[kirans]

Originally Posted by cataclysm

The average joe won't be able pronounce aquaplaning, let alone know what it is.

Hah! I saw this happen last weekend en-route to Chennai. I started from BLR around 6 pm, got stuck in a horrendous jam at Hosur toll gate and by the time I was near Vellore, there was quite a heavy rain. After Ranipet, the road is pretty bad almost all the way until Chennai, and knowing this, and the added rain, I was quite slow, probably doing around 50s to 70s whenever I felt confident to keep it at that speed. The rain around this time was quite heavy that my wipers had to work at max speed, and the road at this stretch didnt have any reflectors or markers and one could hardly see more than 20-30 feet ahead. There was this Toyota Innova with half a dozen headlights was trying to overtake me. I managed to move to the left as much as I could (I couldnt see where the road edges were), and he zoomed past. My wife who was dozing until then, saw him pass by and said, why I was so slow does car have any problem, all other vehicles are overtaking you. I said that I'm comfortable only at this speed in the rain, so you just go back to sleep, we will reach safely. Another twenty minutes or so, i see this oddly positioned car with headlights pointing into the fields. Sure enough, the guy in-spite of the attempts to beat the sun in lighting, managed to go straight past the edge of the road and was stuck in some weird angle. My first thought was to stop and see if he needed help, but as I was near I saw there already was a bunch of people, and given the heavy rain and two kiddos in the back seat, I just went on my way slow but steady. We managed to reach Chennai safely by 1.30 AM or so, the rain was luckily less after that one stretch.

Just goes to show that in rain, all the lights and tires wont ensure safety. The tech will do its job, and we should do our job, by limiting ourselves to a level where reflexes can actually work. Our reflexes take a good half second to perform an activity, and at triple digit speeds, in blinding rain with just 50 or so feet of visibility - its just too little time for one's brain to make any decision. Its such a simple thing. But I guess many people end up learning the hard way. I had my dashcam on, but nothing really useful was captured in the rain.

Just a request to everyone to stay safe this monsoon, think of how quickly everything can change. Your stability, your life, your family, your persona - everything can be lost in an instant, and its definitely not worth the little time saved by pushing beyond practical limits of one and one's machine.

[RavenAvi]

Not an accident, but a purely shocking incident.

This couple from Chennai was touring North India and had hired a Royal Enfield motorcycle. They visited Haridwar from Delhi, were returning from Haridwar and were on their way to New Delhi to catch a flight back to Chennai, when they were accosted by the goons on bikes.
The incident occurred at around 4 pm in an area under Nai Mandi police station in Muzaffarnagar. The attackers shot Aditya Kumar in the neck while his wife, Vijaya Lakshmi sustained serious injuries. The goons then fled the spot.
The injured couple was being accompanied by a friend Shyam Teja, who informed the police while a passer-by took the injured duo to a nearby hospital. Later they were admitted into a hospital in Delhi. Earlier today it was revealed that the husband died in the hospital.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSxfprJoGZI

Source & full article

[Pferdestarke]

This happened in Mount Abu. The report says that van driver was under the influence of alcohol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQI1bOAl7_c

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by Pferdestarke

This happened in Mount Abu. The report says that van driver was under the influence of alcohol.

We can read about Drunken Driving accidents / deaths / maimed people / orphaned kids etc. all day and still come back with "I have great control / I'm a very mature driver even when drunk". That's us.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Pferdestarke

This happened in Mount Abu. The report says that van driver was under the influence of alcohol.

Something I will trust closing my eyes when its Mount Abu.

This is the nearest bootlegger's Den for folks from Gujarat, especially Ahmedabad-Mehasana region and the only reason most of them drive here is to get intoxicated and then drive back to their cities.

This is just too common here and we have had videos right here on this thread from a route connecting another haven (Daman & Diu) to Saurashtra region of Gujarat.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by kirans

The tech will do its job, and we should do our job, by limiting ourselves to a level where reflexes can actually work

The tech will do its job, but it will do so based on inputs from the driver. As in the example shared by you, the Innova may be good enough to take that turn and also its tyres in good condition. But was the driver in good enough condition to do that?
Glad to read that you drove well and reached home safely.

A lot of people end up in accidents because they end up trying the limits of their car. But forget their own driving limitations or other road limitations such as unlit areas, jaywalkers, stray animals, loitering barely visible vehicles and so on.

we are tuned to acheiving the maximum possible out of ever ounce of effort that we spend. It should not matter if we are doing 60, though the car is able to to 200, and the road says 100. But somehow, as with almost all other materialistic things, we expect to get maximum returns from our investment. Of effort, time and money.

I am probably turning this post into a psychology lecture

[mustang_shelby]

Originally Posted by batman

http://belarusfeed.com/tank-accident-minsk/

"A tank might be a weighty military vehicle, but it’s still a car. So it can get into accidents, just like civil vehicles do."

Unbelievable. If someone told me without video proof that a tank could skid like this, I wouldn't have believed it. What chance do mere cars have on wet roads?

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Also what is the need for hazard lights in the rain? Never understood this. It is very common in Bangalore. When one's headlights are on, isn't it easy to see the glow of their tail lights from behind? What is the need for everyone to have all their indicators flashing like as if it is a zombie apocalypse?

+1 to that. Hazard lights are to indicate a stationary broken down vehicle or an accident. Using them on a moving vehicle negates the ability to indicate lane changes. Moreover, using them like this makes it harder for the following traffic to identify whether it is a stationary vehicle, which means they should slow down and brake, or just a slow moving vehicle. Using them in such situations blurs the ability to distinguish between 'emergency' situations and 'drive with caution' situations.

[Midas]

Originally Posted by prithm

But what other option do I have to make myself more visible in pouring rain and warn trailing traffic that I am moving at slower pace due to rain ?

You have the option of red tail lamp and option to stop somewhere safe and wait till it becomes safer.

Why am I against the usage of hazard light while moving?

1. If it's used only when vehicle is stationary or near stationary, there is no ambiguity. But if people start using it while moving and it becomes a habit, there is no way to know clear way to quickly identify whether a vehicle is stationary or not. Even if I decide to be extra careful if I see one, someone might assume that I'm moving in a case when I'm standing still and ram into my car.

2. There is no way to know that you are taking a turn when hazard lights are on (or do the other side switch off when indicator is used while hazard light is already on?)

[Pferdestarke]

Originally Posted by Torqy

"I have great control / I'm a very mature driver even when drunk".

Unfortunately, this sort of "I'm unerring, I'm invincible" attitude is what drives them to the unforeseen circumstances. IMO, one should anticipate hazard every moment on the road and exercise caution.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

This is the nearest bootlegger's Den for folks from Gujarat, especially Ahmedabad-Mehasana region and the only reason most of them drive here is to get intoxicated and then drive back to their cities.

Never heard such thing about Mt. Abu sir! All these years, I've known it as a popular tourist spot. I wish the local authorities take some steps to curb it.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Pferdestarke

Never heard such thing about Mt. Abu sir! All these years, I've known it as a popular tourist spot. I wish the local authorities take some steps to curb it.

My folks are mostly settled in GJ and as they say, many around here just make a trip to Mount Abu to just gulp few down and return back to base. Like I said, same is applicable for Diu.

Not generalizing but since the article/source also mentions that it's due to DUI, I mentioned this.

Why just this, my car have never been checked for alcohol except one occasion when we were in 2 cars, returning from Delhi and taking the Udaipur Abu Road Palanapur Mehasana option and both the cars were checked even when we said we were headed to Bangalore.

For those who are from Gujarat, they know what Mt Abu and Diu is.

[RajeVenu]

Originally Posted by mustang_shelby

Unbelievable. If someone told me without video proof that a tank could skid like this, I wouldn't have believed it. What chance do mere cars have on wet roads?

The tank tracks are made to have better grip in cross country, mushy or sandy terrain. Believe me that a tank travelling at such speeds on a concrete or black top road (wet or dry) is a receipe for disaster as first it doesn't have rubber at contact points like a normal car so metal will just slide during breaking and secondly anything upwards of 40 tonnes will have considerable momentum so it isn't a wonder that the tank in video skidded. The armour in the tank would have protected the shell (can't say the same about the crew) but the track could have suffered some damage but contact with the pole wouldn't have written it off and it would definitely live to see a battle and as regards the post it definitely is toast.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

May be so in most countries but with our tropical climate, heavy rains are a default in the monsoon season and with our undulated roads that aren't really all that smooth and flat, "sufficient layer" of water is encountered quite often.

Skidding can happen at much lower speeds than aquaplaning. You could skid at walking pace, you cannot aquaplane. Skidding is dangerous enough

Originally Posted by prithm

Be it two, three or four wheels, driving in rain at slow or medium pace is much appreciated and not all drivers are equally skilled. If I have one more light to make people around and behind me as aware as possible ...

Hazard lights are for warning of a hazard. Once the vehicles behind you are aware of it, eg, they too have entered the rain, turn them off.

Originally Posted by black_rider

How do you signal lane change/turn with your hazards on?

You turn them off. You should have turned them off as above anyway,

Hazards are meant only to signal a stationary hazard on the road, nothing else.

Hazards are to warn of a hazard. The person doing the warning may be moving. The hazard itself may be moving.

Turn them off when others have seen

Originally Posted by mustang_shelby

+1 to that. Hazard lights are to indicate a stationary broken down vehicle or an accident.

No. Really. They are to warn of a hazard.

Originally Posted by Midas

You have the option of red tail lamp and option to stop somewhere safe and wait till it becomes safer.

Why am I against the usage of hazard light while moving?

1. If it's used only when vehicle is stationary or near stationary, there is no ambiguity. But if people start using it while moving and it becomes a habit, there is no way to know clear way to quickly identify whether a vehicle is stationary or not. Even if I decide to be extra careful if I see one, someone might assume that I'm moving in a case when I'm standing still and ram into my car.

2. There is no way to know that you are taking a turn when hazard lights are on (or do the other side switch off when indicator is used while hazard light is already on?)

Warn, turn off, indicate.

Treating them as I have these, I'll turn them on leads to the situations that you guys and others are objecting too. And I agree, cars moving in queue all flashing their hazards? Stupid and irritating. But if, for instance, is a queue of slow-moving traffic on a fast road, the last in line should probably have the hazards on. And then turn them off when the guy behind catches up. All this takes a bit of thinking, but it works, and works in a way that makes roads safer.

Stationary-only is just one use of hazards for a stationary hazard.

And people, know that your lights work, all round!

And, for those who are irritated by the turn-everything-on folk, just wait until high-intensity rear fog lights become common here. They have been infuriating people in other countries for a decade or two.

.

[unk9ja]

A 20 year old lost his life after his new bike collided head on onto an autorickshaw in Kerala.

[arvind71181]

Originally Posted by unk9ja

A 20 year old lost his life after his new bike collided head on onto an autorickshaw in Kerala.

Looked at the video of this accident and it seemed completely to be the rider's fault as he banged into it head on coming on the wrong side at very high speeds. Terrible!!

[Ry_der]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Why just this, my car have never been checked for alcohol except one occasion when we were in 2 cars, returning from Delhi and taking the Udaipur Abu Road Palanapur Mehasana option and both the cars were checked even when we said we were headed to Bangalore.

For those who are from Gujarat, they know what Mt Abu and Diu is.

Even I have a similar experience. I have crossed the border (GJ-RJ & GJ-DIU) appx 10 times in last 1.5 year. My car was checked only once that too because the time was 4.00AM. EECO drivers in GJ are really a pain where the sun doesn't shine. Racing all the way from Amdavad to Mahesana in those CNG Powered EECOs.