[Chetan_Rao]

That barrier doesn't appear painted at all, forget having reflective coating/stickers to aid visibility.

[jpcoolguy]

Originally Posted by silversteed

There's actually a middle path - car pooling.

Car Pool - is one of the very good option for commute to work. My workplace is 40 KMs away from my home (recently got shifted to this office) and was trying to travel using Public transport and Bike. With Public transport, it takes 2 hrs to reach and with Bike I felt very unsafe travelling in the GST.

Now started taking my Car to office offering Car Pool to others in my office and I would say this is one of the best option. 75% of the fuel expenses would be covered and also feel lot safer than the bike and no back pains too. But need to deal with a hectic traffic in the morning and evening.

Icing on the cake is that our company has an intranet portal for Car Pooling which comes really handy for registering for Car Pooling. I would say Car Pool is the way forward for the metros with the ever increasing traffic.

[Turbanator]

And how can we forget this one

Seems the car took out the first piller

Both incidents look as if these are from some horror movies, Audi Driver might be lucky to survive but if he had a companion, very fewer chances of survival. Such accidents do make you believe in fate, destiny and coincidence.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by bharat4ever

I would like to see our nation get rid of two wheelers in general, or atleast have dedicated lanes with barricades on both sides for them, but until then, I'd prefer that people who have cars use them, or come by public transport.

You have lost the plot buddy. We are all enthusiasts here. Some of us love cars, some of us love bikes and some love both. While we all wear helmets/seatbelts, safety is not our first priority. It is the love of driving and/or riding. So sweeping statements such as yours could serve to offend plenty our community.

I drive and ride. There are days when I am grateful to have a car and exploit its capabilities, and then there are days when the itch to ride is too much. Even if it is terrible weather, I sometimes find myself compelled to ride my bike over anything else.

If we looked at things from your perspective, there is no end, and we would all have lost our private transport ages ago being forced to ride the metro trains instead.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

You have lost the plot buddy. We are all enthusiasts here. Some of us love cars, some of us love bikes and some love both. While we all wear helmets/seatbelts, safety is not our first priority. It is the love of driving and/or riding. So sweeping statements such as yours could serve to offend plenty our community.

Safety is not our first priority?

Can you imagine going to a firing range and hearing such a statement, "Safety is not our priority: it is the love of shooting." Wouldn't you be horrified?

I hope that it is your sweeping statement that is quite wrong.

You can be very sure that the forum is about safety being a first priority. However, there are so many members and not all have reached that realisation. Many members work hard to help them. They love their driving too.

Love your driving, by all means. Except that of sacrificing safety.

If this offends "plenty" of our community ...

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Safety is not our first priority?

Can you imagine going to a firing range and hearing such a statement, "Safety is not our priority: it is the love of shooting." Wouldn't you be horrified?

Nope it most definitely isn't the first priority. The first priority is to connect with a machine for me atleast when I am driving or riding. I suppose when it comes to shooting your first priority ought to be hitting the target.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I hope that it is your sweeping statement that is quite wrong.

You can be very sure that the forum is about safety being a first priority. However, there are so many members and not all have reached that realisation. Many members work hard to help them. They love their driving too.

Not sure what you mean here.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Love your driving, by all means. Except that of sacrificing safety.

If this offends "plenty" of our community ...

Did I ever mention that safety ought to be chucked out the window anywhere in my post? Sure it is important but there is just no way it can be priority number 1 because if that was the case, you might as well sit at home and skype everyone. I clearly even said that we all must wear our seatbelts/put on our helmets.

I urge you to read my post without any preconceived notions or intent to point out flaws. Let us please not pull eachother up for no rhyme or reason in the middle of the night. If you really think I am bashing safety here and asking folks to sacrifice it, then I'm sorry but you are highly mistaken.

PS: Just to drive my point home, I see that you own a VDi Swift. Why not the ZXi considering it came with a thicker frontal impact beam, abs and airbags? Was it because safety was your number 1 priority? Clearly not. Just take a step back and read my post again; I am sorry if it still offends you.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Did I ever mention that safety ought to be chucked out the window anywhere in my post?

No, indeed you did not, and perhaps my interpretation was a little narrow.

Personally, the Swift is ancient history, and my last two cars have been VW Polos. Safety has been an aspect in their purchase.

I feel that safety should always be the priority when driving. But, humbly, I have to admit that, whilst I try, I have not yet achieved the aim of driving absolutely as safely as possible.

[prasadee]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Nope it most definitely isn't the first priority. The first priority is to connect with a machine for me atleast when I am driving or riding.

At first read it is easy to see your statement and think, it ought to be the first priority on public roads. That said, I hear you. When we decide to ride a bike instead of a car, it is not a decision based on what is safe for us. For that matter, just getting out of the house is relatively less safe. Calling for a ban on two wheeler is not going to resonate with most people. No worries there.

[bharat4ever]

I get peoples' passion for riding bikes. I truly do. But when you actually go out on a weekend, maybe on NICE road to ride a bike, you keep to the left lane, and have enough space behind and in front of you to react if something goes wrong.

But in city traffic, you are totally at the mercy of others. There's no time to react, and there are too many variables, even if you are the most careful person on earth. In a city which is so crowded, and always has traffic snarls, two wheelers come in close proximity to buses, earth movers, lorries, water tankers, and novice drivers.
In my opinion, and again, its only my opinion, it's just not worth the risk.

I don't call for a total ban on two wheelers. I that would be stupid. But to get to work, if you have a choice, choose a car. No point being a passionate rider, who cannot ride anymore because a BMTC bus ran amok.

[Thad E Ginathom]

How has this idea come about?

Sure, when I see bikers filling in all the gaps in a jam, like sand between pebbles, and when I see them trying to kill themselves with other cars, in utter frustration I might cry Oh for a world without two-wheelers. I'm not serious. What we need is a world with educated, aware driver, and the number of wheels is irrelevant.

[bharat4ever]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

How has this idea come about?

Sure, when I see bikers filling in all the gaps in a jam, like sand between pebbles, and when I see them trying to kill themselves with other cars, in utter frustration I might cry Oh for a world without two-wheelers. I'm not serious. What we need is a world with educated, aware driver, and the number of wheels is irrelevant.

Exactly my point. You can be as aware a driver that you can be, but with a two wheeler, you are at the mercy of other larger vehicles.

[blackwasp]

As a person who both loves riding my vespa as well as driving my car to work, it's a mixed bag. Both offer different benefits.

Vespa - 25 min commute time, no parking issues but have to carry jacket and helmet which gets cumbersome at times.

Abarth - 55 min commute time, have to leave early to get good parking, comfortable journey with protection from the elements.


My commute is mostly on urban highways with flowing traffic so vespa saves times at signals and traffic jams. Can't really say one is more unsafe that the other as I have more visibility on vespa and I can drive defensively.


Nothing in life is risk free, and if you are riding with good helmet, jackets, gloves and shoes, you definitely minimise your risk.

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

You have lost the plot buddy. We are all enthusiasts here. Some of us love cars, some of us love bikes and some love both. While we all wear helmets/seatbelts, safety is not our first priority. It is the love of driving and/or riding.

What if your "Safety is NOT our first priority" results in you sending another innocent driver to jail? If you are not bothered about your safety, chances are you're not bothered about others' too.

:(

[Torqy]

@ IshaanIan

Sorry, maybe you didn't mean it. Many silly accidents / falls which would've been just a "one week in a hospital" had turned into deaths and murder cases against the other party just because the person riding wasn't wearing a helmet. Clearly safety wasn't a priority. Just mentioning some incidents where somebody else's life got screwed for someone else's mistake.

...and PEACE.

[pixantz]

From the moment you are conceived in the womb, the possibility of death begins. And it ends only after the ultimate happens and that is death itself. Everything in between is just statistics. How death came about is just another statistic.

Death by miscarriage, poison, sickness, murder, stupidity, falling wall, accident. The list can go on. All one can do is gather as much info as possible and develope/inculcate habits that aid in all round safety for everyone. It's an ongoing life long endeavor.

And after having done all you can to be safe, if some moron happens to come out of nowhere and snuffs out life, there is not much anyone can do about it. Someone can die in an accident at 0kph just as easily as he/she can at 300kph. I've seen that happen. And then I wonder, how can anyone really blame speed as the reason for all accidents. Or any other thing singularly, for that matter. Man! I gotta write a book on this stuff :P

One way to look at it.