[jeevmenon]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Do what you feel is safe given the circumstances.

Thats what each living object thinks and does. Does the yellow plate Indica driver think he is unsafe?

[vina]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

While I partly agree with your suggestion, the challenge here would be that most of us know the rules but how many of us implement them on a daily basis?

I may know the correct answer to a question and write it in a test just so that I clear it. It does not mean that it will be implemented after I clear the test

That is true - but a lot of times I hear non sense from the guys breaking the rules on the road - most don't know what lane markings are for in the first place. And while even people who know it is wrong to overtake from the left do so (I do it too on occasions - when the scooter travelling at 30kmph just wont give way no matter what) - many do not have a clue that this is against the rules.

So at least some people will know the rules better - some will have to take time to know the rules and let's hope they'll find a few converts around their family and friends.


Imagine a guy who habitually breaks rules (perhaps because he doesn't know better in the first place) - if such many such guys start following the rules half the time that will improve their chances of getting into accidents way better than 50% .

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by vina

May be becauseI became a member within a day (or was it 2) of filling out the form - didn't have to do much . Now I read several people have been rejected multiple times.

Anyway, the point I was making still stands - the screening process may be considered thorough but you'll have to agree it does have a big component of honour system - and there is no test of driving skills (may be TBHP should include an objective type test at least on road rules - we'll at least not have people driving the middle of two lanes)

Hehe, you are making me lose faith in the screening process

You've got to keep in mind that there are many members here who are not old enough to get a license. They won't be able to become a member if their driving skills are made a criteria.

But jokes apart, I'd still like to believe that being a member of this forum gives a person a better sense of responsibility when out on the road. I may be wrong in some cases but there are always exceptions to the rule.

Originally Posted by jeevmenon

Should we run a pollster to find out how we want this thread to run? BHP-LokPal!

Post a picture of someone driving rashly while taking a pic and then we'll talk. You click, I click. Double click??? In two moving vehicles? Double-trouble? We should be responsible as members of the best auto forum maybe in the world. Lets tighten the screw a bit further and stop the "circus". Lets be the best and maintain the quality.

OT: Maybe the following suggestions goes to the suggestions page but hit the iron when its hot and on its head.

- We should have an "Oaths" page. As a T-BHPian I vow that I wont do x, wont do y, would only do z.
- Things such as observe specific days. No Horn Day. All across the world we will not honk on that day. Why only that day? I know of people including me who dont honk. (Credits: Late TRRK).
- A sticker saying: If you find me honking I will not log in to team-bhp!
- Logging page. For all the defects you found others doing. How many have you committed? Log it religiously. Give the least violating guy a MVP BHPian at the end of the year rather than giving a D-BHP for contributing on which insurances or air conditioner to buy or for giving second-hand/GM based info to road queries!!

I just assumed that when you want to take a pic of someone driving rashly while taking a pic, you yourself wont be driving!! Because then you yourself would have no grounds for posting it, right?

Nice suggestions. It would be interesting to see how far these suggestions go. But i already have a hunch where they will end up. Oaths, stickers, logs... they can not take precedence over the responsibility one undertakes when one gets a driving license and gets behind the wheel.

But yeah what have you got against honking? I always give a short burst of horn when overtaking just to make sure the other person is aware of me. Although i dont like to say it, but lets not try to ape the west here. Honking in Indian cities is a necessary evil now. I will stop honking the day people start driving according to the lanes and start using their side view mirrors and indicators.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Indeed it does - but if the pic is being taken when driving, it would say a lot more about the photographer than what it would say about the subject. But ofcourse, if the pics are taken when stationary or while walking or as co-passenger, then they would be OK.

It needs no picture - if someone is trying to take a pic while driving, he would be driving as rashly as someone talking on the phone or worse.

I do agree to some extent. But then following would also classify people as bad drivers:
. Changing radio stations while driving or fiddling with the stereo
. A momentary glimpse into the car next to you
. How about eating fruits while driving? Or drinking coke or something?
. Washing your windshield with the spray while driving. It does hamper visibility after all, right?
. These are all i can think of right now!!

Anyway, most of the pics here are taken when stationary. Lets wait for the next one thats taken while driving and then we can put the poster in the spot.

Till then its just one idea pitted against another.

Originally Posted by vina

So at least some people will know the rules better - some will have to take time to know the rules and let's hope they'll find a few converts around their family and friends.


Imagine a guy who habitually breaks rules (perhaps because he doesn't know better in the first place) - if such many such guys start following the rules half the time that will improve their chances of getting into accidents way better than 50% .

I doubt such people will be members here. But the best way to teach them a rule is to put up their pic here and point out what they are doing wrong. Practicals always teach more than theory.

Originally Posted by jeevmenon

Thats what each living object thinks and does. Does the yellow plate Indica driver think he is unsafe?

You should end your last sentence at "think?" Unless, you are equating TBHPians with cab drivers. Are you?

[Dieseldunk]

Hi
Guys think we are getting nowhere with this.

@Jeevmenon: In traffic rules and perfect driving not honking at the right time is an offence (pl read motor rules act ) which states before a turn the driver shall indicate the intent by display of hand or other visible means and then proceed for the turn and also how do you warn/indicate the oncoming traffic of your presence if you do not honk (in broad daylight) on a blindcurve.
Come on I think we are all pretty much better at trying not to honk without need.
Do you mean to say that you have never broken a rule in your driving history! In Chennai it is truly exemplarary! Hats off to you mate.

Mods: Seems that thread is being made disruptive or really genuine pl help resolve the issue as many of the points have too many flaws like the one have stated above on no honking.

[supremeBaleno]

Like most guys here, I believe honking is a necessary evil on our roads, though I use it to a bare minimum - basically to make the other guy aware of my presence or to scream at someone driving rashly like the Blue Getz guy on OMR today who was weaving between lanes due to being engrossed on the phone (no handsfree at that).

BTW, I grew up being told that driving with hi-beam is a no-no and that is what our law says and what is exhorted by the info-boards on our highways. So when I came across guys driving with hi-beam in the city, I thought that was stupid and rash driving and posted it here. To my surprise many tbhp-ians said that there is nothing wrong in driving with hi-beam and that is what they usually do because otherwise one cant drive at hi-speeds. So not only are we breaking the rule of speed limit, but also blinding others. Some did say that they dip lights on seeing a vehicle, but I would think the way to do it is to use hi-beam rarely on need basis instead of using low-beam rarely.

Originally Posted by amitoj

I do agree to some extent. But then following would also classify people as bad drivers:
. Changing radio stations while driving or fiddling with the stereo
. A momentary glimpse into the car next to you
. How about eating fruits while driving? Or drinking coke or something?
. Washing your windshield with the spray while driving. It does hamper visibility after all, right?

Indeed they could lead to accidents and best avoidable, even if not mentioned implicitly in the rule-book. A colleague ran off the road at 70mph while trying to change tracks on a CD.

[Xryder]

Discussing each others point of views on the perfect way to drive is not something that can be debated because I dont think anyone here on this forum is a perfect driver, but we can always strive to be a good driver by keeping in mind the traffic rules, safety of oneself and his/her co-passengers and other road users. There is no particular order of priority for the above mentioned points as each one is complimentary to one another. Driving on the road, especially in India, is not an easy task. I am sure each one of us, atleast those on the forum try to make sure that the rules are obeyed as far as possible. As far as clicking pictures using cameras or mobile phones are concerned while driving, it is equivalent to talking on the mobile phone with one hand while steering with the other. The only solution to this is that the person doing so should be able to judge the situation at hand and then click the snaps without compromising his/her and other road users safety all the while following the traffic rules. Let us leave this discussion here and close it in a healthy manner.

[IronH4WK]

this just keeps getting better and better!!


in other news:
i almost t-boned a Omni this morning when it suddenly jumped on to the main road and in front of me out of nowhere and that too without checking for traffic. there were school children inside the van!! the guy just gaped at me and sped off!! my heart skipped a beat to even think what would have happened if my car had made contact!

i wonder if parents realize the risk they're putting their kids in when they let them be ferried to school and back in these tin cans driven by wannabe Schumachers!

[vina]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Like most guys here, I believe honking is a necessary evil on our roads, though I use it to a bare minimum - basically to make the other guy aware of my presence or to scream at someone driving rashly like the Blue Getz guy on OMR today who was weaving between lanes due to being engrossed on the phone (no handsfree at that).

BTW, I grew up being told that driving with hi-beam is a no-no and that is what our law says and what is exhorted by the info-boards on our highways. So when I came across guys driving with hi-beam in the city, I thought that was stupid and rash driving and posted it here. To my surprise many tbhp-ians said that there is nothing wrong in driving with hi-beam and that is what they usually do because otherwise one cant drive at hi-speeds. So not only are we breaking the rule of speed limit, but also blinding others. Some did say that they dip lights on seeing a vehicle, but I would think the way to do it is to use hi-beam rarely on need basis instead of using low-beam rarely.

Indeed they could lead to accidents and best avoidable, even if not mentioned implicitly in the rule-book. A colleague ran off the road at 70mph while trying to change tracks on a CD.

(Me culpa) I honk a lot on Hyderabadi roads - mainly because nobody here uses mirrors and people tend to change lanes and come right in front of you - a quick honk is the first thing that tells them they are about to hit my car (hard braking is not an option for me - usually some other moron is tailgating me at the same time)


And Hi-beam is such a curse ! people drive with hi-beam on well lit roads at 40kmph ! I don't now what high speed they think they are doing. With their lights falling on my windscreen (and eyes) visibility for me drops so much - I have to then use my own hi beam (I use it only sometimes and turn it off as soon as I think I don't need it) if the road is not well lit.

Then there are absolute morons who have high beam on in bumper to bumper traffic.


And as @supremeBaleno says - there is no dearth of such (very vocal) morons on team BHP too

[anilisanil]

Well jeev, I respect your opinion- Horn is a useless feature on cars. But please excuse me and let's agree to disagree.

And all that nice explanation that you gave can also be countered by some cases where honking is necessary. And thanks for stereotyping me as a rash driver just coz I said honking may be is necessary. And sorry your advice is for wrong circumstances. I am talking about people who unknowingly come into my way, may be you won't understand.

And sorry to disappoint you, honking is here to stay. Just because someone misuses it does not mean that I don't use it to caution someone else- the main reason of a honk. And as I said lets agree to disagree.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

i wonder if parents realize the risk they're putting their kids in when they let them be ferried to school and back in these tin cans driven by wannabe Schumachers!

You should see the ones in Kerala - I remember posting on tbhp a pic of a Qualis with around 20kids in it. Am glad my son goes to school by school-bus, though I worry that it does not have seat-belts.

I went back in time to the starting of this thread and found this post by me - seems like time has not changed my opinion :

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

The best way to spot a bad driver is to have someone take a video of ourselves driving (without our knowledge ofcourse) and play it. Given that most of us did not graduate from the kind of proper driving schools in developed countries, I am sure we all are making enough of bad driving mistakes every time we are on the road. Ofcourse, either we are not aware of it or in some cases might even be ignorant about the mistake we are making, like the guy who thought the white-dotted-line on the road is for nightime visibility.

BTW, I also saw a lot of pics that were clearly taken while driving on the road - not a safe way to bring attention to bad-drivers.

[MandarMax]

Originally Posted by amitoj

I will stop honking the day people start driving according to the lanes and start using their side view mirrors and indicators.

+1 to that!

As some other member on this forum also said, I too think honking is a necessary evil on Indian roads. C'mon we are a country where almost every truck bears a "Horn OK Please" sign

Jokes apart, I agree excessive use of horn is bad and extremely irritating. I use horn sparingly and only if there is no other option. Our cities have many blind corners and since most people don't even know even how to turn right (see the graphics posted by me earlier in this thread), use of horn becomes necessary.

Finally - I think the thread is really deviating from the main topic so I request everyone to please focus and discuss only the do's and don'ts of driving.

[sumathindra]

Just entered office with after a heated argument with a oncoming moron. He was directly in my path and i did not budge! He takes a left and asks me does your ride need so much space and that's it. I got out of the car and just asked him "why cant you just stick to you lane" for which he had no answer but still to satisfy his ego he picked an argument. All this in full view of a cop standing at the Delmia junction JP nagar! The argument lead no where and traffic started to pileup and i moved on despite of him wanting to continuing the verbals.

Wish such morons vanish from the phase of this planet

[JoeMichael]

Originally Posted by amitoj

I do agree to some extent. But then following would also classify people as bad drivers:
. Changing radio stations while driving or fiddling with the stereo
. A momentary glimpse into the car next to you
. How about eating fruits while driving? Or drinking coke or something?
. Washing your windshield with the spray while driving. It does hamper visibility after all, right?
. These are all i can think of right now!!

Well
- Fiddling with the stereo or taking eyes of the road to change stations is all thats needed to miss someone crossing the road. Most of us does it, but is that a bad driving habit - YES!

- A momentory glimpse cannot be equated to the time taken to take out
the camera/cell phone, focus and click and check if the pic was captured ,all while the vehicle is in motion.

- Eating and drinking while driving is definitley something that should be avoided.

- I haven't felt that windshield sprays hamper visibility ,also we use windshield sprays when something on the windshield , dust/dirt/whatever is hampering safe vision in the first place. But if one feels it is hampering the vision , then it is best to be stationary before using the spray.

Basically on the road , we all have a responsibilty to just "drive" while you are "driving". Yes we can multitask , but all its take is a seconds lapse in focus to put ourself or others in risk.

I personally wouldn't want to be a cause of harm /death to anyone , just cause I felt like having a bite/sip while driving, or take a pic of a bad driver , so that I can post it on Team BHP.

[anilisanil]

Today I was waiting for my turn to turn right and merge into highway. This junction is a bit funny as people do not let you merge into the slow lane, so most of the times we will have to merge into the high speed lane and accelerate. So I just make sure that I accelerate fast into the lane when the oncoming vehicle goes to the left lane to accommodate me.

Today while I was trying to accelerate, this moron two wheeler just sneaked through a gap in the direction I was turning and cut me and started going left into the oncoming truck. Now braking while taking a turn is something nasty and that too I never expected the vehicle behind me to overtake me into the turn. So I went ahead and stopped and gave the two wheeler my piece of mind. He just grinned sheepishly and says sorry. I hope he never does that again, I mean overtaking a turning vehicle in the direction of turn!

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by JoeMichael

- A momentory glimpse cannot be equated to the time taken to take out
the camera/cell phone, focus and click and check if the pic was captured ,all while the vehicle is in motion.

That would depend on what you see in the other car, i guess. If you saw a dog wearing a seatbelt, wouldn't you be taking second and maybe even third look just to make sure you saw what you saw?

Anyway above is in just light humor. I get your point.

Originally Posted by anilisanil

So I went ahead and stopped and gave the two wheeler my piece of mind. He just grinned sheepishly and says sorry. I hope he never does that again, I mean overtaking a turning vehicle in the direction of turn!

He said sorry?? Rarely does one find a person on the road willing to accept his/her mistake. But yes, most two wheelers are used to overtaking a turning vehicle. If the turn allows, i try not to leave any gap on my turning side for a two wheeler. But then they attempt to overtake on the outside of the turn and cut right across the front of the car Sometimes i feel most two wheeler riders are in a real rush to meet their maker.