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

I spotted a car with sunroof open and 3 kids with half their bodies outside waving and chatting with passersby near NCL Pashan yesterday. For some reason I think that's really unsafe (the car was doing a fair clip) but some folks with sunroofed cars "assure" me that it's safe. Somehow I doubt it. A sudden braking and one of those half-portions may quite possibly be badly injured.

Parents tend to be overly indulgent these days, and while I as one myself can understand the sentiment, doing so at the risk of a child's health or life is something that is icomprehensible to me.

^ Not only that. Say there's a low tree branch or something, the children might end up getting hurt badly. Stupids, most of them understand it only after they experience it! One of my friend had recorded a video of his friends hanging out of his Safari at ~80 kmph on a rural road that wasn't even tarred! In the video comments, I was the only one who was condemning it whereas the others were supporting that guy! :Frustrati

Talking of bikers and their antics, today morning, I am waiting at Madhya Kailash signal to take the right onto the IT corridor. To my front-right side is a biker whose right hand is on the handle, while the left hand seems to be holding something on the petrol-tank. It is only when I cross him that I see that he is holding onto a small kid (< 2yrs) that is fast asleep with head lolling forward. This means he has only 1 hand to use for riding, since he cannot let go the sleeping kid for even a moment. :Shockked:

Also, like others mentioned, it is quite common to come across bikers who end up perpendicular to the traffic while attempting one of the many chakravyuh-bhed techniques in their arsenal.

OTOH, while a kid seated between its parents or an infant in it's mother's arms could be legally wrong, I am not sure how this makes the bike any riskier for others, as compared to say just 2 people on a bike. You have more chances of a bike coming under your wheels, if ridden by a youngster zipping through traffic, cutting in and out of inexistent spaces between vehicles. He would be riding alone and thus within the law (compared to the couple with kid), but he is more of a problem than them.

And even if we (car users) strictly look at it as a legally-wrong-behaviour on their part without taking into account their situational/economic issues, then by the same logic, it would be very valid for the crazily-driving SUV guy to say, "I don't care why all these Swift owners don't buy the top-end model with airbags, but if they get killed by coming under my monster, it becomes a nasty problem for me".

As someone said, not everyone can afford cars, but still have to travel when required - with PTS being what it is, do they have another option ? It is easy to say "use the PTS", but reality is quite different when it comes to travelling with family. And while I am mostly a car user, I occasionally use 2-wheelers and PTS too - so I am talking from experience. We are just at different levels of the food-chain. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by noopster (Post 2530500)

I think that's really unsafe (the car was doing a fair clip) but some folks with sunroofed cars "assure" me that it's safe..

Trust me, I know for sure that it is NOT at all safe!

Quote:

Originally Posted by prateekm (Post 2530515)

^ Not only that. Say there's a low tree branch or something, the children might end up getting hurt badly.

One guy I know lost his only son, Thanks to a low branch that came between a certain speedy joy ride that the kid wanted.

I believe it is OK to let kids have fun in a controlled environment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by anilisanil (Post 2530475)

Unfortunately and understandably, no religion has "safety" as an aspect. The only way to educate masses about anything is by associating it with fear of God!

Very true.

Quote:

Originally Posted by noopster (Post 2530500)

I spotted a car with sunroof open and 3 kids with half their bodies outside waving and chatting with passersby near NCL Pashan yesterday.

Like this?
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post2372009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Furebo (Post 2530599)

Trust me, I know for sure that it is NOT at all safe! One guy I know lost his only son, Thanks to a low branch that came between a certain speedy joy ride that the kid wanted.
I believe it is OK to let kids have fun in a controlled environment.

Assuming he as an adult made that decision, he has only himself to blame. Too big a price that the kid had to pay when the adult should have put his foot down and rejected that demand. Again easier said than done, but it is very important to draw the line somewhere. And ensure it is not crossed.

A couple of months back I was following a car that was being driven pretty slowly. So I flashed my lights and waited for the car to give me way..nothing happened. After about 3-4 minutes I flashed again, no response. The traffic was medium to heavy at that time.

After a couple of minutes I flashed the lights again, nothing....I then honked and held it for a few seconds ...the car moved slowly to the left. As I overtook the car, I glanced to look at the driver and what did I see ?

A 3-4 year old kid is sitting on the drivers lap (who is not strapped up) and playing with the steering while the indulgent parent looks on and talks to the co-passenger !

Had a funny incident in the morning. It was around 6 30 am , i was on Dr Raj kumar road , bangalore. Was drivin my thar and was behind a Ksrtc, when he stopped bang in the middle of the road to pick up a passenger who waved. since there was no space on right to fit the jeep , i took his left and saw there was auto parked there and stopped next to bus door. The conductor standing on the door asked me , what sir how can you stop the vehicle like this ? I was so damn surprised and could n control my laughter and replied what sir how can YOU stop the vehicle lik this. There he realised where his bus has stopped and kind of had an embarassed look on his face.

It looked like that moron thought " bus stop " means where ever bus stops. Ha ha ha..

@selfdrive- my heart stopped when I saw that pic you posted. Yes it was very similar, except it was white and probably a BMW. There is a red i10 I spot on this same road sometimes which has kids doing that as well.

My little girl is enamoured by sunroofs and has made me promise that our next car will have those stupid:. But I'll be damned if I indulge her every whim and give in to a demand to keep the sunroof open so she can poke her head out of it!

It's not that difficult to train a child in safe and correct behaviour. Invest a little time teaching your child that (s)he needs to be in the back seat- you'll be surprised how kids get the concept of airbags opening on impact being dangerous for them. Even putting on a seatbelt can be exciting for a child ("just like Mom and Dad!")

Either people are idiots and genuinely don't realise the danger inherent in such behaviour OR they disregard it and go ahead nonetheless, which is even worse.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prowler (Post 2529974)

Tata Ace has the dim/dip facility as all motor vehicles need to have them as per the MV act. Most of the TATA ace drivers are just plain lazy and ignorant. Only way is give them their own medicine - use a powerful headlight/HID lights back at them.

This doesn't work on them sir. I have tried holding up the "Pass" beam - which lights up both low and high beam on oncoming Tata Apes (Aces) and there has been absolutely no effect on any of them. :Frustrati

Confession Time:

I drive through narrow roads with heavy traffic while on my way to office. Today morning, at one of he intersections, I tried reaching ahead of the pack (in my lane only), & accidently my car's front left tyre was on the right foot of a biker. I did not realised till he turned around & gave me angry look, & asked me to back off. He then told me angrily that I had stepped on his foot, for which I immediately apologised & offered to help. The gentleman acknowledged my apology & turned back without saying any more words & drove away when the signal turned green.

Had there been any unruly villager or an migrant worker (sorry but instead of categorizing people on basis of their state/ religion), he would had damaged my car or picked off a fight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno (Post 2530578)

...
OTOH, while a kid seated between its parents or an infant in it's mother's arms could be legally wrong, I am not sure how this makes the bike any riskier for others, as compared to say just 2 people on a bike. You have more chances of a bike coming under your wheels, if ridden by a youngster zipping through traffic, cutting in and out of inexistent spaces between vehicles. He would be riding alone and thus within the law (compared to the couple with kid), but he is more of a problem than them.
...

The lady with a kid in her arm maintains less pillion-balance, as compared to only a pillion. This puts onus of balancing the vehicle more on the rider, which is a problem.