[guyfrmblr]

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

Anybody else got stuck at the mayhem after the ECity phase 1 toll this morning?

I was there at around 7 45 this morning. To make the situation worse, a truck loaded with some stone slabs had its rear wheels stuck in that digging, right in the middle of the road. The police were diverting the traffic from 3M side towards Velankani. I was stuck in that mess for about 20 minutes. The situation was made even more worse by the office bus and cab drivers who were trying to find the gap in all possible directions and squeeze their vehicles in those gaps. I finally managed to take a U-turn and took a left near KFC which connects to phase 1 toll booth.

[Binzone]

Last night, at about 9:30pm, saw a black octavia KL07 BA 2838 heading north on the nh47 flyover at Aluva. I was on the middle lane behind an alto.

The octy was moving fast between the middle lane and the right most lane, and as it approached the downward slope, slowly started moving towards right most lane, looking normal. But the car continued to move towards right and to our horror side swiped the right side divider, before the driver quickly managed to swerve left and escape from a nasty crash.
Saw some plastic like parts fly on impact. Not sure if it was the right orvm (unlikely) or the side protection strips on the bumper.
The alto and I slowed down on seeing this. Expected the octy to stop after the flyover to check for damages, but it crossed the aluva bridge and turned left towards kadungaloor.
Probably a moment of distraction...

[motomaverick]

This one is a funny bad driver I would say. Yesterday at around 4.30pm on the Gandhi bazaar main road. One swift joins from the right side as usual forcing its way. Next the guy has his left indicator blinking, which must have been on from the time he wanted to join our lane from the right. On top of that the car was dead slow. Suddenly the right indicator turns on near the t-junction, but the car turns left. Immediately there is another intersection where the left indicator starts to glow but the car goes right, then finally I was able to see the driver was on the mobile blissfully unaware of what inconvenience he was causing other motorist. I could only laugh it off.

[SDP]

On this thread, there are lots of instances reported about "Overtaking from left". In India (where we drive on the left-side of the road), we are supposed to overtake from right.
I have always had a doubt about this. When there are multiple lanes going in one direction (let's say 3 lanes), one can maintain his/her lane rather than come to the rightmost lane to overtake. So in a way overtaking from left in "multiple lanes in one direction" scenario seems logical. Somehow I was never able to find any supporting argument.

Yesterday while discussing right-of-way concepts on another thread, a fellow BHPian shared a link of Queensland Dept of Transport. Now please note that Queensland is a state in Australia where people do drive on the left-side of the road just like in India and UK.

Here's the link:
http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Safety/Que...ping-left.aspx

Here it clearly says:

Drivers are allowed to overtake on the left on all multi-lane roads.

Logically this should also be true in India.

Any opinions?

[Warwithwheels]

Never thought I would go on to feature myself on this thread

During my morning drive, I stopped at a red light (peak hour traffic + busy intersection), took out my bottle (the wide mouth one) to have a sip of water. The bottle was full with water up to the brim.

Unfortunately, the signal turned green sooner than expected. I did not have even a sip but people behind my car started honking like crazy.

I was about to close the bottle (with water up to to the brim) but the cap slipped thru' my hand and fell somewhere under the front passenger seat.

I was holding that huge one liter wide mouth bottle on my left hand and steering on the right. I stepped on the gas and the car wouldn't move. Only then I realized I have not engaged the gear.

Meanwhile it was a good 30 secs after the signal turned green. The honking was getting louder and louder and people behind me were getting wild.

Since the bottle was open, I could not place it anywhere in the car.

With nothing else to do, swapped the bottle to my right hand, engaged 1st gear with my left and started crawling with the hazard lights on.

Was looking for a safe spot to the left, but there was this bus stop with 100 buses zooming in and out every minute. I couldn't stop on the left too.

Finally, managed to engage 2nd gear with the bottle in the left hand and crawled another 200 odd meters to find a safe spot on the left to park my car and find the cap, that was in hiding.

I have never done such a silly thing ever in my life. Really felt bad for holding back the traffic for about 50 odd seconds, causing inconvenience to other motorists on the road.

Moral: Always carry a sipper kinda water bottle that sports/ gym folks use while driving alone in the car.

[suhaas307]

How does one spot a bad driver? Hmmm..

I've been driving around with a big red 'L' on the rear windshield of my car. My sister is learning how to drive and I've been teaching her in the weekends. The rest of the time, I'm the one driving the car to college and office.

I've had the opportunity to understand how a 'Learner' is treated on public roads. People honk incessantly and unnecessarily. Headlights are flashed by drivers behind me two times too many. I've been overtaken by people in a very rash and negligent manner. Some of them cut it way too fine.

The worst thing to do to a learner is honk incessantly, flash lights continuously and overtake without warning. Doing these things to someone who isn't familiar with driving may have repercussions and serious consequences. I generally have my eyes peeled while driving, but what about the learner who's desperately trying to get the car off the line without stalling or is trying hard to get the gearshifts right and steer correctly? They're bound to be thrown off by these hooligans and might even have an accident.

Bad drivers: Amount of compassion shown to learners - (1) Diddly and (2) Squat.

[deathwalkr]

@Suhaas: Now that you mentioned it, i have also noticed it. I think its just the ragging mentality. To show the newbie that one is superior to him/her and making a mess out of things.

Like you said, a learner is getting to grips with the harsh reality of driving and his/her confidence would be at a minimal for most. Besides the learner then starts getting conditioned to how everyone else is driving so automatically unknowingly perhaps, starts driving the same way!

I ensure i give L boards their space and time. Saddens me to see fully loaded driving school cars jumping red signals :(

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Bad drivers: Amount of compassion shown to learners - (1) Diddly and (2) Squat.

Well, you know what they say about throwing someone in the deep end to teach them to swim!
Thats pretty much the driving school strategy too I guess. Throw the student into the whole melee of jumping signals, unsignalled turns, unnecessary honking etc, and he is deemed fit to drive in India!

[Binzone]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Bad drivers: Amount of compassion shown to learners - (1) Diddly and (2) Squat.

Totally agree with you. I have noticed this several times.

Just this morning, saw a driving school Maruti 800 loaded with lady learners getting bullied by a tipper lorry. The 800 was moving steadily on the left lane, but a bus had stopped on that lane.
The 800 put on its right indicators and slowly inched to the overtaking lane.
There was a fully loaded tipper moving slowly, hogging the overtaking lane.

Considering the speed in which the tipper was moving it had plenty of time to slow down to let the 800 in. But the tipper instead decided to speed up, and continuously blaring the horn, overtook the 800, which was already half way through overtaking the bus.

Any panic action by the learner would resulted in an accident.

Driving on public roads is as much about showing compassion to others, as it is about getting from point a to b. It seems
we are permanently on a survival of the fittest mode.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

The worst thing to do to a learner is honk incessantly, flash lights continuously and overtake without warning. Doing these things to someone who isn't familiar with driving may have repercussions and serious consequences.

I agree with showing patience and giving a wide berth to learners, but I also think learners need to understand their limitations and avoid peak hour traffic to potter around unsure of what gear they are in. At least till they should be able to handle the controls with some confidence before trying out in traffic. Toddlers are not let loose in a weekend stampede to practise how to walk. They learn in a safe environment before walking outdoors.

Originally Posted by voodoochild

Well, you know what they say about throwing someone in the deep end to teach them to swim!
Thats pretty much the driving school strategy too I guess. Throw the student into the whole melee of jumping signals, unsignalled turns, unnecessary honking etc, and he is deemed fit to drive in India!

Someone needs to create and implement some rules to prevent the driving school cars from getting novices on the arterial roads or in the faster lanes of traffic. They are basically sitting ducks and just open invites for road rage considering they are only inches away from causing an accident or holding up traffic.

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Someone needs to create and implement some rules...

Selfdrive, lets not get started on the need to create and implement rules for things. We'd go on all day, pouring water on a duck's behind!

Rather, someone needs to shut down these driving schools and let the learners figure it out themselves. Our fathers and uncles are/were much better teachers than these unwashed mongrels anyway.

[lapsi]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

Never thought I would go on to feature myself on this thread

Btw, I prefer to carry water in the 600 ml soft drink bottles. Never in a big bottle. It is easier to have a drink from the small bottle as compared to the bigger ones. Plus they fit into the cup holders. So if I was in your situation, all I would have had to do was place the bottle in the cup holder without the cap and it would have been ok.

Cheers!

Note from Support - Post edited. Please refrain from quoting an entire lengthy post as it inconveniences our mobile and small screen users.

[Thad E Ginathom]

That's because the fathers and uncles grew up and drove with a better respect for road, rules and law. These days, it could be elder brother (or sister ) teaching, and passing on the same bad habits. Some sort of driving school may be better than nothing.

Drivers are allowed to overtake on the left on all multi-lane roads.

Logically this should also be true in India.

Logically, it shouldn't. Compare the UK rule, where overtaking on the right is mandated except when the traffic is moving in lanes, and the left-hand lane is moving faster. This really applies to city stuff, where it would be absurd for, eg, traffic going ahead to delay because traffic queuing for a right turn is going slow.

Whilst there should always be mirror checks before changing lanes, a lane free for all in fast, multi-lane traffic is a recipe for pile-ups!

Whilst I have given up on this rule, I do wish that everyone who know a biker (and who doesn't!) would say to them, "Did you know? You are not supposed to overtake on the left, and it could cost you your life." My theory is that many of them have been taught to stick to the left, including overtaking --- and that is just so wrong!

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Whilst I have given up on this rule, I do wish that everyone who know a biker (and who doesn't!) would say to them, "Did you know? You are not supposed to overtake on the left...

TEG, do you move over (when you see it is safe) when a motorcyclist indicates that he wants to overtake?

I am an everyday motorcyclist myself (I drive a car only when I'm in Bangalore for a few days every year). But I am not the 'life begins at 120, bikerboyzz' type. I keep reminding myself that it is dangerous every time I approach a slow, wallowing four-wheeler in the rightmost lane. And so I flash my lights politely just once. Doesn't work. Then I do it again. Still doesn't work. I refuse to use the horn out of common decency (no, actually because it sounds like a baby monkey with the flu). But the blighter just refuses to move! Now if the whole blooming left lane is free and he refuses to budge, I insist on overtaking from the left! After adequate warning by flashing lights and indicators of course.

And no, I do not do this tango with large vehicles. I usually wait until their drivers wave me ahead. And they are polite enough to do so most of the time.

My point is: People DO NOT understand that if someone wants to overtake safely, they need to move their junk out of the way! And if they do, they're just too freaking rude to bother! The left lane is safer for me than veering into oncoming traffic to overtake a lady with her stereo on LOUD and her bluetooth jammed in her head. I'm sorry. It works.

Cheers,
Rahul

[AbhishekB86]

Originally Posted by voodoochild

TEG, do you move over (when you see it is safe) when a motorcyclist indicates that he wants to overtake?

I am an everyday motorcyclist myself (I drive a car only when I'm in Bangalore for a few days every year). But I am not the 'life begins at 120, bikerboyzz' type. I keep reminding myself that it is dangerous every time I approach a slow, wallowing four-wheeler in the rightmost lane. And so I flash my lights politely just once. Doesn't work. Then I do it again. Still doesn't work. I refuse to use the horn out of common decency (no, actually because it sounds like a baby monkey with the flu). But the blighter just refuses to move! Now if the whole blooming left lane is free and he refuses to budge, I insist on overtaking from the left!

My point is: People DO NOT understand that if someone wants to overtake safely, they need to move their junk out of the way! And if they do, they're just too freaking rude to bother! The left lane is safer for me than veering into oncoming traffic to overtake a lady with her stereo on LOUD and her bluetooth jammed in her head. I'm sorry. It works.

Cheers,
Rahul

I do not trust motorcycles. What's funny is they stick their tyres on my bumper while in traffic or on a red light. How would they react if I was to touch their bikes with my car on a regular basis? I allow bikers enough space on the left. They like my side mirrors a lot. They will hit your car body/mirrors and before you can yell hey they scoot away from the openings between cars.

Also what about bikers to cut across between cars who are following each other in bumper to bumper. They seem to be moving to another lane and when you try to cover that gap they left idle after invading it they magically reappear forcing you to brake.

Don't a dozen other bikers playing follow the leader invade space between cars and break lanes? I would be surprised if you were to say no to that.

99.9% of bikes DO NOT indicate/flash. As and when they do drivers with a sane head like Thad give way. I do too.

There are good/bad drivers both on bikes and cars. We need to anticipate their moves. I can look at a car or bike and assume safely it is a lane hogger. Turns out to be true every time.

In Indian cities specially Delhi the fast lane is the left lane and I agree with you. I do overtake from the left when I am forced to.

That however does not excuse bikers for getting too close for comfort and climbing pavements. A because of the size they break every possible rule. If cars had that option they would too. I do not appreciate a biker overtaking me from the left on an inclined left blind turn. I have equal opposition for cars too but I am not as scared in comparison as I am with bikes around my car.