[mmxylorider]

I tend to lean forward and look at the ORVM for the blind spot before a lane change. Not to mention that I also have a smaller mirror affixed to the ORVMs to help with a wider view.

Also lane changes on curves is useful since that exposes a wider view behind your vehicle before attempting the lane change (in appropriate direction).

Lastly being situationally aware is paramount during driving since there would always be idiots who don't think through these aspects of driving.

Of course, consistent lane markings and guidance through the white boards (in the US) is very helpful.

[Secretariat]

Wonderful thread. To follow as a Bible.

May I request your tutorial on two India specific topics since your practical tips are far more useful than theoretical lectures which sadly are impossible to follow in India.

1. Overtaking a truck on the left (should not be done, but inevitable in India).Especially on a two lane when you run the risk of an idiot coming on the wrong side of the road or a parked vehicle sitting right there.

2. The need sometimes to weave between lines of trucks who are hogging all the lanes at very slow speed. Again, should not be done, but absolutely unavoidable, especially when a queue of cars build up behind you and if you don't do it, the cars behind take even crazier risks. Sometimes defensive driving is doing the wrong thing, if it will prevent an even riskier situation from developing.

Taking the opportunity to thank you for your many posts on safe driving - has been my go to place often.

[malim]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

If it is not possible to do this, position your vehicle such that the car behind cannot overtake you or come alongside in a dangerously close manner.

I've found that this sometimes puts me on the receiving end of road rage from drivers who think they are entitled to use every inch of road space. Happens a lot at multilane choke points where the default "me first" behavior results in a 3-lane road holding 4 lines of cars. It's easy to blame this on cabbies, but this kind of indiscipline and impatience is just as apparent in people who really should know better.

[raksrules]

Originally Posted by goenkakushal

I remember my elderly uncle in USA changing lanes like this.
I am sure he was avoiding any blind spots before he changed the lane, but in that process of looking behind for a second or two the vehicle used to move away from the center of the lane, as his concentration was not on the steering.
This can be more dangerous.

This is the exact mistake new drivers in US make. I am talking from perspective of Indian folks. Especially the ones who started driving in US for first time. Myself and wife first learned driving in US for the first time and while learning, and doing shoulder check to overtake or change lanes (before exit), our car would also start going in that direction as we mistakenly started steering in the said direction.
After few days, this got fixed and we were able to do shoulder check with car being in same lane.

[hagarthenormal]

Thanks a ton for the very useful tips @SS-Traveller.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Rule #6: Scan the road and your mirrors by moving your head and eyes regularly while driving

Your peripheral vision tends to blur after a while, and you do not detect hazards early in adjacent lanes, or approaching from behind or the sides.

This rule is extremely important (not just for lane changes but in general). It talks of something that is not apparent. Most of the driving (highway or city) is left to subconscious and the senses seem to dull too. In that backdrop, the eyes and the associated apparatus just seem to optimise for fore vision based danger detection. And this acute optimisation increases with speed, which is quite dangerous for Indian conditions, where people/animals cross the road even on roads divided with barriers (many accidents on Bangalore - Mysore road are proof of this).

One way to make this life saving tip less of a chore on highways, is to make a conscious attempt to enjoy the landscape around wherever possible. Helps the heart and the brain too.

[Sen]

This is one of the most crucial and important threads I've ever seen on safety, especially in India. I've circulated this as much as I can already, hope more folks become aware of lane discipline, and eventually, right of way as well.

I learned a LOT from this thread as well, here's to being a better driver!

Last but not the least, thanks for sharing! I usually lurk, but this thread was too important to pass by without comment

[silverado]

Adding my 2 cents, in slow moving Traffic i stick to right most lane so that i only have to worry about left side of my car.

Its always important to change lanes gracefully, and remember not everyone watches your indicators. Always assume that people will not, i have had a biker hit my car when he tried to squeeze in gap even though i had put on indicators well in advance.

Always be on a lookout for people especially the ones driving cars , they can have improper judgment when they are using mobiles.

[pariwar]

Lovely Thread On The Aspects Of Lane Changing.

This is the step by step process that I was taught when overtaking/lane changing. Understandably the availability of space beyond the vehicle you intend to overtake has to be visually verified before the entire process starts.

1. If you believe you want to change lane, check to see in your rear view/ORVM if there is a vehicle in the adjacent lane.
2. If Yes, then allow the vehicle/set of vehicles to go through and only when the adjacent lane offers the opportunity, put your indicator
3. Move into a lower gear if required and accelerate past the vehicle you want to overtake.
4. Leave the indicator on till you complete the process and complete the overtaking. Continue to be in the overtaking lane.
5. Once you know that your vehicle has overtaken the desired vehicle, put your other indicator informing the overtaken vehicle that you intend to come back into that lane.
6. Check in your rear view mirror and only when you see the overtaken vehicle in it, you start the process of changing lanes back into the original lane. This ensures that there is sufficient gap between you and the vehicles and you have also checked in the blind spots.

[Strider24]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Rule #6: Scan the road and your mirrors by moving your head and eyes regularly while driving

Your peripheral vision tends to blur after a while, and you do not detect hazards early in adjacent lanes, or approaching from behind or the sides.

Attachment 2274743

Amazing article, it is kind of a one stop guidebook on how to change lanes specially in Indian condition. Kudos for writing this.

my 2 cents of addition in this list is to add a blind spot mirrors in both side ORVMs. they makes sea of difference when changing lanes or entering from or exit to a service lane from highway, they costs penny but makes all the difference.



Even on straight line driving there are blind spots just behind the car on the right hand side which are completely invisible to a driver, specially if you have a long vehicle or a car/SUV with thick c pillar &/or small rear window glass.

Blind spot mirror when setup properly help driver getting a great visibility of rear area and thus helps in avoiding any unfortunate incidents while changing lanes.



here is small video from KIA on how to use your ORVMs effectively eveb without a blind spot mirrors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f-e8zsazE4

An article where Lincoln too recommend to use it while lane changing.

I believe in European market the blind spot mirrors are inbuild to vehicle's ORVM, but these are mostly limited to either full size trucks or on lorries etc.

[sushantr5]

Shoulder Check is so important, I never knew importance of it until I came to Germany. I know lot of people failed license tests because they failed to do shoulder check.

When I drive in India, co-passengers always find it unnecessary about my shoulder check habit. I am always laughed out about my habit. This is our ignorance and omission of really important safety measure.

Today morning itself, I saved one accident because of my shoulder check.

[GeeTee TSI]

Lovely thread!

Adding a practical dimension from our roads, do not change lanes all of a sudden to dodge a pothole which you unexpectedly encountered. Grit your teeth and take the thud if need be (also applies to sudden halts for the same reason).

My personal experience (scare) was a large vehicle in the distance ahead in the rightmost lane which kept growing bigger till it turned out it was stationary and broken down. The call was to brake hard and stay in the lane hoping the car behind also did the same.

[Aravind_M92]

Quite a practical guide for safe lane changing procedures. Felt like reading a wikihow page! Neat videos and comprehensive pictures too.
As it goes, let the idiots go by. It's about you reaching the destination safely without any troubles. We all have seen how road rage can turn dirty. I was quite the type of guy who would try and catch up to an offender and give him a piece of my mind. Now it's all about let him pass and cruise along between 1-1500 rpm! I've barely Crossed 3000 rpm in the past 10000 kms ( I've covered about 60k kms in my car since her purchase in 2016).

[condor]

Thanks, SS-da.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Rule #4: Merge back into a lane ahead of a vehicle, ONLY when you can see BOTH its headlights in your ORVM

Cant stress enough on this point, or #3 about a clear merge-area.

However, the point of being able to view both headlamps of the overtaken vehicle - as mentioned in the drivers' handbooks in US / other countries - cant be applied fully here in India (my observation). We often dont have a sufficiently open merge zone to do this. When overtaking trucks and other slower vehicles, one headlamp coming into view fully is sufficient. If the overtaken vehicle is a car/faster vehicle - and if that driver is not taking affront to the overtaking maneuver, then a sufficient guideline would be - being able to see at least half the other vehicle in your side RVM.

[turbowhistle]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=pkUcOUFusPQ

Lovely thread and very informative for sure! It's sad that we as a forum have to take up these topics and inform/educate people when there should be things already in place by the goventment at the time we obtain the license. I learned a lot of these things while converting my license in Germany and realised we are missing this back home. But kudos to Team-BHP!!

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

A small observation, the shoulder check from the girl in this video is a bit too much, she is almost turning around and looking backwards. I used to do the same some years back until my "Fahrlehrer" (Driving Instructor) pointed this out and corrected me.

Haha "Fahrlehrer" word brings back a lot of memories ( few unwanted as well ). The shoulder check is something ingrained in my driving now but most of the newer cars I drive come with blind spot monitor. My car even shows it on HUD so you don't even have to do a shoulder check most times. It might not be taught in next 5-10 years when the feature trickles down to common cars

[vineetklkrn]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Yet, the vast majority of drivers on Indian roads cannot stick to a single lane; if anything, they would persistently straddle lanes as if driving on a monorail, not a road. On undivided highways, the continuous dividing line in No Passing zones is violated more often than not, and one will frequently find oncoming traffic perilously overtaking each other on the wrong side of the road.

I certainly want to follow lane discipline at-least when there are 4 lanes and 6 lanes highways. However in most cases I see Trucks occupying the right most lanes. Leaving us to always overtake from left lane and return back to lane of choice like middle if driving casually or right if moving fast.
On my trip abroad to Germany, I noticed all the trucks lining up on the slow lane. Somehow it is opposite here in India. This I believe is single most deterrent to follow lane discipline.