Team-BHP > Road Safety


Reply
  Search this Thread
25,745 views
Old 28th August 2011, 22:05   #16
Senior - BHPian
 
joybhowmik's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 1,421
Thanked: 2,278 Times
Re: Driving through a Land-slide

Quote:
Originally Posted by R.I.P View Post
+1
I guess thats why we have so many gods here. I always start such journeys with a prayer but then thats just me.
Two whole states (Uttaranchal, Himachal) as a matter of fact like to have themselves identified as "dev-bhoomi" - land of the Gods.
For that matter - most locals in the Himalayas revere their mountains as local Gods/Goddesses. You are not alone
joybhowmik is offline  
Old 29th August 2011, 01:35   #17
BHPian
 
R.I.P's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Shimla
Posts: 110
Thanked: 54 Times
Re: Driving through a Land-slide

True but in most cases mountains are not worshiped, its the gods/spirits who reside on them.
R.I.P is offline  
Old 29th August 2011, 17:19   #18
BHPian
 
ra'ul M's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Chandigarh
Posts: 221
Thanked: 46 Times
Re: Driving through a Land-slide

Good thread.
I am not sure if this has been added earlier. Below are some points which I observe when I am passing a tricky situation:

1. Do a 360 degree assessment. The stuff above is as dangerous as the stuff below.
2. Lower the tyre pressure for more traction.
3. Dont sacrifice grip and momentum for anything else. Speeding up on an empty strech can backfire sometimes.
4. If there are more people on board, use them. Walking in front of the car or checking the traction can be done by them in the thick of things.

Hope it helps
ra'ul M is offline  
Old 29th August 2011, 17:58   #19
Team-BHP Support
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: All over!
Posts: 7,591
Thanked: 18,197 Times
Re: Driving through a Land-slide

Quote:
Originally Posted by ra'ul M View Post
2. Lower the tyre pressure for more traction.
I'm not sure this would be a good idea. You'd have slightly better grip but you wouldn't be quick to get out of slush.

Quote:
3. Dont sacrifice grip and momentum for anything else. Speeding up on an empty strech can backfire sometimes.
Unfortunately, people regularly do this. Local cabs because they are over-confident and outsiders because they are unawares.

Quote:
4. If there are more people on board, use them. Walking in front of the car or checking the traction can be done by them in the thick of things.
To be done with precaution in case you're passing thru' a landfall zone.
libranof1987 is offline  
Old 30th August 2011, 13:12   #20
BHPian
 
ra'ul M's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Chandigarh
Posts: 221
Thanked: 46 Times
Re: Driving through a Land-slide

Quote:
Originally Posted by libranof1987 View Post
I'm not sure this would be a good idea. You'd have slightly better grip but you wouldn't be quick to get out of slush.
Its not for all types of landslides. In fact most of the things listed should be done according to the situation.



Quote:
Unfortunately, people regularly do this. Local cabs because they are over-confident and outsiders because they are unawares.
This thread by you should help the unaware.



Quote:
To be done with precaution in case you're passing thru' a landfall zone.
True.
ra'ul M is offline  
Old 31st August 2011, 12:45   #21
BHPian
 
ra'ul M's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Chandigarh
Posts: 221
Thanked: 46 Times
Re: Driving through a Land-slide

Adding to the above:
Sometimes it's best to wait

Sorry for the bad quality picture.
Attached Thumbnails
Driving through a Landslide (including slush)-img_05781.jpg  

ra'ul M is offline  
Old 15th September 2011, 23:51   #22
Senior - BHPian
 
phamilyman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Gurgaon
Posts: 5,968
Thanked: 4,635 Times
Re: Driving through a Land-slide

Spoken as a swift guy - most scorpios can just amble through most places. As someone whose clutch finally gave up (rather is in the process) after 71k of good fun - and alot of it in places where most swifts don't go.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dadu View Post
To elaborate on point 10, always let few heavy vehicles/ buses, trucks to go first, they will settle the loose mud and leave a firm wide track behind.

Now drive on those tracks.
Horrible advice. Truck will create deep ruts. Your advice will take out the car's underbody. Just let the sumos/mahindra max go. They are enough for cars. If you let an army stallion go 1st, then a swift for sure cannot drive in the ruts. The way to do it is one wheel in the ruts, one in the middle (if the stones aren't too sharp). in ultra clayey, drive in the ruts but get out.

Been there and gotten screwed, so thanks but no thanks!

Quote:
Originally Posted by dhanushs View Post

The thing is you need to be consistently quick (not fast), and absolutely avoid any jerks or sudden acceleration. The soil will be loosely packed and any abrupt changes in power, WILL cause it to collapse more
Good points by dhanush except this - i'd say just keep a bit over idle. The problem is not soil collapse - the problem is that the mud is clayey and wet i.e slippery, so strong braking or steering can cause the tail to step out and then god knows where your car will stop. Actually, libran said it in pt 6.

For small cars, on roads settled by such bulldozers, your power cannot collapse the road. Please! (unless it was collapsing anyways)


Quote:
Originally Posted by libranof1987 View Post
2) Obey the Supervisor at the land-slide site : These guys know the mountains well; they know when rocks/mud will slide and when it won't. So, if you're told to drive, don't worry about rocks; let it to them. Take a quick glance and get out of the land-slide zone ASAP.


5) Keep windows rolled up; ask co-passenger to keep vigil on the mountain.
If you're specially lucky like we were, to drive through smaller landslide zones without BRO being there - the rule is to park nicely to the side, wait for the local sumo/max to turn up (else observe for 2-3 min). Let them strategise and go first. Then you go - of course, dont be afraid to go and pick up the stones between their tyre ruts. It will not be seen by their vehicles but your car will scrape. So make sure the landslide is not moving - then remove the in-rut stones (your car will thank you), then drive across.

Once you are driving across, then tell the co-passenger to Shut the Hell up, and drive across as fast as you can, without being unsafe. Honestly, if you crawl through a landslide zone while your navigator is scanning the hillside - you become a sitting duck. My strategy was to blitz through the sections - wait and watch (even let others pass), and then zoom across.

We crossed amidst a hail of flying tennis ball sized stones at Pipalkoti past 7pm and ditto for Pandukeshwar at 8pm. Precious little the navigator could've done. I just bit my lip, and floored the accelerator rally style. And no, my life didn't flash before my eyes!


Another little pro tip - a small car will get streams where water will wash over the engine and cool it thus shutting it off. Normally, you should not drive too fast into such areas and do it in the daytime. There are only two things you should do:
  1. Stop/pause to see the best attack angle and enter with a decent momentum & hope to power through (no steering btw)
  2. Wait for a local sumo/max guy to turn up before you try step 1
Because if you don't do it right or sometimes it too big - water will shut off the engine. Relax. Its okay - no damage, just sudden cooling. Its happened to me enroute Badrinath at 845pm without cellphone coverage and not one other vehicle in sight. But if you follow rule 2 - there will always be someone to immediately help u. That is critical.

After the event, wait a min and then start the car and let it idle for 5-6 mins (pref outside the water zone). Then only drive out - else clutch will be screwed. And before that, the car will simply die so don't waste your time/clutch either - wait.


Here's a sample. Notice the max's rear wheels - that tells u the depth - and it had approached this one gingerly. This was Rudraprayag-Khirsu where there was no BRO, nothing. Just occasional taxis, this mean stream and a 15odd foot drop on the side. And yes, the car stalled as it almost cleared it.

Name:  vlcsnap2011091600h11m56s151.png
Views: 1446
Size:  681.8 KB

PS: For lightweight vehicles, think Eeco. It should be loaded. Carry sacks or move pax to the rear if required. else the unweighted rear loses traction real easy.

Last edited by phamilyman : 16th September 2011 at 00:18.
phamilyman is offline   (2) Thanks
Old 16th September 2011, 20:01   #23
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 3,803
Thanked: 462 Times
Re: Driving through a Land-slide

Quote:
Originally Posted by phamilyman View Post
Horrible advice. Truck will create deep ruts. Your advice will take out the car's underbody. Just let the sumos/mahindra max go. They are enough for cars. If you let an army stallion go 1st, then a swift for sure cannot drive in the ruts. The way to do it is one wheel in the ruts, one in the middle (if the stones aren't too sharp). in ultra clayey, drive in the ruts but get out.

Been there and gotten screwed, so thanks but no thanks!
Deep ruts are created only in soft mud, then one should drive with only one side of tyres in it and other on the middle berm.

In case of rock and gravel, such deep ruts wont happen.

Some scraping etc is still possible as its not metalled road but you decide if you want to cross over or wait for the PWD to build a metalled road before you cross and reach your destination(or turn back).

Just use your common sense and you will cross over, dont worry about scrapes here and there on the underbody.

That was for landslides but If you need to cross a stream of water and are not sure of the depth, just walk across first to decide if your vehicle will take the depth(or wait for other vehicles to go first), dont go blindly in the water stream, it can get you stranded. Any depth more than half your tyre's diameter increases the risk.

I have been there and out of it like a breeze in my Santro, each time, every time .

Last edited by dadu : 16th September 2011 at 20:07.
dadu is offline  
Old 16th September 2011, 20:17   #24
Distinguished - BHPian
 
noopster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Pune
Posts: 9,236
Thanked: 12,901 Times
Re: Driving through a Land-slide

Nice thread libran. Must confess this is one of my worst nightmares while driving.

I would advise against "zooming off" because that will probably increase your reaction time as well as reduce grip when you need it most. Quick progress is desirable but not at the expense of control.

Also, not so sure about rolling up all the windows. Leave the front ones open a tad- it will help provide aural cues that you may otherwise miss. tell rear-seaters to occupy the middle of the car rather than cling to the windows.

We got stopped for a potential landslide at Amboli ghat during a Goa drive last year. What was most annoying (and worrying) is that vehicles would zoom to the front and defy the authorities (I heard one guy ask, "Do you know who I am"?)

Well buddy, the landslide sure doesn't.

Last edited by noopster : 16th September 2011 at 20:37. Reason: Typo
noopster is offline  
Old 16th September 2011, 20:35   #25
Team-BHP Support
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: All over!
Posts: 7,591
Thanked: 18,197 Times
Re: Driving through a Land-slide

Quote:
Originally Posted by noopster View Post
I would advise against "zooming off" because that will probably increase your reaction time as well as reduce grip when you need it most. Quick progress is desirable but not at the expense of control.
I think it was a slight dramatic use of words on my part in the first post.

What I intend to say is, you need to get out as soon as possible and practicable.

Quote:
Originally Posted by noopster View Post
Also, not so sure about rolling up all the windows. Leave the front ones open a tad- it will help provide aural cues that you may otherwise miss. tell rear-seaters to occupy the middle of the car rather than cling to the windows.
Thing is, before and after the landslide actually occurs, there often is a small stream of dust or pebbles that come rolling down. If you have the windows rolled down and one of them happens to come in, passengers might just panic and the chain of events could be diastrous.

More often than not, there is a officer who directs you to move/stop at the zone so you can trust them on how safe it is to pass.

Quote:
Originally Posted by noopster View Post
We got stopped for a potential landslide at Amboli ghat during a Goa drive last year. What was most annoying (and worrying) is that vehicles would zoom to the front and defy the authorities (I asked one guy ask, "Do you know who I am"?)

Well buddy, the landslide sure doesn't.
Oh, there are tons of such idiots you'll come across. They think the landslide should know how influential they are; and of course, that the guys officiating at the land slide zone are fools!
libranof1987 is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 17th September 2011, 13:57   #26
Senior - BHPian
 
phamilyman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Gurgaon
Posts: 5,968
Thanked: 4,635 Times
Re: Driving through a Land-slide

Quote:
Originally Posted by noopster View Post
I would advise against "zooming off" because that will probably increase your reaction time as well as reduce grip when you need it most. Quick progress is desirable but not at the expense of control.
I don't know. I've driven across some of them in "rally mode" where the car's (Swift) tail is almost stepping out - if you're 50m through a 150-200m landslide zone and small pebbles start up intermittently.

Then you just zoom.

Practically, you wait to see all is clear - and then once your turn comes, its only logical to spend the least time there as is safe/comfortable within your limits. I'm sure no one here is really saying go terribly slow at all. Some may be okay with 15, some with 30/35 - no one is saying 60/70 kph!
phamilyman is offline  
Old 13th April 2015, 08:06   #27
BHPian
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: BANGALORE
Posts: 28
Thanked: 9 Times
How to get out of slush - Suggestions needed.

Dear Team - BHPians,

I am starting this thread warmly welcoming suggestions from all. Let me explain a tricky situation I am in currently.

I live in a area where after it rains, the roads get terribly slushy and the soil becomes too loose for motoring. One can somehow manage to ride a bike. However, driving a car is a nightmare sometimes as it tends to get stuck.

Recently , I had a bad experience of getting stuck in mud with my car ( maruti swift vxi ). As on this week , It has been raining for the past two days and once again I am concerned if my car will get stuck if I take it out of my parking lot.
The cross -road right in front of my home is in bad shape , full of slush and loose mud . However,if by any means someone could help to take the car upto the main road (cross - road in front of my home joins the main road ) , I can breathe easy.

As the main road is still in motorable condition and I can park my car there.

I am planning for a weekend trip from May 1st to 4th and fear if this trip would get cancelled if I am not able to take my car out..

Does anyone think calling the Maruti 24/7 on road service help me so that those expert drivers can take my car to the main road ?. I have a dealer located about 4 kms from my home.

or is there any other practical way I can think of?

Thanks & Regards,

Sajeesh
SAJEESH is offline  
Old 13th April 2015, 11:45   #28
BHPian
 
Carpainter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Kolkata
Posts: 686
Thanked: 1,149 Times
Re: How to get out of slush - Suggestions needed.

I'm no expert at this but in my imagination, if the road you're talking about is not too long then try to get some sand and stonechip if you can manage. Spread them over loose mud and try to get your car out slowly. Of course this is not a permanent solution but it might work occasionally. I'm also eager to learn the exact solution to this problem.
Carpainter is offline  
Old 13th April 2015, 11:59   #29
Distinguished - BHPian
 
saket77's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Ranchi
Posts: 4,343
Thanked: 11,745 Times
Re: How to get out of slush - Suggestions needed.

Just get some stone chips or pieces of broken bricks scattered on the surface of the path. If your neighbors share the same road, you guys can pool in the total expense involved in it as it benefits all. Further as I advised you before, if you somehow get stuck in loose mud, try placing rubber mats under the driving wheels That shall help in emergencies. Do not try to rock in-out too many times as you will only get stuck deeper and deeper that way.

Regards.
saket77 is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 13th April 2015, 13:10   #30
Team-BHP Support
 
SmartCat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,331
Thanked: 42,093 Times
Re: How to get out of slush - Suggestions needed.

Do you have a photo of the road in question?

Driving on extreme left hand side of the road might help. Basically, go where others have not - the chances of getting stuck are lower.

If you have a air pump, reduce tyre pressure to 15 or 20 psi, drive over the slushy stretches and increase the tyre pressure back to 30 psi after you are on firmer ground.

Drive steadily, and try to maintain speed (say 15 kmph). If you drive too fast, you might lose control.

If you do get stuck, use the car mats and place it under the front tyres. If you have large wooden boards at home, keep them in your boot and use them instead.

If this doesn't help, sell your Swift & buy Duster AWD

Last edited by SmartCat : 13th April 2015 at 13:11.
SmartCat is online now   (3) 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