Team-BHP - Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em

You are right. Perceptions differ.

I think of what I can do in the given situation, not what others must or must not do. I follow very simple rules. If I am behind a driver with hazard lights on, I try to keep a fair distance from him so even if he turns, I have enough time to react. If someone with hazard lights is approaching me and moves even slightly into my lane, I slow down until I know what he is upto.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 2376416)

The thing about bad drivers in rain and on wet roads is not so much what lights they turn on, as how much they reduce their speed. They don't.

Agree.

Talking of Hazard lights, I have seen some peculiar practice amongst some of the hyderabadi drivers. In a busy intersection if somebody intends to go straight, he switches on the hazard light leaving he entire traffic connfused as to what is intention is. At least this is what I have been able to decipher stupid:. Left indicator to turn left, right for turning right and the hazard light for straight !!!:Shockked:

I was confused initially but eventually got used to it... I even pointed to a few drivers as to why is he putting his hazard lights on in a busy intersection..and educated them.

But you still find these kind of drivers here in good numbers.

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Originally Posted by rajeev k (Post 2376411)

Perceptions differ. In fact, in the guise of helping others they are harming.

What they will do to signal their intention to make a turn? First stop blinking then the real signal? Confusions galore.

That exactly is what makes one a bad driver..

True. This happened to me a couple of days back. I was returning from Alleppey and a car in front of me had hazard signals on. All of a sudden he turned right without any indicators (hazard was still on). Luckily, I was way behind him so I could avoid his sudden move.

Like Rajeev said, it leads to lot of confusions.

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Originally Posted by anilisanil (Post 2376029)

We should have a car tracking mechanism that can issue fines which is then should be tied up to one's mobile bill or electricity bills, in that we ensure that breaking rules means paying fines no matter what!

I beg to differ.
The Bangalore traffic police, at least, is well-versed in the art of harassing and extorting fines from many of the law -abiders, whereas, the others are free to go scot free.

There should be some accountability, only then will the system you are proposing be viable, and a boon too. :thumbs up

EDIT: I've had ENOUGH of Bangalore's (or atleast south Bangalore's) traffic. At least 80% of the drivers are big time piss offs, with no common sense or etiquette.

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Originally Posted by Cyrus43 (Post 2376614)

Im sure the people the bangalore police catch have broken some sort of rule or are in the wrong in some way or the other. the police dont go around catching random people just because they fancy a laugh.

Is inconsiderate driving also "bad driving"? Let me give an example:

Today as I was driving to work, I remembered that I needed to fill petrol (Shell has announced a 4/- reduction clap:). The Shell station is on the left and I needed to turn from the middle lane- there was sufficient distance- about 500 m so I wasn't too worried.

Now anyone who drives to Hinjewadi knows that there is no shortage of smart alecs who crowd the extreme left (shoulder and sidewalk even sometimes) so unfortunately instead of 3 there were 4 or more lanes on that not-very broad stretch. Anyway I negotiated my way successfully, left indicator on, and giving way to everyone who didn't allow me through.

There was this red Fiat Palio that hesitated then stopped. I was already signalling and gave him a little wave to indicate that I needed to go left ahead of him. Since he stopped I wentahead. And SUDDENLY without any warning this guy speeds up and almost bangs me from behind. I was shocked- why stop in the first place if you intend to NOT give way? I made an angry gesture- nothing indecent- and stuck to my line. He had no choice but to wait but I could sense him gesturing and shouting as I cut across. From then on it was smooth sailing. He passed me again on the right this time, before I turned into the station but I didn't give make further eye contact.

It was truly inconsiderate behaviour because, since I was turning into the pump away, the guy wasn't exactly giving away "track position". But I guess expecting consideration and kindness in driving is a long way off on Indian roads. The only satisfaction I have is that I behaved correctly.

So this happened to me yesterday. Punekars will know that it was raining heavily yesterday.

The picture shows the NH4 bypass, which is two lane'd. The little gap in the road is where the traffic from Wakad onto the highway. Now 90% of the people merging onto the highway do so without even considering that there may be traffic coming on on their side at high speeds (since its highway).
Yesterday this dark blue i10 (MH12 GF xxx8) , came in from Wakad side, and without glancing anywhere for approaching traffic, straight away as shown in the picture (blue arrow) and right onto my path (red arrow), I had already slowed down keeping in mind certain morons, but I expected this guy to slow down or break since there was no way he was going to complete that turn without hitting me. I slammed my breaks, and literally stopped millimeters away from contact. However, the inevitable happened. I could here a soft whumpf of someone making contact with my car's rear. Glanced in the rear view mirror, to see that it was two females (from their exclamatory voices) on some sort of two wheeler (grey arrow). I slowed to a crawl and quickly verified in my mirror that those two had not lost their balance and hence should be okay. Mr.i10 had merrily driven off, meanwhile, without even realising what he had done.
When would morons realise how merging onto a highway is to be done?? :Frustrati

Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em-wakadhighway.png

Time and again, some BHPians have faced this problem (see the Bangalore traffic thread), and many, many people face this. Go through the BTP facebook page if you like. Don't jump to assumptions and assuming your assumptions to be true enough to become convictions.[/quote]

I believe community policing is the way to go, i had seen Delhi police page wherein photos are uploaded by the road users and Delhi police initiates action. Let me check BTP in Facebook

Quote:

Originally Posted by noopster (Post 2376835)

Is inconsiderate driving also "bad driving"? Let me give an example:
.

It was truly inconsiderate behaviour because, since I was turning into the pump away, the guy wasn't exactly giving away "track position". But I guess expecting consideration and kindness in driving is a long way off on Indian roads. The only satisfaction I have is that I behaved correctly.

Well, I am not too sure if it is inconsiderate or not, but I am pretty much unhappy about people changing lanes in rush hour traffic. I make it a point to plan my turns much early and try to go to the appropriate lane w/o much intrusion with the traffic flow and negotiate my turn accordingly. I keep to the left lane(the tarred one there would always be one illegal lane to left of me where 2 wheelers cabbies, M800s, altos i10s and other such smaller vehicles try to sneak peek) irrespective of what happens and take the left turn towards phase 1.

While it is inconsiderate for the Palio guy to show dissent, if I were you I would have planned my petrol pump visit properly or would have visited the pump later in the day. Nothing to offend you, just my take on the scenario.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sajo (Post 2376925)

Glanced in the rear view mirror, to see that it was two females (from their exclamatory voices) on some sort of two wheeler (grey arrow). I slowed to a crawl and quickly verified in my mirror that those two had not lost their balance and hence should be okay. Mr.i10 had merrily driven off, meanwhile, without even realising what he had done.
When would morons realise how merging onto a highway is to be done??

@Sajo - I hope the damage to the bumper is not major.

One major problem on this road is private buses and cars stopping on the left lane to pick/drop passengers. Ideally people joining the highway should be patient for the the parked buses to move and continue on the left lane or wait till the time the right lane is free to move in. But sadly this is wishful thinking. :Frustrati

Edit: Was also wondering what was the two wheeler doing on the right most lane on the highway? That is courting danger especially considering the heavy truck traffic on it.

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Originally Posted by amitwlele (Post 2377005)

Edit: Was also wondering what was the two wheeler doing on the right most lane on the highway? That is courting danger especially considering the heavy truck traffic on it.

Are you sure you want to ask that question? Ojas was lucky that the two wheelers are not coming in opposite direction.

yesterday I encountered a bicycle ridden towards me nonchalantly on a high way and when my car was clocking around 80 kmph! And the moron was giving me dirty looks when I honked at him!

I sometimes feel like I am playing Age of empires, while some of us quickly upgraded to Industrial age, there still quite a few of them who are still stuck in nomadic or stone age!

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Originally Posted by amitwlele (Post 2377005)

Thankfully, the damage is not much. I was more worried about the ladies behind, since ladies falling from bikes and me being in a car would have certainly meant I would have been at the receiving end of the crowd's anger even if I was rear ended.