including petty criminals, hit and run cases, vandals etc. However since it was my first violation the prosecutor agreed to reduce the offence one level down. Finally I appeared before the judge and pled guilty and she fined me 200bucks. The whole experience brought a realization in me. Since then I have stopped over speeding completely in the US and even in India go around 80-100Kmph consistently. I dont feel bad if someone overtakes me and I have experienced the clustering effect of vehicles getting caught at the next roadblock or toll after going too fast. A professor friend of mine calls this as Law of conservation of traffic where traffic cannot be created or destroyed, it only moves from one junction to another.
mchandra13 is offline   (5) Thanks
Old 16th November 2018, 12:36   #65
BHPian
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: London
Posts: 621
Thanked: 1,010 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

My 2nd post on the same thread, refer for #21

I was suffering from Jaw Lock problem in 2014 and the problem became so severe that it was impossible to open or close the mouth for minutes together when it used to get locked/popped.

Then I went to the Dentist and after xrays and investigation, the Dentist advised to remove the top 2 wisdom teeth. Some how I was not very keen and kept postponing the minor surgery to remove the teeth.

Then one day when I went to my Pediatrician for my Son, I was casually describing about the jaw lock problem. He immediately asked me not to go for the surgery but follow his suggestion.

The Pediatrician knew I used travel from Gottigere to Whitefield by car everyday. So he asked me to do a simple experiment - play songs which I like and sing along through out the drive to office and back for 3 months.

Took the advise seriously and have never suffered from Jaw lock after 2015. I used to grind my teeth while driving due to the irritation and frustration caused by the traffic situation and the antics of the fellow drivers/riders. It used to also make me very tired while driving, especially in the evening.

Now that I have started singing while driving (basically to avoid not grinding my teeth) and not competing to reach silk board jam early, I am no more tired when I reach home and don't have sore teeth. Overall I feel better.

My driving in city also has become very relaxed and I am not in hurry at all. It has helped me immensely and also I in better position to anticipate the lanes and jams. I don't see any merit in Hasty driving anymore.

Regards
chandrda is online now   (6) Thanks
Old 16th November 2018, 12:43   #66
Senior - BHPian
 
KiloAlpha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Cubicle
Posts: 1,604
Thanked: 2,992 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

Some years back, I had a brand new scooter but did not have a car. I used that scooter for all my transportation needs. Since the scooter was new, it was being run in, so I could not exceed 45kmph. That experience taught me a great deal. Despite not ever going above 45kmph, I found out that I could always keep up with "hasty" drivers in regular city traffic.
I found that the only way you really can get ahead and go faster is to:
- Change lanes based on local knowledge. If you know that there is a bus stop ahead, or that the utility company has dug up half the road, switch lanes at the right time to avoid getting bogged down. Not all gaps are worth darting into.
- Choose the correct route for your vehicle.
- Drive smoothly, and be judicious about assertion (NOT aggressive). The trick is to make sure that idiots don't create unnecessary blockages for you.

And after all that, you will gain 5 minutes over a 10km journey!!
KiloAlpha is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 16th November 2018, 13:09   #67
BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 62
Thanked: 104 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

This may be off topic, and also quite silly, but putting this here as my tuppence on this wonderfully relevant topic. In my early days of driving, I would think it was my personal duty to self righteously correct any "wrongdoing" in the form of rash driving, people cutting me dangerously, tailgating, etc. Which in a supreme play of irony led me to drive rashly, cut others dangerously, and tailgate, while I super-heroed my way (inside my head) to deliver justice.

Today I follow the rule of Karma. Whether I get to experience it getting delivered to a bad driver or not, I believe that Karma will ensure their inconsideration (which is what I believe all bad / rash driving arises out of) gets met with similar and equal retribution.
sam_babushka is offline   (4) Thanks
Old 16th November 2018, 13:47   #68
Newbie
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Delhi NCR
Posts: 8
Thanked: 17 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

Interesting Topic, since if you drive in Delhi NCR daily you already know where I am heading to.

In Delhi NCR , the following traits are seen everyday on the roads:
1. Tearing hurry
2. Scant respect for Red light and pedestrian
3. Tendency to always overtake from left
4. The minutest gap is good even to squeeze through
5. Bikers can be equated to suicide bombers
6. 4 wheel drivers are always at fault, come what may
7. Driving time is conversation time on mobile phone. Ola,Uber drivers are notorious for the same
8. Traffic rule following is an invitation to danger or dangerous situations
9. Driving on the wrong side on the slightest pretext
10. 3 lane road becoming 6 lane of cars in any instant
11. Incessant honking without any apparent reason
12. Pedestrians are also in a hurry to cross and jay walking is the norm

Overall it seems behaviour, mind set, demeanor changes the moment someone sits behind the steering wheel or you are in the road. I am yet to comprehend the joy people get from the futility of overtaking rashly from left and then loitering in front of me.

Since I am a sedate driver (80 KMPH is max for me) and by seeing the craziness in roads, have understood that driving hastily only helps in increased BP, irritation, anger, quarrel, crashes and sadness. Lastly when you drive, for your safety, PLEASE follow the '3 seconds' rule to prevent yourself from tailgating on someone.

Last edited by Sounak : 16th November 2018 at 14:01.
Sounak is offline   (2) Thanks
Old 16th November 2018, 19:34   #69
BHPian
 
Habanero City's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: TN
Posts: 276
Thanked: 108 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

Quote:
Originally Posted by peus017 View Post
Found it few years ago. makes total sense.
Was checking this data out of curiosity and find them mathematically incorrect.
To cover a distance of 25 Km, the time taken at various speed are:
80 KMPH 18.75 minutes,
88 KMPH 17.05 minutes,
96 KMPH 15.63 minutes,
105 KMPH 14.29 minutes,
and so on until
136 KMPH 11.03 minutes.

Useful thread overall and needs to be appreciated and understood by all for the safety and happiness of everyone.
Habanero City is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 16th November 2018, 20:05   #70
BHPian
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Bengaluru
Posts: 62
Thanked: 227 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

Quote:
Originally Posted by Habanero City View Post
Was checking this data out of curiosity and find them mathematically incorrect.
To cover a distance of 25 Km, the time taken at various speed are:
80 KMPH 18.75 minutes,
88 KMPH 17.05 minutes,
96 KMPH 15.63 minutes,
105 KMPH 14.29 minutes,
and so on until
136 KMPH 11.03 minutes.

Useful thread overall and needs to be appreciated and understood by all for the safety and happiness of everyone.
Yeah mathematically its incorrect thanks for point out
Its stresses more on the marginal time saved and focuses on the risk exposed due to speed, making us think is it really worth it ?
peus017 is offline  
Old 16th November 2018, 22:51   #71
Senior - BHPian
 
wanderernomad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Chandigarh
Posts: 2,534
Thanked: 1,273 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

For quite some time now, I have been making conscious drives with varying speeds and driving patterns over the same route. After about nearly 3 years of such experiments I have realised the following:
1. Driving at a constant speed of about 80 kmph gives the best driving experience and the time taken over a distance of about 60 kms is almost the same as driving with speeds higher than 90 kmph.
2. Over longer distances (>300 kms) on highways the difference over repeated runs has been less than 30 mins when driving at 80 kmph and excess of 90 kmph.
3. Driver fatigue is far less when driven in the speed range of 70 to 90 kmph than driving in excess of 90 kmph.
4. Over shorter city runs (<25kms), the difference in steady driving and hasty driving (with sudden spurts of speed) is a mere 2.5 mins.

Therefore, I have come to the firm conclusion that driving at a steady constant pace of speed, with least use of brakes i.e controlling the journey with only variations to the accelerator, will make you arrive late by a maximum of 1 hour in a full day of driving and not more. Its definitely the best 1 hour that you will ever spend on your safety.

Last edited by wanderernomad : 16th November 2018 at 22:53.
wanderernomad is offline   (4) Thanks
Old 18th November 2018, 07:36   #72
BHPian
 
whitewing's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 557
Thanked: 1,568 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kosfactor View Post
For a fatigue free trip

1. Fill up before the trip.
2. Carry some snacks & water.
To those excellent points, I would add, take as many breaks to keep one alert and fatigue free. I've had occasions where I could manage 6 hour break free drives without any sense of fatigue, while, on some occasions, I've needed multiple breaks for just Mysore - Bangalore trips. The key thing I believe is to listen to your body.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mchandra13 View Post
... Quite a few drivers have told me one common reason why most of the cabbies drive so wildly. According to them, they work on the same roads for 12-14 hours a day .... Some of them dont even sleep well which adds to the impatience levels. I
Some of the cab drivers I've spoken to had it worse, they are on duty for 2-3 days, they get sleep whenever, wherever they can manage. Circadian rhythms be dammned.
During this process, they tend to eat at odd hours - consume Guthka/coffee to keep alert. Given this, plus the traffic situation would surely have a negative impact on their driving style.



Quote:
Originally Posted by mchandra13 View Post
Most of them learn driving in rural areas or areas with narrow roads.
True, I've had a case where I was the first ride for a cabbie, that guy had got his license recently. He lost his composure after a few cars flew past him at high speeds on the elevated expressway. Somehow we came out of that unscathed.



Quote:
Originally Posted by chandrda View Post

..- play songs which I like and sing along through out the drive to office
Hope you are a good singer, if I tried that - my family would ditch me for sure
whitewing is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 19th November 2018, 10:02   #73
Distinguished - BHPian
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,886
Thanked: 11,831 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

Just learned a valuable lesson on the futility of 'hasty' and 'busy' riding (not necessarily fast) even in heavy traffic.

I was in the usual Monday-morning ORR slow moving traffic on my bike when I saw a colleague in his car just ahead of me. I followed him for some time, till the 'Indian biker mentality' got the better of me and I slipped in between him and a bus and went ahead. Kept moving in and out of lanes, going past cars and in the usual bike riding pattern in the city. Was not going fast at all (was stop-go traffic after all) but just kept going ahead, always looking for a space. Was not cutting suddenly in front of cars either, just gradually moving ahead, changing lanes.

Stands to reason that on a bike able to squeeze in between vehicles I'd get there much ahead of my colleague in a slow-moving car right?

Was parking when guess who pulls in right after me? I should have just stayed in that lane and followed him, would have avoided the extra effort of weaving in and out of lanes and always 'looking for a gap' to get ahead. Would have reached in the same time!

Last edited by am1m : 19th November 2018 at 10:03.
am1m is offline   (5) Thanks
Old 19th November 2018, 13:37   #74
Distinguished - BHPian
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Chennai
Posts: 1,824
Thanked: 8,476 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

Quote:
Originally Posted by am1m View Post
Stands to reason that on a bike able to squeeze in between vehicles I'd get there much ahead of my colleague in a slow-moving car right?
....
Would have reached in the same time!
Good observation. I pretty much reached the same conclusion here in Chennai, but this holds true only where the distance is significant and if there is a fair mix of choked traffic and free flowing roads on the route.

On Bike or car, I always take the same time to reach my destination. Where a bike squeezes through traffic and saves time, it falls behind in the average cruising speed in the open and free stretches of city roads. Where a car is caught up in jams, it makes up for the delays in free and open stretches of city roads.

If there were only free flowing roads or if there were only choked traffic throughout, you know there's only bound to be one winner between a car and a bike. That's anyway my understanding.
locusjag is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 19th November 2018, 13:45   #75
Distinguished - BHPian
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,886
Thanked: 11,831 Times
Re: The Futility of Hasty Driving

Quote:
Originally Posted by locusjag View Post
...but this holds true only where the distance is significant and if there is a fair mix of choked traffic and free flowing roads on the route.
This was actually a short distance <2km and several stops- for a long traffic signal, to allow for merging traffic in two places and for traffic to turn into other internal roads once you enter the SEZ campus. Which is why I was surprised too, I know that on a free stretch of road, a car will certainly make up distance on the traffic-free bits, but over a short distance with stop-go traffic, I thought the bike clearly had the edge. I guess I just ended up going ahead on the bike and still waiting, but just a bit further.

Lesson: Be patient, stay in the lane, even on a bike.

Last edited by am1m : 19th November 2018 at 13:47.
am1m is offline   (1) Thanks
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks