[pkulkarni.2106]

Yesterday when I was coming from Baner towards University (Pune), I had the chance to experience how it feels to drive next to/follow a very very bad driver.
As usual, the traffic was moving very slowly with all three lanes of the road occupied by cars. I was on the right most lane and strictly following the lane, even if the adjacent lane is moving faster. That's it! There comes a Chevy Spark from the middle lane, driven by a lady.

Now, the traffic on middle lane stops and rightmost lane starts to move. Now this lady wants to squeeze in the rightmost lane in front of me. I honked twice, but she wouldn't care and somehow managed to get there. After a few seconds, the rightmost lane stops moving and middle lane gets moving. Immediately now she wants to move to the middle lane. She doesn't want to look in the RVM, and just like that she starts to change lane, and that's where an ATM cash VAN (which is following the lane) comes and she's just inches away from brushing this van. This time, she at least allowed the van to pass and then changes the lane. All this time, cars in the middle lane keep honking at her.

After a few seconds, the middle lane stops moving and rightmost lane starts moving. Again she wants to change the lane and come in front of me. But this time, I started to lose my cool and I kept honking relentlessly. There was not much space ahead of me, but still she wanted to squeeze in there, even if her car brushes mine. But thankfully, she didn't do it this time. As soon as I went past her, I saw she was eating a burger while driving!

[prithm]

Originally Posted by DragonHawk

Bus overtaking in a blind curve and you are at the receiving end with your space fully occupied by the incoming bus.

I witnessed this first hand and it had literally shook me off.

I think the only way you can stop these idiots from making any mistake is by flashing high and low beam before the curves.

The approach road to my home is through a residential location with narrow roads. And I really don't like to honk during late hours. So I just flash high beam couple of times when approaching the curves and blind turns to warn the other side and reduce speed to crawl.
You are lucky indeed.

[DieselFan]

Originally Posted by DragonHawk

Bus overtaking in a blind curve and you are at the receiving end with your space fully occupied by the incoming bus.

I witnessed this first hand and it had literally shook me off.

Guys. This is a wake up call for all drivers who drive at night. Avoid driving on undivided highways at night. Avoid all night driving if possible.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by DragonHawk

Bus overtaking in a blind curve and you are at the receiving end with your space fully occupied by the incoming bus.

Originally Posted by prithm

I think the only way you can stop these idiots from making any mistake is by flashing high and low beam before the curves.

On such a road, main beam should be used whenever there is no oncoming traffic, and should be flashed when approaching curves. See well, let your presence be known, and dip to avoid blinding oncoming drivers!!

[DragonHawk]

Originally Posted by DieselFan

Guys. This is a wake up call for all drivers who drive at night. Avoid driving on undivided highways at night. Avoid all night driving if possible.

Yes as far I am concerned one need to avoid early morning drives as 2am - 4am is generally the time most of accidents happen and it can attribute to the fact that drivers will not be 100% attentive during this time.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

On such a road, main beam should be used whenever there is no oncoming traffic, and should be flashed when approaching curves. See well, let your presence be known, and dip to avoid blinding oncoming drivers!!

Originally Posted by prithm

I think the only way you can stop these idiots from making any mistake is by flashing high and low beam before the curves.

In general it is quite difficult to judge the distance of an oncoming vehicle during night so overtaking should be attempted if everything is clear but this bus driver thought otherwise. During night it is easy to detect the vehicle infront than during day time, so technically overtaking maneuver should be smooth.

Sometimes if you are lucky then everything goes fine and perhaps I was lucky yesterday and I survived.

[prithm]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

On such a road, main beam should be used whenever there is no oncoming traffic, and should be flashed when approaching curves.

Agree. Its blasphemy to use high beam in regular traffic. Flashing or Headlight pass is easiest warning signal to anyone especially drowsy drivers at night.

In the corners especially, taxi drivers and irresponsible drivers don't hold the line. They cut dangerously to the inner curve of opposite traffic. The worst part is that they are fully aware of impending danger, yet they do it with false confidence. What monetary loss is few feet or meters going to cause if they turn the corner little wider ????

Nobody wants to help oncoming traffic.

Originally Posted by DragonHawk

During night it is easy to detect the vehicle infront than during day time, so technically overtaking maneuver should be smooth.

Very true and depending on headlight's reach one can easily estimate the distance too. In your case, lucky that the bus driver did not instinctively move left. Had he done that, it would have been catastrophic. If am not wrong, those are sleeper buses.

Blessed are those innocent people.

[mustang_shelby]

Originally Posted by DragonHawk

Bus overtaking in a blind curve and you are at the receiving end with your space fully occupied by the incoming bus.

Of all the highways in South India that I have driven on, I found this stretch of Bangalore-Mangalore highway (~100 kms) to be the most dangerous with unruly heavy vehicles. There were multiple incidents when I had to come to a screeching halt due to overtaking maneuvers by oncoming buses just like the one above. Night time compounded the risk. I decided never to drive again on that stretch during the night.
On the way back, a bus came up from behind and ran me off the road while trying to overtake me even though I was driving as close to the road's edge as possible.

[TSIboy]

Originally Posted by mustang_shelby

There were multiple incidents when I had to come to a screeching halt due to overtaking maneuvers by oncoming buses just like the one above. Night time compounded the risk. I decided never to drive again on that stretch during the night.
On the way back, a bus came up from behind and ran me off the road while trying to overtake me even though I was driving as close to the road's edge as possible.

I can relate. Night driving on some south indian roads are a perilous affair. Those NP lorries don't seem to care if they drive into smaller vehicles. I've had a few near death experiences on the palani - kodaikanal strech. Best thing to do is to drive slow, flash your headlights like a maniac before curves and stick to the left as much as possible.

[hemanth.anand]

Yesterday many people cursed me for being a bad driver.

I was returning home and entered the NICE road at EC. There is one point where nobody is sure where the lanes are and is chaotic. with trucks around it's that much more difficult for cars where we get 'blinded'. To avoid blinding, maintaining safe gap is not an option here as some other vehicle will come and occupy that safe gap.

I entered here and saw two vehicles in front of me going between 2 trucks and I just followed them at the same speed as I had entered. As soon as I passed the 2 trucks, I realized it..I was an idiot! There was no lane I was in between two lanes! I stopped as soon as i realized it. While the other 2 idiots who made this lane coolly went till the last point possible and merged perpendicularly into a lane. I started to merge to the lane on my left only to be greeted by long honks. I didn't push hard but was slowly merging. 5 cars passed and the sixth car guy stopped beside and asked "Why sir?" I admitted it and told "I didn't realize that it was not a lane and just followed those 2 cars in front of me." He then told "We are waiting since so long and how can you join in?" I again told him that it was unintentional and if it was intentional I would've driven till the last point possible and not stopped there itself. He moved on nodding his head. Then came the next car and the driver and a female co-passenger didn't utter any word but smiled at me. That smile itself conveyed the message "idiots, nothing will improve in our country". I again told him "it was unintentional, sorry" He seem to understand and let me merge in even as another car guy behind him was shouting abuses at me and honking wildly...

[VKumar]

I have personally been involved in the kind of accident where I was crossing turnaround at a speed of around 40 kph, expecting no one to come in front, and suddenly a 2 wheeler emerged from wrong side and bang. I have passed through Dehradun just 2 hours back, and this is what I faced there:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_NIZbfuxfA

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

…
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Then came the next car and the driver and a female co-passenger didn't utter any word but smiled at me. That smile itself conveyed the message "idiots, nothing will improve in our country". I again told him "it was unintentional, sorry"

That could be a smile of tolerance and understanding; probably something is improving in our country

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

There is one point where nobody is sure where the lanes are and is chaotic.

Has happened with me couple of times and ever since, I always stick to the right most lane. Even if this one moves slowly, I am assured that somewhere ahead I will be part of a valid lane and don't have to cut across someone. It is peaceful also as you don't have to mind the gaps on both the sides. Just keep inching forward :-)

[PetrolRider]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Yesterday many people cursed me for being a bad driver.

. For me it was the other way around last evening. While I was following the middle lane and suddenly a cab come in between the right and middle lane and created a new lane. Scores of vehicles then follow the cab and then I realized I was pushed aside and now between the left and middle lane.

[anvara]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Yesterday many people cursed me for being a bad driver...and honking wildly...

Totally understand that feeling Hemanth. Guess that is unavoidable sometimes for all drivers. It is most important that one is careful & sensitive enough to realize this and make amends which is what you did. Commendable.

That could be a smile of tolerance and understanding; probably something is improving in our country

Right you are.

It is peaceful also as you don't have to mind the gaps on both the sides. Just keep inching forward :-)

This is not going to go down well with some of our own here. I was just remarking about this same thing in the Chennai thread where we go through the same issue with one particular junction notorious for such cases where new lanes crop up all of a sudden how irritating it is when someone crawls up the middle lane and causes a delay. Fellow bhpians had different views though.

I am with you though Parag. I would prefer that my ride and I are left alone at such places even if it means a delay and people call me stupid.

Cheers and drive safe

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Yesterday many people cursed me for being a bad driver...

Originally Posted by paragsachania

...I always stick to the right most lane. Even if this one moves slowly, I am assured that somewhere ahead I will be part of a valid lane and don't have to cut across someone.

Been there, done that. Like @paragsachania, I stick to the right most lane (next to the median) if I'm not sure of the actual number of toll booths. But this trick failed at Attibele checkpost (towards Hosur) when the right most lane was dug up on one fateful night and I was merrily enjoying the protection of a truck in front and one behind me (at a safe distance, obviously, and making sure I could see the driver of the truck in front of me, in its ORVM). There was absolutely no way I could figure out the condition ahead of the truck because of its sheer size. After inching ahead for almost 20 minutes, the truck in front of me switched on its LHS indicator and started merging to the adjacent lane, and then reality hit me. Must say, the cross-country truck drivers are more well-behaved and accommodating than the average: the one who was to my side, let me merge in.