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-   -   Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-safety/3580-bad-drivers-how-do-you-spot-em-583.html)

Ya, that is the way I merge, when in from the left. I do it slowly, and keep at the left most. Most in India do it opposite. They come in fast, and try to get into the right most lane. Fast and deep. Basic snout philosophy -- which I have written about before. Get ~1/2' of your car's bonnet in anywhere, and you technically own the right of way, and the road.

Here is one from today to show how without driving too, you can be a bad driver.

Bangalore Elevated Tollway (BETL), 0700AM, fast moving traffic with lots of company buses and private cars.

Your car suffers a flat tire/Breakdown here but as many of you are aware, there is no shoulder to pull over and park safely. So you just park on the left lane and turn your Hazards on - You think that your job ends there to warn fellow motorists? You think you can then argue that you had turned your Hazards on and hence you did the right thing?

To me, the Nano gave slight hints that something was amiss ahead as he intended to overtake the Tempo Traveler and again went back to his lane and then the second hint was the Tempo Traveler ahead of me frantically overtaking another one and swiftly changing lanes.

I eased on the throttle right here and soon after the TT gave me a clear vision ahead, I noticed this car that had its boot open and hazards on. I didn't slow down abruptly but rather continued to slow down and come to a halt very close to this car because there was an Alto tailing me (not really close). At the same time, I quickly turn on my hazard lights on to warn the traffic behind me.

On the right lane, each one was rushing at good speed that it would have been disastrous to cut them across and pass ahead. After careful assessment, I get out of this and continue ahead.


My request to the drivers along with co-passengers:

• Please use the Warning Triangle when in such situations - It helps avoid a last minute collision
  
  
• Please place the Warning Triangle at least 30 Feet away from your car - You must give enough hints to others about a stationary car from a good distance. The worst that can happen is that they might knock down that Triangle but still you and your car and other vehicles due to this extra distance
  
  
• As co-passengers, it is your duty to stand behind the car at a distance and wave your hands with whatever object that you may have and warn motorists of this potential block. Folding hands and standing like gentleman during such instances makes you look totally uneducated
  
  
• Lastly, read the owner's manual completely - You will find one section on how to effectively use the Warning Triangle

This happens to me almost everyday!

To further aggravate things, the drivers here in Hyderabad brazenly defend their behaviour. I suppose they've experienced this themselves too. But the numerous close calls do not seem to affect them at all. :Frustrati

The only thing they don't mention in that manual is that, in India, drivers coming up to a warning triangle prefer driving over it, rather than heed the warning and drive around it. :D

After the demise of 2 warning triangles, I agree with the viewpoint of truck drivers who place bricks and tree branches on the roads instead of warning triangles.

Yes, If we are going to use this Warning Triangle, it should be used effectively and not just for sake of it.

Last week I saw a Tata Winger guy who had used it but kept it near his rear wheels which defeats the purpose of its usage. And he didn't turn-on the hazard lights as well.:Frustrati

People do this even without a breakdown happening. They Happy Park (HP) where ever they deem fit. And honestly, many do not know what the hazard lights are supposed to mean. They call it 4 BY 4, for some reason. I have used them at times, like when crossing a heard of buffaloes --- and people stare. India is weird.

Respectfully, all suggestions aside, why the hell must such fools stop on a narrow elevated tollway in the first place??:Frustrati Don't all modern cars come with tubeless tyres? They should he able to drive ahead slowly till they find a proper place to park their car and change their tyre IMO

Forget the elevated highway, there are fools who park their car at the spot they realize they have got a flat on highways and I have seen plenty of yellow boards who park their cars on the fast lane like this. It can be with a small twig with leaves or stones on the road to show they are broken down. :Frustrati

Oh man, that was a close stop. And they seemed so oblivious to the danger they were in as well.

OT: Was anyone actually changing the tyre?

Some days back while going to E city on the BETL, I came across a huge traffic jam, from Bommanahalli to Kudlu gate.

When we were about to reach the end of the jam, I noticed a Red XUV parked on the right side of the oncoming road!!! The chaps were all sitting inside, as they had the invisible protection of their hazard lights on, so obviously they were well protected, on the right side of the road, which sees speeds in triple digits routinely at that time of the day.

What was even worse, was to see what they were doing, they were clicking pics!!

Somehow stupidity is contagious, the co passenger, most likely in his seventies, gets down, and then takes pics from a better angle.

I thought they were taking pics of an accident (which is also wrong), but that was not the case, my better half figured out, that they were taking pics of the clouds!!:Frustrati

The cause of the jam was a lady in an I20 active rear ending a Qualis, another 100 metres from where I saw the XUV!

The front of the active had totally crumpled, while the Qualis, I think was a Qualis, had a minor dent!

Regards
Shailesh

Unfortunately met with a minor accident yesterday in Bangalore. I was driving in Krumbigal road (right turn at Lalbagh Gate after coming from Urvashi Theater) in front of Millivision when a biker came in the wrong direction, and tried to squeeze between my car and some other car parked at the side of the road. He lost balance and caused a dent to the right-side rear door. He sustained some minor injuries, and his bike would require a lot of repair work.

To my surprise, the guy was too arrogant and didn't even apologize. He kept saying that he is a student, and at one point it looked like the fight might get physical.

I decided to press charge against this guy, and informed Bangalore Traffic Control Room about this incident. I gave an option to the guy to settle the matter ourselves without involving police, but his aggression kept growing. BTP was too helpful, and they dispatched couple of officers in 5 minutes. They took care of the matter, and informed his family members. At one point, his family of more than 15 members had gathered there. The officers were really helpful throughout and solved the issue by convincing the family to pay for the damages.

The officers were: Lingaraju and Subramanyam from Kalasipalya Traffic Police Station. I appreciated their help and informed BTP on their Twitter handle about the timely help from these officers. Unfortunately I didn't get any response. Is there any other way to let BTP know about the timely help from these officers?

You could try posting on their facebook page.

Thats very unfortunate. That place is notorious for one way riders. Trust me I know because I stay in that area and its my daily drive. The way they drive you would be confused to think that its a two way. People drive cars as well in one way along that road.
You were unlucky to get hit but got lucky in getting help from the police. :thumbs up Drive safe along that route. Its good that it did not turn out to be physical.Take care, drive safe!

My sixth or seventh trip to Ahmedabad in as many months. But each time I'm surprised to see such utter disregard for traffic rules by everyone. No one, repeat, no one bothers with the traffic lights. And two wheelers are such a menace. It then feels like Delhi has better drivers. What an irony.

It's all relative.

I have driven in several parts of the country, But man ! How people drive in Ahmedabad is something out of the world, Purely because they themselves don't care about their cars/bike or even their life! Traffic rules doesn't exist specially for the two wheelers, I visit Gujarat every couple of months and after coming back from there Mumbai traffic feels like heaven! :D