[kaushik_s]

Thanks for sharing the information about the session. Would surely help people.
Few things I want to add from my side,
About that 3 seconds rule on Highway, did the instructor mentioned how to measure that 3 seconds gap? When you are driving on highway you definitely shouldn't be watching your watch to check the 3 second gap. I remember reading somewhere that you need to mark a point which the leading car just passed and then count in your mind like, One thousand one, one thousand two etc instead of one, two, three and you can actually get almost close to 3 second measurement. Please share if you've better ways to calculate the time.
Also it depends on the speed that you are doing, if you are running at more than 100kmph than it's better to keep the minimum distance of 5 seconds instead of 3.
Also have they talked about overtaking maneuvers? How to proceed and commit for overtaking, specially on a single carriageway? Overtaking decision is one of the single most important decision which can make or break your car. If the instructor has shared anything about it please do share.
Another aspect is night driving on highways, any inputs on that? Yes, we all know about the speed limits (I normally drive 20-30kmph slower than what would I be driving during day-time on the same road) but anything other than that has been shared?
Third but not the least, driving during rains and how to keep the windshield clean and get more visibility. Personally I find it very difficult to drive in the night when it is raining and I slow down a lot. Any inputs on driving safely during rains in night?
Few more things I would like to know, whenever I try to overtake a vehicle, I normally slow down first, make up my mind after studying the road ahead(incoming vehicles, if the vehicle which will get overtaken might change course etc) and then start doing overtaking maneuver, is this correct way? Should I need to take care of anything else? What is the correct usage of the headlights and left/right indicators during such maneuver?
Also many times on a dual carriageway we find these right lane hoggers who will be driving at slow speed on the overtaking lane(rightmost lane). Is it advisable to overtake from the left in such cases (I do that as those people will never give you way)? What is the correct thing to do in such cases?
Hope to get some inputs from experienced TBHPians.

[mjothi]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

Sorry to spoil the party guys, but the only things which I could gather from reading the last 5 pages are:
- Wear seat belts
- Check RVMs
- No tailgating
- Defensive and relaxed driving
- Turn off ignition if waiting for more than 60 seconds

Don't we all know this already ? I fail to understand what is the rocket science here ?

Purely from the point of view of learning driving skills for life, was it really worth wasting half a day on attending this event (not counting the opportunity to meet fellow BHPians and the lunch/high tea) ?

Rohan

There are several things which we know. Means, lies somewhere inside our head/heart. The DSFL is designed not for teaching you something you do not know.

Its only to bring those deep buried knowledge inside you to forefront and make sure you dust it and use it regularly.

I think Kaushik mentioned this in the very first introduction. And I loved the way the intro was done. We did do some rockets. As he mentioned "Copy, repeat, but not outsource"

People know seat belt will save life. But how many follow is the question.

As in any session, its not what you learned there, but what you practice from the learned knowledge.

my few cents

[figo_united]

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Thanks for sharing the information about the session. Would surely help people.
Few things I want to add from my side,
About that 3 seconds rule on Highway, did the instructor mentioned how to measure that 3 seconds gap? When you are driving on highway you definitely shouldn't be watching your watch to check the 3 second gap. I remember reading somewhere that you need to mark a point which the leading car just passed and then count in your mind like, One thousand one, one thousand two etc instead of one, two, three and you can actually get almost close to 3 second measurement. Please share if you've better ways to calculate the time.

Spot on. That was exactly what how the instructor told the 3 second distance can be measured.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Thanks for sharing the information about the session. Would surely help people.
Few things I want to add from my side,
About that 3 seconds rule on Highway, did the instructor mentioned how to measure that 3 seconds gap? When you are driving on highway you definitely shouldn't be watching your watch to check the 3 second gap. I remember reading somewhere that you need to mark a point which the leading car just passed and then count in your mind like, One thousand one, one thousand two etc instead of one, two, three and you can actually get almost close to 3 second measurement. Please share if you've better ways to calculate the time.

I think the reason why the instructor advised us to calculate 1-2-3 as one thousand-two thousand-three-thousand, is because we generally tend to rush through the numbers, just like how we're always in a hurry all the time! It is, after all, a 'three-second rule', in the most literal sense. So there must be a gap between the seconds.

Since people rush through the numbers while calculating it in their head, when you say 'thousand' in your head, you're basically observing that little gap between every second and naturally don't rush through the counting process.

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Also it depends on the speed that you are doing, if you are running at more than 100kmph than it's better to keep the minimum distance of 5 seconds instead of 3.

Very true and a very good point! The 3-second rule will need to be tweaked for the highways when one is doing in excess of 100 km/h.

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Another aspect is night driving on highways, any inputs on that? Yes, we all know about the speed limits (I normally drive 20-30kmph slower than what would I be driving during day-time on the same road) but anything other than that has been shared?

I usually follow the same principle. If I'm driving in the night, I go about 10-20 km slower than I would have if it were in the day. It makes sense. During the night, your visibility is restricted, and there are more and more blind spots that are otherwise lit up during day-time driving. Simple things like shadows help us judge and understand what's happening during a day drive. But one cannot rely on shadows during the night for obvious reasons.

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Third but not the least, driving during rains and how to keep the windshield clean and get more visibility. Personally I find it very difficult to drive in the night when it is raining and I slow down a lot. Any inputs on driving safely during rains in night?

I observe the same principles that I do during a night drive, while it is raining or if it is wet. The levels of grip are a lot lesser in the wet. Braking distances increase a great deal. The chances of losing control over your car are a lot higher when it is raining. The ORVMs get wet and one cannot see clearly. Visibility is highly restricted during the rains. It only makes sense to slow down.

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Also have they talked about overtaking maneuvers? How to proceed and commit for overtaking, specially on a single carriageway? Overtaking decision is one of the single most important decision which can make or break your car. If the instructor has shared anything about it please do share.

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Few more things I would like to know, whenever I try to overtake a vehicle, I normally slow down first, make up my mind after studying the road ahead(incoming vehicles, if the vehicle which will get overtaken might change course etc) and then start doing overtaking maneuver, is this correct way? Should I need to take care of anything else? What is the correct usage of the headlights and left/right indicators during such maneuver?

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Also many times on a dual carriageway we find these right lane hoggers who will be driving at slow speed on the overtaking lane(rightmost lane). Is it advisable to overtake from the left in such cases (I do that as those people will never give you way)? What is the correct thing to do in such cases?
Hope to get some inputs from experienced TBHPians.

You follow the correct method, IMO.

When overtaking a car or a vehicle in front of you, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

- Make your overtaking intentions known and clear to the driver of the car/vehicle in front of you. You don't want to catch him by surprise. Especially if he looks fidgety on the road.

- Honk once during the day time and flash your lights twice during the night.

- Make sure that you have a clear path ahead of you and enough place for you to merge into the lane of the car you're overtaking (in case it is a narrow road, or the maneuver requires you to do so)

- When you are overtaking a vehicle in front of you, and you're in the middle of the maneuver, do not hesitate to get ahead of the vehicle. DO NOT hang around next to the vehicle. You must either get ahead of the vehicle in a couple of seconds, or stay behind the vehicle. Driving along side the vehicle at high speeds is never a good idea.

- After the overtaking maneuver, and after merging into the lane ahead of the overtaken vehicle, do not slow down. Keep moving ahead or maintain the same speed that the vehicle behind you is doing. Slowing down will inconvenience the person you've just overtaken and well, is just bad road manners.

- If the person ahead is not giving you way and is attempting to go faster, then let him go faster. Don't let your ego get in the way. Let him go ahead. Don't get into a race. Highway driving is not a form of racing. Trust me, it's actually better, since the person ahead gives you a good sense of the road and acts as a guide unknowingly!

- Although it is advised that one follows the correct overtaking guidelines on the highway, one can bend the rules to an extent, as long as you're sure of what you're doing. This is with respect to those morons who stick to the right lane and do a casual 50 km/h. My suggestion. Honk a couple of times, flash the lights if need be. If he still doesn't budge then switch to the left lane, provided it is free and the path ahead is clear, and honk once to let him know that you're fed up with his idiocy, and proceed to overtake.

This is the method I follow, and that I've been following over the past 4 years or so, of highway driving.

[KPS]

Another suggestion I have is when you are driving in a very crowded highway, where every one is speeding, it better to run with head lights even in the day. I have seen this work very well. Abroad most of the motor bikes have day time running lights. This make the vehicle in front of you know that a vehicler is approaching. Also since the vehicle in the opposite direction notices you earlier, the judgement of distance/speed from both sides is better.

The only irritation is that a lot of people will point out that your headlights are on in the day.

Cheers

KPS

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by KPS

Another suggestion I have is when you are driving in a very crowded highway, where every one is speeding, it better to run with head lights even in the day. I have seen this work very well. Abroad most of the motor bikes have day time running lights. This make the vehicle in front of you know that a vehicler is approaching. Also since the vehicle in the opposite direction notices you earlier, the judgement of distance/speed from both sides is better.

The only irritation is that a lot of people will point out that your headlights are on in the day.

Cheers

KPS

Not only highways, i do this in the city too when i am on an undivided road. One example is the road next to Ulsoor lake, going towards that Stuart Tank intersection. If there is no car in front of you, you will be bombarded by two wheelers and daredevil car drivers come into your lane. Headlights on gives them nice visibility of your car in such cases.

[RGK]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

Sorry to spoil the party guys, but the only things which I could gather from reading the last 5 pages are:
- Wear seat belts
- Check RVMs
- No tailgating
- Defensive and relaxed driving
- Turn off ignition if waiting for more than 60 seconds

Don't we all know this already ? I fail to understand what is the rocket science here ?

Eventhough all these things are known to us, we tend to ignore depending on our driving situation. Always it is better to get the basics right. How many are reading the entire manual of a car (for that matter any product) before start driving. I had a chance to drive a new Laura (when launched). Since I am tall, I want to push back the seat which I did not know how to do. I managed to squeeze in. It was totally inconvenient and I could not stretch my legs. Actually it was a risk. What would have happened if I could not brake in time. So no loss in learning even the basics again especially in the areas of transport where accidents are higher.

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

while driving i used to remove the sandals and drive barefoot (keeping the sandals under my foot. once it happened that i had to brake hard and the sandals slipped under the clutch and i could not depress it. result - the car stalled and came to a stop.

Yes it is absolutely necessary to have footwell clear. One can push the gear lever to neutral to avoid stalling in these kind of situations (not a good practice, can be used for emergency purposes).Gear engagement needs clutch.

[vasanthn21]

Followed "Buddha Driving" as suggested in the session for a few days.

Safety - It is definitely safer; much lesser unplanned braking.
Economical - my FE has gone up from 13 to 14 in city driving

Eco-friendly - If FE has gone up, my carbon footprint is reducing - right?

Other benefits - Wifey is less tensed/stressed in the "Buddha driving" mode - as a result I am less stressed/tensed - priceless!

But, wifey makes sure to point point, "Earlier when I told you to drive in a more sedate manner you wouldn't listen, but when Team-BHP tells you to do that - YOU LISTEN!!"

[doxinboy]

Another gem I found that scared the daylights out of me was the presence of strange unrelated objects in the driver's cabin. The instructor told us a real life incident where the water bottle from rear passenger area rolled over underneath the driver's seat and found a resting place beneath the break, making it impossible for the driver to apply break during emergency.

Last week while returning from the school, I was shocked to find the water bottle gently loitering beneth my feet. If not for DSFL, I would have simply ignored the plastic bottle. It is these, subtle but important information that made the Bangalore meet life changing.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by mjothi

No it was 10KM after my home. So, should be warm engine. But the momentum on 2nd gear was more than enough to keep it rolling.

Anyway, I do use this technique many times on approaching signals and in traffic. But only difference was, I had in mind that "the car may stop, and be careful!!!"

Now relieved.

This is typically a trait of MPFI cars. I learnt about this a decade ago when I bought my WagonR. My old Maruti 800 would stall under such circumstances.

But I feel that though this technique may be good in 2nd gear while approaching a traffic signal, driving on 4th or 5th gear without inputs to the throttle might tantamount to 'lugging' the engine. Wasn't there a thread on the ill-effects of lugging the engine?

[amitoj]

Something happened today that reminded me of one of the things from the program. That is to maintain enough gap between yourself and the car in front of you so that you can comfortably switch lanes if your lane is stopping.
There was a sumo tailing me dangerously close on the way back, right from vellara junction. Once i heard his tyres screeching, i moved aside and slowed down to let him go. But since he was too close to every vehicle in front of him, i found him stuck in a not moving lane soon.
Thats when i remembered the dsfl session.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Something happened today that reminded me of one of the things from the program. That is to maintain enough gap between yourself and the car in front of you so that you can comfortably switch lanes if your lane is stopping.
There was a sumo tailing me dangerously close on the way back, right from vellara junction. Once i heard his tyres screeching, i moved aside and slowed down to let him go. But since he was too close to every vehicle in front of him, i found him stuck in a not moving lane soon.
Thats when i remembered the dsfl session.

Serves him right! But I found that most of the times when I maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front, some bike guys nudge in thinking that is a safe haven for them.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Serves him right! But I found that most of the times when I maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front, some bike guys nudge in thinking that is a safe haven for them.

Well yeah but then they just move on to the next lane or next victim. So i let them snake in and out without letting it bother me much. They are like, you know, here now and gone next moment.

[IronH4WK]

found this video on Facebook. i think this was one of the videos shared in the DSFL program.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=171828366232796

[speedsatya]

I have been trying to follow the "lifting the A pedal " when i know I have to stop in some distance .Also ,i have trying to not use the accelerator when in traffic ( ensuring that I dont block others) .I was expecting to see an improvement in my FE.There hasnt been much diff from what I used to get earlier