[aargee]

Originally Posted by bblost

NH-5 driving around a 100+ kmph, when I spotted a pulsar with 2 fools.
There was a bus in the third lane, something told me the fools will cut without checking, so I took my foot of the accelerator and was ready for braking if needed.

Now this is exactly what I call staying alert & that day you were not only driving for yourself, but for others and I do this all the time.

[StarVegabond]

Sorry to read about accident Nathan at the same time happy to know you and your family are safe. feel sorry about the old man who got knowcked down.

some times such things happen, that is why they are called accidents
What we can do is to be extra careful

take care, drive safe in future.

[Schnellster]

Originally Posted by sumeet007

Sure all of us (including me) like to cruise in our powerful machines when we enter highways and see them relatively free and inviting after the maddening every day traffic jams of the city. Should we stick to the legal limit (65kms in most cases, I think), would it not be possible to avoid majority of these accidents or atleast lessen the impact of the crash? I am thinking aloud, I have seldom driven below speed limits.Trying to see the best solution to these horrific accidents in our country now officially declared the most dangerous highways and roads in the world.

Completely agree with you sumeet.
Although we have cars that can easily cruise 100+ kmph, the people who drive on the very same roads as you completely lack traffic sense.

Initially I tried screaming/shouting/cursing at those educated and uneducated morons who drive without traffic sense, dont put the indicator dont have their side mirrors engaged and randomly take turns or stop. I can shout at max 100, but there are another tens of thousands of such morons on the street and I cant change the system so I downgraded my speed limit and drive only in such speed that incase of any such sudden surprise I can break easily with out jumping out of my skin

The most annoying things that educated people and uneducated do on the roads without an iota of common sense

1. Talking on the phone and driving
2. Bikers : Riding parallel talking to each other and blocking almost 3/4th of the road and swaying unaware of the nuisance they are creating behind them
3. Morons suddenly turning without putting the indicator
4. Lesser morons who put the indicator 2 seconds before the turn. It should atleast be 5-10 secs
5. People who get on to the main road from a bylane without as much as a honk or looking left/right if he is bumping into any vehicle
6. Pedestrians who cross the road when the signal turns green for the vehicles to go
7. People who park their vehicles just at the corner of a 90 degree turn. Its a major blind spot for people who are getting into or out of the turn.
8. People who cross the road at blind spots or poorly lit area

If you carefully observe most of these violations are done not by illiterate people but literates who just dont have any common sense.

So instead of trying to imbibe this common sense into every such moron I come across (who even after the gyan session doesnt realise coz he dint take the 'hit' will continue to do his thing on the road the same old way) I changed myself and drive slow and allow others to go first - problem solved and I'm safe. Let the dim wit meet his fate/end under some other tyre/wind shield/bumper not mine!

[Slick]

I really dont know if it is a right thing to do but I honk a fair amount before overtaking hoping that a bike or car shifting right gets an idea of my location.

But one incident I remember is when I was speeding on the eastern express highway (rash on my part) when the car infront of me locked it's brakes in emergency I did the same (lots of screeching) and stopped barely inches from him and hoped I did not get rear ended. I was saved but learnt my lesson have refrained from getting carried away.
I was lucky that the situation didnt turn ugly. The reason for the emergency stop I later learnt was a santro guy cutting in another santro guy and slapping him. He cut in sharply and the 2nd santro guy had to stop, Due to this the car infront of me stopped and then it was my turn.
I thank God that all came out well.

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Mr Nathan, I'm pained by what you've had to go through, for no fault of your's.
But, in spite, I actually feel you're lucky, because-
1. The well-deserved fate of those country bumpkins could have been much more.
2. In the incident of an accident, there is a probability of getting assaulted and/or your car damaged in case of an accident, more so often near villages. I have heard of 2 incidences in which KSRTC Volvos were set afire by mobs during accidents.
3. Charges pressed against innocent people can be much more, as our government and laws are biased towards 2-wheeler riders and pedestrians, irrespective of whose is at fault.
These are just observations I have made.

Anyway, good to know things seem to be getting better.
Happy motoring!!!

[YC.BALENO.CHD]

Originally Posted by happy.tripathy

My question to all T-Bhpians and guys with loads of highway experience is -- As per the first pic posted by ch.nathan, the blind spot he mentioned is unavoidable on most highways in India. On any 3 lane highway when you are on the fast lane and overtaking a car on the middle lane, you autmatically have a blind spot on the left most lane (its a whole different story when you are on the middle lane and start overtaking). What is the best possible way to avoid such a blind spot? One option as mentioned by @MX6 is to always be on the left most lane, which I believe is not possible all the time. Hoping that the middle lane guy would alert you is not really practical either. Just trying to learn some highway driving etiquette here.

The best thing to do on expressways is to reduce speed from around 100kmph to 70-80kmph as soon as a village/town appears on either sides of the expressway.

Secondly, blind spots are inevitable but some safe practices can make a huge difference.

Whenever there is a gap in the divider, its a good practice to shed some speed.


Absolutely do not drive in left-most lane unless you are doing below 50kmph. Stick to middle and right most lanes


Also, it may be noted here that the two wheeler didn't crash into the SANTRO not just because it wasn't in santro-driver's blind-spot but also because the car was doing lesser speeds thereby giving the driver more time to react.


Am not pointing out that its Mr. Nathan's fault. True, most of the two wheelers do not adhere to any traffic regulations but why not be a bit extra-cautious.

I have made it a habit to shed speed whenever autobahns pass through a small village or whenever there are gaps or intersections. You never know when a crazy pedestrian/biker decides to embrace you.



ALSO When overtaking a very slow moving car in the middle lance, always honk before moving a move. Say the car in the middle lane is doing about 40kmph and you are doing 100kmph, its better to shed speed and overtake carrying speeds around 70kmph. That way you'll have much more time to react if suddenly the other car decides to block your way or something appears in front. Also, braking distances will be far lesser,

Never overtake someone suddenly. I have seen fast cars like BMWs and Mercs rocketing past slow moving Indicas and Qualises. These cars may have excellent brakes but not only does it give you less time to react it may startle the poor sod in the slow moving car.

Never exceed 120kmph in cars this side of a Honda Civic. Sure, Balenos, Fiestas, all are a capable lot but unless the roads are vacant anything between 110-120kmph is a good average.

Finally, if you are in right most lane and a car is fast approaching you, do not panic (even if you are honked at) and absolutely do not change directions quickly to get in middle lane. Stick to your speed and let the faster car charge past by using the middle lane for overtaking. Do not bother yourself if your doing decent speeds for the right most lane and a faster car wants to overtake you just because its capable of cruising at a higher speed.



Most Important: Never race.

[funda2max]

Sorry to hear, hope you are better now! BTW, was it happened in Bargur bye-pass? If yes, that should be NH-4 right?

[vsbabu]

On NH-7, right lane is also becoming very dangerous. In many places, the median have decent plants (good during night driving because they reduce the glare). However, during summer, cows and goats find this quite useful. Couple of times last month, I was just saved by sheer luck when these guys decided they had enough and jumped on to the fast lane. Middle lane, if available, seems to be the safest. On these new 4 lane roads, I am actually finding that the left lane is safer - because in most places, there is good shoulder space. One just need to switch to other lanes when you see two wheelers. Also, Sankari-Bhavani section of NH-47 has way too many two wheelers, buses and tractors on the fast lane in the wrong direction - caution is adviced though there is a board that claims speed limit is 100kmph!

[zimbly]

nathan, my sympathies, that u had to go through the ordeal of the accident and the paraphernalia that comes with it.
i had the unfortunate experience of being the driver in an accident 10 years ago, the memories of which are fresh in my head to this date. i am not going to get into the details of the accident, but will touch up on the legalities that i went through subsequently.
for all the readers out there, if u are involved in an accident where an individual(s) are injured, dont drive off. this might be the first option that comes to mind, given the uncouth behavior the general indian public exhibits in such instances.
when i was helping out the victims at the time i had the accident i had one such a** from the crowd who came up to me, thinking he would be a hero and tried to rough me up. fortunately having a 6'2" frame and a decent built(thats deteriorated over the years). i caught him by his collars, lifted him off the ground and put him flat on his back. That somehow ensured all other miscreants were at bay. helped put the victims in a cab and sent them off to the hospital and i went to the police station to report (FIR) the accident after parking the car to the side.
The legal reason for not driving away is that,
1. it becomes an unbailable offence(hit and run) and
2. the charges the police can file besides the rash and negligient driving is that of " culpable homicide" of salman khan fame.( i didnt know all tis at the time of the accident)
helping the victim, registering an accident with the local police station should be the ideal course of action to take (though presence of mind plays an important part in such cases).
the cops always keep the vehicle involved in the accident on their premises(should it be tampered with) and will keep it there till the RTO inspector completes the check up and clears the vehicle.
The police conduct the investigation and prepare the panchnama which enlists all the details of the accident including eye witness accounts.
After a while u get the summons to appear in court. Thats when the runarounds to the court start. the legal system can wear down the most resilient of persons. the infamous "tareek pe tareek" is not just prerogatives of the bollywood clan, its a testament of the actual work ethics in the judicial system.
as in nathans case, the proceedings he had to attend was the criminal one. at the time of the accident i was not aware of the repurcussions of the criminal case. Had i been convicted, it could have meant a fine and/or time in prison(accidents can attract upto two years in jail depending on the severity of the accident).
Also when applying brakes the length of the tyre marks are indicative of speed and is used in court to determine the speed the vehicle was travelling at. (the motor vehicle act incorporates a table of length of tyre marks vs the speed of the vehicle for a given weight of vehicle.)
The subsequent filing of a civil case by the victim or victims family(in case the victim is deceased or incapacitated) does not require the person driving the vehicle to be present. that is taken care of by the lawyers of the insurance company whose policy u hold. It is covered under 3rd party insurance, and covers not just the hospital bills/ recuperating expenses but also loss of income for the entire duration that the victim is unable to work - in short it covers the rights of the victim even if he caused the accident by his recklessness(we live in a cruel world). it is also the reason that 3rd party insurance is mandatory and renewal of the same prior to it lapsing cannot be stressed on enough(accidents dont have a time and place of occuring).
lastly just a disclosure from my end, i am not a lawyer by profession, and the above is what i learnt through my ordeal and experience.
all the best nathan and wishing all the readers safe driving.
cheers!!!

[Surprise]

Iam happy that I went through the complete thread which definitely educated lots of things....esp slow the average speeds while covering villages (even if the roads are empty), baby seats. Mobike008 experience is scary as I had been into that situations lots of time, but none of those lorry drivers cut the road as in mobike's case. I never bother to slow down or horn, if there is only slow moving heavy vehicles on right lane, I just pass through them in the middle lane at good speeds. Just could not imagine if someone decides to cut me when I was about to cross them.

[YC.BALENO.CHD]

Originally Posted by Surprise

Iam happy that I went through the complete thread which definitely educated lots of things....esp slow the average speeds while covering villages (even if the roads are empty),.

Yeah, it doesn't sound convincing enough but it does reward. Also, roads may not always be absolutely empty when one may think them to be. Remember, Mr.Nathan could not spot the biker as it was in his blindspot, hence unnoticeable to him.

Further its near the villages that many a times not only village folks but stray dogs/cattle decides to show some 'bravery' and suddenly cross the road. Its often you see animals being hit on the highways.






One thing I missed earlier:

Reduce the speeds around the time of sunset. Visibility isn't the best then. Also, avoid using Main Beams during this period (troublesome for drivers of oncoming vehicles) . Stick to parking lights.


Regards.

[prince_pervez]

All highways should be sealed of any possibilities of crossings and u-turns. only exits and high fences near villages. That should solve a lot of problems.

[echo77]

In western countries, there are a lot of entry/exit roads that "merge" with the highway, going above/below it towards the town/village near the highway. This can be achieved using road under bridge or a flyover to the opposite highway lane. India doesn't build infrastructure with that much farsightedness in terms of how much the infrastructure is going to be used 10-20 years down the line. We are all about cutting costs and increasing margins. All highways should definitely be barricaded.

[YC.BALENO.CHD]

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

All highways should be sealed of any possibilities of crossings and u-turns. only exits and high fences near villages. That should solve a lot of problems.

Originally Posted by echo77

In western countries, there are a lot of entry/exit roads that "merge" with the highway, going above/below it towards the town/village near the highway. This can be achieved using road under bridge or a flyover to the opposite highway lane. India doesn't build infrastructure with that much farsightedness in terms of how much the infrastructure is going to be used 10-20 years down the line. We are all about cutting costs and increasing margins. All highways should definitely be barricaded.

Also, when it comes to lane discipline most of the motorists here are a funny lot. Although Highway driving is best polished with experience but some basic education regarding the same should be imparted during, say, DL-tests and especially to Bus drivers.


Regards.

[Nissan1180]

It is a really disturbing fact that in India drivers often get involved in accidents due to no fault of their own. In this case, these irresponsible villagers were lucky to have escaped death.
I recall an incident on the way to Somnath from Ahmedabad.On a narrow highway, My dad was trying to get a side from a truck (with trailer) moving on the center lane. After a long time, he started moving to the left, and gave a hand signal to go ahead. My dad increased the speed and changed the lane. There was an unexpected horror awaiting us. What we saw was a State transport bus coming at us, with the driver wildly signaling to back off. Dad tried to move into the original lane, but to his horror, the truck had slowed down, and we were in the middle. There was no way we could change the track or slow down. The bus was just 100 metres from the car.
Fortunately,on the side of the road (off the highway),there was flat ground. The car swerved to the right immediately and crossed the bus path just seconds before it reached there. We were off the highway, but the car, and most importantly the 5 passengers were safe.
The lesson that I learnt from this is to not take anything for granted on the road. Even if the person ahead gives a pass sign, it's best to not trust him and proceed only after ensuring the road ahead is clear.