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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-593.html)

Most drivers merge in this manner these days. I am sure many consider it the legal way to do things, since it is so prevalent. People do not man their right anymore. The other driver is supposed to.

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Saw something horrendously freaky last week, at an open mall parking in GGN:

An XUV comes blazing fast and occupies a slot - well most of the parking was empty. Around 7-8 teenage boys pour out. No one would have been above 18 or 19. One runs into the mall, the rest start behaving like lunatics. They climbed onto the XUV roof (it had a mounted carrier), and clicked selfies. THEN: two remained on top, and one guy started to drive the XUV in the parking. I was shocked. It was slow, in first gear, but still crazy and risky. They made a video capture.

You can spot bad drivers on TV too. IRT Indian version shows on History channel these days. You don't actually see but from the comments of his co driver you know that the wrestler is a bad driver. We discuss bad city driving but what about highway in the hills driving?

On a two lane hilly highway this guy won't give way, drives on opposite lane on curves, and many more.

Sharing two clips from my daily commute.

Clip 1:
a) 23s - There is intersection right across Godrej Petrol pump Vikhroli W , I waited for vehicles on right to cross and started to move ahead once they crossed. At the same time WagonR from left started to cross and we both stopped just in time to avoid any contact.
b) 50s - I see there is intersection ahead and car from right is coming towards my lane, I flashed my headlights 3-4 times. Driver did not give way and stop right in front of me. I had started braking while flashing so managed to stop just in time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiYBYF8i9rw

Clip2:
a) 13s - Auto rear ends car (this incident does not involve me) near Vikhroli station.
b) 32s - Happened near Airoli circle, on intersection bike braked to save pedestrian (who was crossing without looking) and I managed to brake and pulls towards right to avoid hitting bike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvcd7Oja2nU


I consider myself as safe driver and try to drive defensively (although I learn something new everyday on our roads). Still I experience close encounters like in above clips now and then. For background, I have around 9 months of driving experience in India. I learned driving in US and got my first license there.

Now question I want to ask experienced members here is that am I a bad driver? Should I have done anything differently in above situations?

Well, you should honk. Most people will never turn his neck and he can't see a flash in his mirror because of his angle.

Also, the right of way is for a person who is coming from the right side. But in how many situations do we actually give the right of way? Ideally, you slow down and allow him, even if he's coming from a make-shift gap in the divider. Best is to ease off the throttle, although this could be dangerous in fast moving traffic.

As another member said above, honk. That's very important in the Indian context. In my case too I am trying to improve on that. I have scrapped through some tricky situations due to not honking enough.
That said my main mantra while driving or riding is YIELD, YIELD, & YIELD to the maximum extent without compromising self and others safety.
Thanks,
Rajiv

Drive more, log-in as many kilometers as you can.

# Honk/flash & brake at the same time [if needed]
# Be ready to swerve [after watching your RVM's]

Clip 1 @50s: in the position of the white Indigo it is almost impossible to see you approaching. I have been in such tricky situation everyday due to bad road design. Your best choice could have been:

1. Slow down and let him or her pass first. Or
2. You change lane to the left after checking your left.

I can't watch your videos at the moment, as, due to an eye problem, I shouldn't be in front of the computer at all, but let me add some general comment.

The first few years is the worst. The time when you expect others to both know how to drive and to show the rudiments of courtesy and consideration on the road.

I uses to get so mad with everybody. Wanted to drive, but it so often spoilt my day. Now, I try to let it flow, and if I shout, it's done and forgotten.

Today, somebody tailgaited me so close that I twice fully stopped in front of him. The second time, I nearly made him reverse to get around me. (Anna Nagar: white car with the spoiler. Sir, your spoiler looks silly and you can't drive). Yes, I still react. Yes, I'm still working on it.

Enjoy the times when stuff works out. Enjoy the times when you have to push through, and when complex, absolutely rule-free negotiation sorts out where and how we all go.

Expect not only the unexpected, but the truly, dangerously stupid. A whole new level of defensive driving.

(about twelve years of driving here. Previously a Londoner, and other Brits consider that to be a different level of driving)

When - 30 Nov 2016 - Around 8:40 am
Where - Mount Poonamallee Road near Butt Road
What - KA 51 MJ 6678 - White Hyundai Verna SX

There was choc-a-bloc traffic on this stretch this morning and madam at the drivers seat was happily using Kajal (or) Maskara looking at the mirror on the sun visor.

The traffic started moving, but madam was still busy looking at the mirror and the cab behind her was honking to glory!

Sorry about the rant - But it was just pathetic!

I was sedately going back home doing some 50 kmph or so in the left-lane, and soon i was inching ahead of a bus doing some 40kmph in right-lane. An apparently faster car started honking behind me impatiently. I pressed the accelerator a bit to make space for him, and as expected he whizzed past between me and the bus.

At a red light just 50 meters ahead, he was the last man. And when I reached next to him, he started giving me gyaan on how I should have immediately turned further to the left shoulder of road to make space for faster moving vehicles. :)

Is this really a bad enough sin for public shaming?

For all my rants against sexist posts on this forum, I can say that I have never been comfortable with drivers who, after sitting in the car, use the driving mirror to check their makeup. I can also say that none of my most respected female driving gurus (from my mother onwards, ever did this.

But hey, what's the male equivalent? Nose picking? :D

Went into level one parking in UB City looking for parking (duh!); took me sometime to find a spot because it's was almost full. While coming out, I see this :mad:

https://www.facebook.com/sunil.kizha...9088040248457/

This biker should thank all his stars and to the KSRTC bus driver.

Note: You may have to login to facebook to see this video.

People in the bus must be thanking their stars that the bus did not topple. Imagine the consequences. To save one precious life of an idiotic 2 wheeler, quite a number of innocent bus passengers might have been injured / dead.

Not literally a bad 'driver', since his driving skills were excellent, but a bad driver nevertheless.

I had been to Ahobilam, A. P over the weekend and as some of you might be aware, we needed to hire 'Jeeps' to visit one of the temples.
The jeeps available were battered old 2WD M&M Marshals, CJs, 540s etc that have clearly seen better days. They were poorly maintained rust buckets that couldn't even be started on their power, requiring a push start every time. The tyres were racing slicks even F1 crew would be proud of. ;)









But the most amazing thing was, these jeeps, with 9+ on board, were driven on terrains I'm not certain I could manage on 2WD alone in my Gypsy. The driver was supremely confident and never once did he falter, rev hard or get stuck. Steep inclines and deep-deep ruts, everything was crossed without a fuss. Pretty amazing.
Attaching the only pic I managed to snap.



On the return drive, our particular jeep broke down along the jungle trail, a broken tie rod being the culprit. Our driver, who didn't have a jack or even a screw driver on-board, managed to fix the thing with two boulders, a rock and a metal wire. Long live jugaad. :D



So, an 'excellent driver' for his driving skills, but a 'bad driver' for risking the lives of the passengers on some pretty tough, isolated jungle trails in a deplorably ill maintained & overloaded vehicle.