[coolvenk]

I've done several long-ish road trips -- twice across the continental US, and a few long ones in India as well. Especially during the pandemic, we have avoided planes and chosen instead to drive all day even, if needed.

I consider myself a fairly good driver, but in my experience, almost every road trip of a 1000km+, has at least one close call. You don't know when it will come, but when it does driver ability and reflexes are very important to save the day. So far, I've managed to dodge major accidents, but any of these close calls could have been one.

So, I do think there is risk involved, and the thing to do is to be prepared in multiple ways. Have a good well maintained car with e.g. tyres and brakes in good condition. Make sure everyone is wearing seatbelts. Use a safe car and the biggest you can get, because size does matter. And, ultimately, also have good luck, because there are situations which would be bad irrespective of driver ability.

[NagaBond]

I prefer driving in my car over going in bus/train or sometimes flight primarily because I can drive at my own time and dont have to adjust based on timings of other modes. Also, I can stop in between if I see a nice hotel/temple or any scenic place. In bus, you do not have that luxury and have to go to a hotel they stop at and stay inside till you reach the destination. I know it does not feel safe to drive long distances, but if you are calm and drive carefully, you will be fine. I agree on risks with bike. I discourage all young guys in my family and friends' cicrle from buying a bike. Bike riders are sitting ducks for heavy vehicles and pot holes are well placed to knock them down.

[careind]

Originally Posted by Sarath_

.

Why do people insist on driving their car to a destination that can be covered by air, train or bus in a much safer manner?

Any points or counterpoints are greatly welcome.

I think convenience and hassle-free travel are the attraction in car being preferred mode of travel for many.
Most of the travel requirement does not involve just going from point A to point B, which is offered by mass transport mediums like planes, trains and buses.
Then there is the hassle of committing to a specific time of travel, which might seem rigid to some.
Then comes the hassle of transporting to/from the point of ingress/egress. If you have babies/ infants then the hassle assumes gargantuan proportions.
Then there is the hassle of stretching your legs whenever you oranybody traveling with you feels like it, not to mention the tea/food break.
And then there are the hassles of local travel once you reach point B.

Earlier the infrastructure was bad and so we had to take trains/flights in combination with local transport of autos/taxis for longer travel.Now infrastructure developments are so good and inter-city/inter-state road travel is a breeze and what more, it is pleasant.

Everything is probably applicable to bikes, but cars provide a better degree of safety over bikes.

I believe avoiding many such hassles is one of the main reasons to consider car travel over other mediums.

[Neversaygbye]

While I agree that our highways are not the safest, and taking other options like flights/trains may be more convenient as well and leave a lower carbon footprint per person to boot, there is a strong case for road trips in many situations.

Typically the amount of flexibility that a road trip gives is unparalleled. Plus if you are going to a destination where you would in any case need to hire a car to get around, then it makes sense to have your own car. I have seen that for the same distance, even taking into account the cost of additional hotel stay (since one may not be able to cover the entire distance in one go), if there are four people in a car, the cost of a round trip usually works out cheaper than flights. Trains and buses are usually much cheaper than taking your own car, but then with trains getting reservations takes a lot of advance planning, and with buses you are again travelling down the same unsafe highways and this time the control of the vehicle is in someone else's hands.

I prefer to do road trips whenever I have multiple points on my itinerary or I am going to a place where I would have to hire a car to get around anyway. However, for places which can be easily reached by train or flights, I prefer to take those. Also, as a road trip takes more time than the above two means in most cases, plus I usually don't drive on our highways at night, so if I have limited time at my disposal, then flights/trains it is.

So I would say that road trips make sense in many situations. They provide convenience, flexibility and cost effectiveness, and in many cases the risk can be reduced by driving a fundamentally good car within manageable speeds during the day. After that it is all upto destiny. Accidents don't happen everyday and can happen in any mode of transport.

[amolathalye]

This topic is very interesting. I love cars. They offer convenience / freedom to travel on your terms. But I don't enjoy driving these days as much as I did a decade ago.

The reason to avoid driving is obvious 1 ) Within city - Too much of traffic congestion , rowdy bikers / auto rickshaws and scarcity of proper parking spaces 2) On Highways - High / life threatening situations that one may face irrespective of your discipline and skills. I need not talk more about this as we all come across many such news everyday of very frequent accidents on Mumbai - Pune expressway or Mumbai - Goa highway. Many lives are lost and many involved are not even at fault.

Let me confess that most of the times while driving on highway , deep in my mind I have some feeling of fear and that is not without a reason. I have kept a log of incidents that occurred while driving on highway. The data indicates that on an average , once in every four "long drive trip "( more than 200 kms one way ) of mine , at least once I came across a situation when my alertness , my discipline , sheer luck saved me from ugly situations.

Hence these days I choose to drive on Highway only as a last option.

[OffRoadFun]

Had a cursory look at the post. My take:

Looks like it has been written with safety as number 1 priority which is fine, human life is precious.

Why cars? They offer individual freedom to the driver and occupants like NO other mode of transport, anywhere in the world. I can halt wherever I want to explore, to take rest etc. No public transport will offer that. I avoid any public facility as much as possible.

What about safety in car? If one is safety conscious and disciplined, one can ALWAYS drive bit slow and with caution and still be faster than bus etc. (On a long trip). In essence, risk of accident in a car is totally under drivers control, unlike a bus or even train. With airbags etc, it helps a lot.

Why not bike? Due to road conditions, lack of traffic rules on Indian roads, bikes are inherently riskier and that risk, in my opinion, can not be brought down just by your driving style. That's why I passed the idea of owning a Ninja or CBR many times, though was very tempted.

For long drives, cars offer unbeatable choice of freedom. Can one play loud music in a bus? Can't halt anywhere. And your destiny is under the hands of a semi-literate driver in a bus.

[yogesh.8984]

L I V E. T O. D R I V E.


PS: Mods, pls delete the post as this may be the shortest and not within rules.

[bosem123]

I think there's a fundamental issue which was missing so far here, although not everyone would probably agree. I drive because I want to be fully responsible for my own life or someone else's, whoever trusts me enough. If I give this responsibility to some third person, I feel as though as I have given away control to my life. If something happens, whether by my fault or another person, I still feel better knowing that I was at the wheel.

[cpabhijit]

Went through the post but I am unable to understand the OP. Basically, what it says is cars are anyway unsafe, why do we still insist on driving them?!

On a bus/train/flight, I don't know the condition of the vehicle, the training of the driver/pilot, did he/she sleep well the previous night, what is his/her emotional state, et al. How can we conclude that these are safer than one's own car? The condition of the car is in your control and your driving too! Isn't a significant part of the risk taken care of?

The Malaysian Airlines flight which disappeared, most probable reason is the pilot wanted to commit suicide. Similar with the flight crash where one football team perished. No engine trouble, no adverse weather, no hijackers, just one pilot (of the 2, imagine) who wanted to just end his own life.

Volvo buses which catch fire, buses falling into rivers, gorges, trains derailing, I think risk is just the same everywhere.

Now comes the convenience part. To catch a train/flight/bus, I need to avail multiple modes of transport, go through various hoops, plan well, buy tickets in advance and what not. Just hop into your car and you are away. En route, you can stop where you want, for however long you want, take detours, the list goes on. The benefits lean heavily towards the car.

Frankly, I hate taking public transport for the pain that it is, especially flying. Airports are a mess and it takes ages at every check point. I used to take 60 flights a year for work & leisure combined. I've brought it down to 10 and now I'm wondering how to delete the 1. I'm already at zero bus and zero rail for a decade now. Hail the car

[jithin23]

It's been 8 years since I earned my driving license and from then on, there was no looking back. I can count the no.of times I've used public transport. Like all others who have mentioned pointers here, I feel travel in our own vehicle gives us more freedom to explore the surroundings around us and take us out of our comfort zone. I've learnt a lot on the road than any other mode of transport and I prefer travel by my own vehicle than a flight. The last place I'd want to be in is an airport as it's overrated and the division of classes is still evident once you step inside the airport. Road travel has No such distinction, a Maruti 800 and an Audi are equal users of the road.

[motorhead5]

Wherever and whenever possible, I prefer to travel by car. Many reasons:
1. Flexibility - when to start etc
2. Get to see people, places and try different cuisines
3. Time with family - but yes, need to plan entertainment especially related to 2 above
4. Love driving - have done many 15+ days road trips - east and west coasts, east and west Himalayas and many more in and out of the country
5. Most times, it's the in between unplanned destinations and experiences that are more memorable
6. You have your vehicle, music etc with you always
7. Finally, economical

[eyedocgb]

Quite an interesting point of view raised by the OP.While I am in the same profession as him and having being exposed to the horrors of road traffic trauma,I would still prefer my own vehicle,more specifically my self driven car.
I ditched my bike post specialization to save my fingers and my lower back.
During this Covid period,my personal car was the safest and only means of transport available,even though I live in a capital city.The freedom and convenience a personal car gives cannot be matched,both within and outside my hometown.
However with an excellent travel option,like the Delhi Metro ,I have am now completely dependent on it with my car there in cold storage(plus the NGT woes)

[pram_ind]

My take, personal cars are safer as you are responsible for yours/family life. So you avoid risks and follow road manners, the rest is upto GOD.

Even if you Fly/rail , you still have to get to your destination, which still require you to use a taxi/auto, which you don't have any control.

[motorlover]

If everyone thinks like this, we will definitely die in stampede in a bus/train. I live in Goa where our private buses stuff people like sardines. Car is the most convenient and safest. And as if other vehicles are not prone to accidents. Survival rate of a plane crash is almost 0 % . Atleast in a car there are possibilities of survival. Most of the car accidents are due to overspeeding or not enough concentration.

[vineetklkrn]

It is an interesting point of view. Having being brought up in a middle class background, we got a family car only when I was 27.
Till this point, I didn't travel via air due to same reason, however did a lot of travelling in trains and buses. So I can agree that it is very much possible to manage without own car.
However, when I started driving I realised how comfortable and hassle free self driving is.
And now after having a kid, if I compare it with travelling in public transport, driving a car to a trip is a bliss.
It is much easier to just throw in all the luggage in the trunk without much thinking and taking breaks whenever required is very much convenient.
So I can say it is totally a matter of convenience especially for a family with a kid.
However I completely agree that bikes are too unsafe to drive on our roads.