The Driving Tips Thread

paharino1 · 16th January 2006, 16:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by soccer

Always carry a disguised weapon. I always carry a pointed Cricket stump and keep each one at the floor near all the doors. Just in case of an emergency. Even if there is a security check, one can always say that you play the game.

If you have a Steering Rod Lock..It is more than sufficient as a Weapon for Self Defense..

trinadha · 16th January 2006, 18:56

i dont remeber exactly but i had a long clutch wire(about 45 cm to 50cm) sort of thing which had a cylinder(solid mettalic (rough like a file)) and whip it and any guy will have the pain for damn 15 minutes
guys later my dad plucked it out and i tried for that many times but never got it again
i removed this wire sort of thing from my maruti 800 (some where underneath the car basement)

can anyone help me with what was that or else tell me any good self defence weapon

Insane Devil · 16th January 2006, 19:44

guyz, all u out there driving 2 wheelers, please wear a Helmet, and guys with cars, PLEASE make it a strict rule that who ever sits in the car, front or back, wears the seatbelts.

I still see many many many indians who just dont realise the importance of the SeatBelts!!!
lots of them i have seen, wear it for "show-off" and when they are going to parties, they dont wear them as that will spoil the crease of their dresses! hello! brains gone down few levels or what!

personaly, i never let ANYONE sit in my car without a Seat Belt! my parents have got into its Habit as i have been pestering them whenever they dont put, but my wife, even now she sometimes tries to skip, and i just stop the car in the side and dont move till she wears it, all to make her do it by habit.

Ppl here think that Seatbelts are good only in highways, and in City its of no use, coz its not much of speed in the city, but thats wrong. even in city in an accident u can be saved a great deal by Belts!

About helmets, yesterday i was at the Apollo Hospital in hyd to visit my sick uncle, and there came in a guy lieing on the stretcher. when enquired what happened, his friends said he met with an accident whil taking a turn, and everythin is alrite with him, jus that his face have got scars and stuff, no internal injuries.... now if only he had the Helmet on...if only...

soccer · 16th January 2006, 20:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedsatya

hey ..i think u need to rethink ..please read some of the tire threads ...they will advise you to increase tire pressure by 2psi...NEVER REDUCE YOUR TIRE PRESSURE!!!!!!!!!....enuf has been written on this ..

Can you give me the link about this tyre stuff.

Soccer

RX135 · 16th January 2006, 20:54

Please do a search on T-BHP and you'll get wealth of information on this. Do's and Dont's, upsizing/upgrading, popular myths (including lowering tyre pressure on highways) etc.

kvish · 16th January 2006, 22:09

Some more to add..
1. When driving in Ghat sections, always give preference to the person climbing the ghats.
2. Do NOT drive in Neutral while descending hills.
3. DO NOT USE CELLPHONES...remember YOU ARE DRIVING A CAR..NOT A PHONE BOOTH (borrowed

)
4. Use handsfree under worst circumstances. Dont think handsfree usage is allowed. Talking on cellphone diverts concentration, especially when you arent able to hear the person on the other end very well.
5. Do not use HIGH BEAM in cities and even in highways if you see a vehicle in opposite direction, switch to low beam immediately.
6. When driving long distances, avoid driving at night especially after 1am or 2am...brains start malfunctioning at that time! Its time to take rest.
Am I obeying these

Well, I am following steps 1,2,6 already. 3 and 4 are on the way! (I am having withdrawal symptoms

).
5 isnt easy to follow in city.

haljosgeo · 25th January 2006, 02:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surprise

While on my way to Ooty on the ghat section, the van driver in which I was traveling, went to the exterme right on a turning. I was shocked why he does that when a lorry is coming in the opposite direction. The lorry moved to opening on the left & passed away. After the lorry went, the van driver moved the van.

Watched him closely whether he does the same in all the turnings when a heavy vehicle comes in the opposite direction & found that he does only in certain turnings.

Why so? any idea

Assuming that your van was taking a right turn hairpin bend and had completed the bend, a lorry/bus would need the full circumference of the turn to negiote the bend (becaue of it's large turning raduis) and it is only logical that the van took the right side of the road allowing the lorry to cling onto the rightmost part of the road and take a clean turn without much difficulty. Now see if the van did what we have been taught to do (keep left), the lorry will have to wait till the van passed it and then move into the right and take the turn, at time the hapless driver will have to stop and reverse a couple of feet before trying to exit from the bend. By moving to the right, your van guy did what was best in that particular situation.

Surprise · 26th January 2006, 09:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by haljosgeo

Assuming that your van was taking a right turn hairpin bend and had completed the bend, a lorry/bus would need the full circumference of the turn to negiote the bend (becaue of it's large turning raduis) and it is only logical that the van took the right side of the road allowing the lorry to cling onto the rightmost part of the road and take a clean turn without much difficulty. Now see if the van did what we have been taught to do (keep left), the lorry will have to wait till the van passed it and then move into the right and take the turn, at time the hapless driver will have to stop and reverse a couple of feet before trying to exit from the bend. By moving to the right, your van guy did what was best in that particular situation.

Thanks.

If we keep left & pushing the driver to negotiate after we drove away a fault of ours? The reason why Iam asking this is I never drove on Ghats & no way I could know this when I drive for the first time. Also this has got higher risks when we wrongly/enthusiastically move towards right in good intention & get hit

BaCkSeAtDrIVeR · 4th April 2008, 21:12

An old thread, all right, but.... can any experienced ones out there clarify on this?

My take is that both drivers are familiar to each other, so they know what to expect from the other (may be, that they can make out from the registration numbers). We lesser mortals, and newbies from "outside" would be better off sticking to the normal rules of the road, and I guess that is what other drivers would expect from us.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surprise

drive for the first time. Also this has got higher risks when we wrongly/enthusiastically move towards right in good intention & get hit

hondatoyotafan · 5th April 2008, 11:17

My Driving tips:
1.Always come to the middle of a 2-lane road when trying to overtake a truck or a similar heavy vehicle.
2.When driving sedans and hatches with low gc over speedbreakers and humps approach it at an angle and your underbelly wont scrape it.

agbenny · 21st April 2008, 22:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surprise

While on my way to Ooty on the ghat section, the van driver in which I was traveling, went to the exterme right on a turning. I was shocked why he does that when a lorry is coming in the opposite direction. The lorry moved to opening on the left & passed away. After the lorry went, the van driver moved the van.

Watched him closely whether he does the same in all the turnings when a heavy vehicle comes in the opposite direction & found that he does only in certain turnings.

Why so? any idea

I do drive a lot in Ooty, I was there for a couple of years.
In hairpin bends, Give horn first. If you find a heavy vehicle coming up, go extreme right and Wait. The lorry or bus will take have to take a long circle so they tend to cover the right fully. This way you give them space.
(At some places - like Munnar, you may asked to not to sound horn which makes the crossing animals panic)

Horn whenever you see a blind curve in the hills, nothing harm in it, don't give up even if you see foolish drivers comes opposite to you without horns. You save both if you sound horn.

At narrow roads be patient for the upcoming vehicles. At Ooty, you can see drivers apply horn a little to thank you if you stop. You do the same immediately, and its a good gesture between you both - makes your drive more delightful.
BTW, The roads approaching to Ooty are still under repair at several places, inside the Ooty (after charring cross), a year long sewage plan is going on, you will see hell on the road, especially during May.

I had a drive to Kodaikanal last week via Palani, and the road is amazing. You may want to try Kodaikanal this time than Ooty. :-)

snaronikar · 21st April 2008, 23:04

My 2 cents:
1) Always use low beam while driving inside city at night.
2) Use dipper at night while driving on highways and for overtaking.
3) Never use only one headlight at night.
and many more...

But I feel similar thread exists already.

raman. · 17th September 2010, 20:47

Hi Guys,

I got this this helpful guide from a friend of mine.
I tried to search the same on the forum, but couldn't find one.
It seems to be a good and helpful one to me. Hopefully, every one will benefit from this.

Mods, please move/close the thread if you think this is not appropriate or already discussed in the forum.

SupratikDebnath · 17th September 2011, 21:49

Hi! I am new to Team-BHP. I have learnt a lot from this forum. Seeing the traffic sense deteriorating so much in India, I thought of propagating some best practices to follow while driving on a social networking website.
I have compiled a list of the same which is given below. I feel if these can be promoted with add/edit/remove of some points, it might prove helpful. Can Team-BHP help with that in any way, say by printing leaflets and organizing distribution of those where there are substantial footfalls. However these might need translation to local language for wider acceptance and readability.
Please advise, if I am wrong with any of the points. Thanks for a patient read. :-)

Be considerate (Driving trivia) - Assume there is a free left at every junction and thus leave enough space on your left for others to turn off-course if you are not planning to do so! Fallback of the same statement: Move to the left lane /side if you want to turn left, move to the right lane/side if you want to turn right. Please do so with ample time and space in hand and not at the last moment!

Indicate (Driving trivia) - Use indicators to help others judge your intentions better. Use them for lane changes as well. Use them to inform about your intentions only and never to indicate what you, want the vehicle behind, to do!

Pressurized (Driving trivia) - Maintain manufacturer recommended air pressure in the tires. It affects Fuel Efficiency positively!

See more (Driving trivia) - The more you see, the safer you drive! Clean the windshield and the rest of the glasses + IRVM + Side RVMs + your own (if you have)! Go out and see the difference it makes to your view-span!

Lanes and not lames! (Driving trivia) - Follow lane discipline. Even if lanes are not marked, maintain an imaginary one and drive. Avoid unnecessary lane changes. It does not save much time. Do calculate the time difference and see it for yourself!

Live and Let Live (Driving trivia) - Use high-beam on unlit roads, switch to low-beam on seeing vehicles from the opposite direction and also if you get close to the vehicle in front. For all other scenarios use low-beam! Prioritize slowing down over switching to high-beam. Stop blinding!

Mind your stop (Driving trivia) - Always stop before the stop line at a red signal. Amber light means slow down and not speed up to get through the junction! Drive Safe! :-)

Buckle up (Driving Trivia) - Wear seat-belts for your safety and not because you got to pay up when caught. Ask co-passengers to buckle up as well. Drive and ride safe!

Know your blind spots (Driving trivia) - Always be aware of your blind spots and do head checks regularly to avoid being taken by surprise. Drive safe!

Hazard lights for hazard alone (Driving trivia) - Refrain from using hazard lights during rain! The vehicles on your right thinks you will turn right and the ones on your left thinks you will turn left. Spare the confusion! Use hazard lights only when your vehicle is static/broken down. Drive safe!

No rollers! (Driving trivia) - Refrain from keeping any items that might roll on to the floor of your car and create havoc by getting between your ABC's (accelerator-clutch-brake)'s. Drive safe!

No Tailgating (Driving trivia) - Do not tailgate. Follow the two-second rule to have the stopping distance within your reach! For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-second_rule_(road)
It is difficult to follow it under heavy traffic scenarios, but since the speed will be less, damage if any will be less as well. Drive safe!

Know the blind spots of others (Driving trivia) - Avoid traveling in the "blind spot" of another vehicle. A good rule of thumb to remember when overtaking or following other traffic is "if you can't see their mirrors, they can't see you!" This is of utmost importance for the bikers! Drive safe!

Proper lane changes (Driving trivia) - Try and make your lane changes as smooth as possible so that no other vehicle need to react to your movements. Leave ample space and complete the lane change. Drive safe!

Footwear (Driving Trivia) - Drive wearing shoes ,preferably closed or which are tied to your feet. Never wear chappals, they might get stuck and cause panic. Drive safe!

Queue (Driving trivia) - There is something called queue. If ants can, so can we! Drive safe!

16th January 2006, 18:56	#32
trinadha BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: HYDERABAD Posts: 244 Thanked: 22 Times	i dont remeber exactly but i had a long clutch wire(about 45 cm to 50cm) sort of thing which had a cylinder(solid mettalic (rough like a file)) and whip it and any guy will have the pain for damn 15 minutes guys later my dad plucked it out and i tried for that many times but never got it again i removed this wire sort of thing from my maruti 800 (some where underneath the car basement) can anyone help me with what was that or else tell me any good self defence weapon
	() Thanks

16th January 2006, 19:44	#33
Insane Devil BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 987 Thanked: 173 Times View My Garage	guyz, all u out there driving 2 wheelers, please wear a Helmet, and guys with cars, PLEASE make it a strict rule that who ever sits in the car, front or back, wears the seatbelts. I still see many many many indians who just dont realise the importance of the SeatBelts!!! lots of them i have seen, wear it for "show-off" and when they are going to parties, they dont wear them as that will spoil the crease of their dresses! hello! brains gone down few levels or what! personaly, i never let ANYONE sit in my car without a Seat Belt! my parents have got into its Habit as i have been pestering them whenever they dont put, but my wife, even now she sometimes tries to skip, and i just stop the car in the side and dont move till she wears it, all to make her do it by habit. Ppl here think that Seatbelts are good only in highways, and in City its of no use, coz its not much of speed in the city, but thats wrong. even in city in an accident u can be saved a great deal by Belts! About helmets, yesterday i was at the Apollo Hospital in hyd to visit my sick uncle, and there came in a guy lieing on the stretcher. when enquired what happened, his friends said he met with an accident whil taking a turn, and everythin is alrite with him, jus that his face have got scars and stuff, no internal injuries.... now if only he had the Helmet on...if only...
	() Thanks

16th January 2006, 20:54	#35
RX135 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: pune Posts: 2,106 Thanked: 75 Times	Please do a search on T-BHP and you'll get wealth of information on this. Do's and Dont's, upsizing/upgrading, popular myths (including lowering tyre pressure on highways) etc.
	() Thanks

16th January 2006, 22:09	#36
kvish BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 627 Thanked: 195 Times	Some more to add.. 1. When driving in Ghat sections, always give preference to the person climbing the ghats. 2. Do NOT drive in Neutral while descending hills. 3. DO NOT USE CELLPHONES...remember YOU ARE DRIVING A CAR..NOT A PHONE BOOTH (borrowed ) 4. Use handsfree under worst circumstances. Dont think handsfree usage is allowed. Talking on cellphone diverts concentration, especially when you arent able to hear the person on the other end very well. 5. Do not use HIGH BEAM in cities and even in highways if you see a vehicle in opposite direction, switch to low beam immediately. 6. When driving long distances, avoid driving at night especially after 1am or 2am...brains start malfunctioning at that time! Its time to take rest. Am I obeying these Well, I am following steps 1,2,6 already. 3 and 4 are on the way! (I am having withdrawal symptoms ). 5 isnt easy to follow in city. Last edited by kvish : 16th January 2006 at 22:13.
	() Thanks

5th April 2008, 11:17	#40
hondatoyotafan BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: YYZ,AP(India) Posts: 105 Thanked: 266 Times	My Driving tips: 1.Always come to the middle of a 2-lane road when trying to overtake a truck or a similar heavy vehicle. 2.When driving sedans and hatches with low gc over speedbreakers and humps approach it at an angle and your underbelly wont scrape it.
	() Thanks

21st April 2008, 23:04	#42
snaronikar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 2,845 Thanked: 29 Times View My Garage	My 2 cents: 1) Always use low beam while driving inside city at night. 2) Use dipper at night while driving on highways and for overtaking. 3) Never use only one headlight at night. and many more... But I feel similar thread exists already.
	() Thanks

17th September 2011, 21:49	#44
SupratikDebnath BHPian Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Kolkata Posts: 99 Thanked: 49 Times	Re: Suggestions for Team-BHP from Team-BHPians Hi! I am new to Team-BHP. I have learnt a lot from this forum. Seeing the traffic sense deteriorating so much in India, I thought of propagating some best practices to follow while driving on a social networking website. I have compiled a list of the same which is given below. I feel if these can be promoted with add/edit/remove of some points, it might prove helpful. Can Team-BHP help with that in any way, say by printing leaflets and organizing distribution of those where there are substantial footfalls. However these might need translation to local language for wider acceptance and readability. Please advise, if I am wrong with any of the points. Thanks for a patient read. :-) Be considerate (Driving trivia) - Assume there is a free left at every junction and thus leave enough space on your left for others to turn off-course if you are not planning to do so! Fallback of the same statement: Move to the left lane /side if you want to turn left, move to the right lane/side if you want to turn right. Please do so with ample time and space in hand and not at the last moment! Indicate (Driving trivia) - Use indicators to help others judge your intentions better. Use them for lane changes as well. Use them to inform about your intentions only and never to indicate what you, want the vehicle behind, to do! Pressurized (Driving trivia) - Maintain manufacturer recommended air pressure in the tires. It affects Fuel Efficiency positively! See more (Driving trivia) - The more you see, the safer you drive! Clean the windshield and the rest of the glasses + IRVM + Side RVMs + your own (if you have)! Go out and see the difference it makes to your view-span! Lanes and not lames! (Driving trivia) - Follow lane discipline. Even if lanes are not marked, maintain an imaginary one and drive. Avoid unnecessary lane changes. It does not save much time. Do calculate the time difference and see it for yourself! Live and Let Live (Driving trivia) - Use high-beam on unlit roads, switch to low-beam on seeing vehicles from the opposite direction and also if you get close to the vehicle in front. For all other scenarios use low-beam! Prioritize slowing down over switching to high-beam. Stop blinding! Mind your stop (Driving trivia) - Always stop before the stop line at a red signal. Amber light means slow down and not speed up to get through the junction! Drive Safe! :-) Buckle up (Driving Trivia) - Wear seat-belts for your safety and not because you got to pay up when caught. Ask co-passengers to buckle up as well. Drive and ride safe! Know your blind spots (Driving trivia) - Always be aware of your blind spots and do head checks regularly to avoid being taken by surprise. Drive safe! Hazard lights for hazard alone (Driving trivia) - Refrain from using hazard lights during rain! The vehicles on your right thinks you will turn right and the ones on your left thinks you will turn left. Spare the confusion! Use hazard lights only when your vehicle is static/broken down. Drive safe! No rollers! (Driving trivia) - Refrain from keeping any items that might roll on to the floor of your car and create havoc by getting between your ABC's (accelerator-clutch-brake)'s. Drive safe! No Tailgating (Driving trivia) - Do not tailgate. Follow the two-second rule to have the stopping distance within your reach! For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-second_rule_(road) It is difficult to follow it under heavy traffic scenarios, but since the speed will be less, damage if any will be less as well. Drive safe! Know the blind spots of others (Driving trivia) - Avoid traveling in the "blind spot" of another vehicle. A good rule of thumb to remember when overtaking or following other traffic is "if you can't see their mirrors, they can't see you!" This is of utmost importance for the bikers! Drive safe! Proper lane changes (Driving trivia) - Try and make your lane changes as smooth as possible so that no other vehicle need to react to your movements. Leave ample space and complete the lane change. Drive safe! Footwear (Driving Trivia) - Drive wearing shoes ,preferably closed or which are tied to your feet. Never wear chappals, they might get stuck and cause panic. Drive safe! Queue (Driving trivia) - There is something called queue. If ants can, so can we! Drive safe!
	(1) Thanks