[vnidta]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

And the moment I put the right indicator, all the vehicles behind me starts honking the hell out and tries to get past my car before my car tries to cut into the right lane! Believe me, this happens all the time and hence I find it comfortable to stick to the right most lane just to avoid this situation.

Having said this, I am pretty sure that I am not holding up the traffic and I will be moving as fast as the car ahead of me is moving. And I am not having this left-lane-phobia in highways.

I am not sure if this is relevant to the question you asked, but I felt like saying this here. I would like to know if its only me who is having this problem.

For the right indicator thing, I face that everyday, escpecially with those yellow board vehicles (be it cabs, buses, goods vehicles and what not).

And yes, even I have the left-lane phobia in the city and especially in Bangalore, I get hell scared to put my car on the left lane. Nobody can guess what's in store the very next moment. But one relief is whenver I visit Mysore, things change. The left-lane phobia disappears. I hope it stays that way for some time to come.

Originally Posted by falconion

Another thing that scares me is driving past individuals who do not have their ORVMs or keep them closed. Just today I almost got squeezed between two cars with no ORVMs.

I have a busy schedule and I cant take days off. If driving on the right lane gives me better safety then so be it.

Some of my friends (I don't know why almighty has gifted such morons to me) feel that ORVMs look ugly on their vehicles, be it cars or especially bikes. The first thing they do is to take it off to make them look stylish . On the contrary, I get scared to start a vehicle which does not have its ORVM even on one of the sides. I don't know why, but I cannot drive without ORVM (God gifted habit - life saver I believe. Good one though). And to get squeezed in between cars, it's a daily routine for me and I've got used to it.

Let's just hope that some day, with some miracle, all these bad drivers get some sense and drive safe. Till then, let's be on the defencive side and be safe.

[gabrielthomas]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

A few questions:

We see a lot of drivers sticking to the right lane all the time, even when driving at slow speeds. On looking for feedback from some people I am training as to the reason for this, I am told that sticking to the right lane makes them "feel safe" - there are no cars passing by close to them on the right side, which feels more comfortable.

Do you personally know of drivers who tend to stick to the right lane? Can you please ask them the following questions on my behalf?

Do any of you feel 'unsafe' when cars overtake you from the right, or even from both sides together?

Is that one likely reason why you would prefer to stick to the right lane even when not overtaking, or driving slowly?

How do you cope with that 'unsafe' feeling? What can make you feel better if you were to, say, stick to the middle or left lane?

Agreed, we label those who stick to the right lane as bad drivers, but maybe there's a reason they do it - and we can try to remove that reason in some way.

According to me, we can't term anyone who drives on the rightmost lane as a "Bad Driver" - it depends on the maximum speed allowed on that road. For example, I travel by GST road from Vandalur to Mahindra City, chennai for work everyday and the max speed on this road is 60 Kms and in one place it is 80kms(which is ideally risky for this road). The following are the "salient features" of this road that makes me drive on the Right lane with +5 kms above the allowed speed limit.

• This road is a Two lane road that further has a service road after the left lane.
• In all important junctions, the service road is lined with shops and eateries as a result of which there are are numerous two wheelers, three wheelers and even four wheelers parked that spill out to the main carraige way.
• Not to forget, none of the State Owner buses, stop in their designated bus-bays, they all stop on the middle of the left lane!! bang!!
• Apart from the main junctions, there are numerous Share autos that keep rolling on the left most lane smelling for "Customers".

Considering all these facts, I intend to drive on the Right lane at a speed of 65(always) to 68(when situation demands)kms. I think whoever wants to drive more than this speed is actually putting themselves as well as others at risk(according to me).

[Horizon81]

Which lane do I drive on?
In the city(Bangalore): 90% of the time on the right lane. Justification - buses that stop on the middle of the road, parked autos, two wheelers and even cars that suddenly jumps on to the road without signaling or using the indicators.

On the highway - Depends on speed at which I'm traveling. If I'm at 100+ kmph, I use the right lane, mainly because I do not want to do too many maneuvers at that speed going in and out of the right lane. If I'm at around 80 kmph, I use the slower lane.

Note: While in the right lane at 100+ I do come across an odd vehicle doing insane speeds ~150+ kmph coming up behind me. This is a tricky situation. There is no hard rule I follow in this situation, but just a guideline - If they are in the fast lane when I spot them, I do indicate and move over. But sometimes, such drivers proactively move to the slow lane and try to pass me from the left hand side. I stick to the fast lane, in that case.

IMHO, the rules of passing and lane usage can be strictly adhered to, only when all road users are aware of the existence of such rules. Otherwise, it is important to use your driving experience and judgement to figure out what to do. If you don't know how to do so, stick to the slow lane for your safety and those around you. I've seen well-dressed, educated looking people go from fast lane to slow lane and back to fast lane on a left hand curve and vice-versa.

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by Horizon81

Which lane do I drive on?
In the city(Bangalore): 90% of the time on the right lane. Justification - buses that stop on the middle of the road, parked autos, two wheelers and even cars that suddenly jumps on to the road without signaling or using the indicators.

Glad to know I am not the only one!

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by Horizon81

...the rules of passing and lane usage can be strictly adhered to, only when all road users are aware of the existence of such rules. Otherwise, it is important to use your driving experience and judgement to figure out what to do.

Well said. That's the secret to driving, anywhere.

I've seen well-dressed, educated looking people go from fast lane to slow lane and back to fast lane on a left hand curve and vice-versa.

Sadly, education in the way we define it here, does not impart common sense. Nor does money.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

If you are asking about a 4-lane road, then I know a person - ME

I drive on the right lane, moving to the left only when I see someone coming up from behind for overtaking. The only reason : the left lane is always blocked, by some parked vehicle (at least in Kerala) - cars, bikes, autos, buses, hand pulled carts, people waiting for buses!!

Do you mean 2+2-lane?

If so, then on a road like Chennai's ECR --- so do I.

In early days driving here I used my UK driving sense, and stuck to the left. The day I knocked a bucket out of a pedestrian's hand, I thought long and hard about what would have happened if it had been a child.

The road is only nominally two-lane carriage way. The priority is to put distance between oneself and the hazards, and, in a case like this, the hazards are mostly on the left.

On the open road, things are different.

[Dieseldunk]

Well If you are asking of driving lane habits in a ideal world then yes lane discipline and speed will automate the lane we will be in.

However when people who are mentally shortsighted or visually challenged ( cannot see beyond the handlebar/windscreen/mirror)of their vehicle then better stick to right lane. Very much true to city traffic atleast in Chennai and BLR known to me

On the left lane you will find commonly
bikes parked with the helmet protruding
cars parked in all possible insane angles that best drivers will be put to shame to retract the vehicle(use of google map to get out is advised)
Vans trucks and buses will be parked on the right most side of the left lane

Once so happened on GST road between vandalur and perungalathur my friend was driving and accidentally moved to left lane and was there for eternity even after 2 signal cycles and had to literally use hand signal and might to move into the right right lane for moving ahead.

[Padcot Prakash]

Ok, thats right. All of us here somehow agree that right lane driving is lot safer even if it is wrong.

But what about those guys in two and three wheelers ( cargo laden autos ) driving at a speed of 30-40 kmph unmindful of the traffic behind inspite of the road being empty ahead ?

Are they not risking themselves by being the only obstacle in the lane and all other vehicles are passing by at relatively double their speed ( @ 60 kmph ) ?

I face this problem regularly when travelling to my home on a particular stretch within city which is 5 kms long and 4 lane road.

Out of this, about 1.5 kms is a university compound wall with only 2 gates to the university and the rest is all empty space. There is no traffic whatsoever on the left side and yet , there are 2 , 3 and 4 wheelers who feel safe on right side !

What a waste of space , time and energy to get past these stupid drivers.

I also ride a two wheeler apart from the car, but never do I take the right lane. What if a truck or a city transport bus over takes and moves too close to right side ? In that case, Im sure dead.

[Kumar R]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

A few questions:

Do any of you feel 'unsafe' when cars overtake you from the right, or even from both sides together?

Is that one likely reason why you would prefer to stick to the right lane even when not overtaking, or driving slowly?

What a good question. I can think of a few stretches of road in my daily commute where I stick to the right lane for different reasons.

A few of these stretches are narrow roads (about 3 M800 lanes at max). The left lane is intermittently occupied by buses and trucks. If I stick to the left, it becomes a necessity to keep overtaking a heavy vehicle every 100-200 metres. Given the unceasing traffic it becomes difficult to change lanes momentarily to overtake (since in India no one will lend a bit of courtesy to a lane-changer). I prefer not to take my chances with a brute force lane change like autos (and some big vehicles) do. Instead it's greatly easier to just stick on the right lane for those stretches till the road widens.

A few other stretches have bad road paving on the left lane (since that is the side which bears the brunt of pipeline / digging / sewerage activity). In these stretches also I try and stick to the right rather than subject my car to a off-road experience.

Some of the narrower main roads have plenty of cyclist / auto / hawkers activity on the left. It's a game of roulette everyday as to who or what will pop out of the periphery - and people do so with absolutely no heed to incoming traffic. In such instances once again I prefer to break a rule that I perceive has less consequences than suffer for any injury to life and limb (even if the victim is at fault).

In each of the cases referred to above I know that sticking to the right annoys some folk behind who are genuinely driving faster but I can see no other workable solution. As such I have no fear of being overtaken from the right -- on the contrary I welcome overtaking from the right compared to the left (although being overtaken from both sides simultaneously is sometimes disconcerting).

[Akshay1234]

Well a couple of days ago I saw 2 incidents, which left me

1) On the Western Express highway at about 1230pm, a Figo overtakes me from the right. It wasn't going very fast or rash at all, just quicker than me, possibly 80kmph. 5 minutes later I come up to a flyover and see some traffic on it. Slowed down and put on my hazards, cars were stopped and slowly moving in front of me. When I saw what happened I was shocked, the same Figo was lying in the left lane on its roof. There were no other cars or bikes involved and the bridge is dead straight. I have no clue how this person managed to turn a car like the Figo onto its roof with no assistance from any other bad drivers.

2) Same night, about 45 minutes later, I'm going home on JJ flyover taking a mild left turn when a white Accent overtakes me really close and really fast from the left lane. I got ticked off and proceeded to catch up a bit a flashed my lights a few times. Anyway I know JJ flyover well, and knew a sharp left turn was coming up. It is very visible that there is a left turn, though it turns in sharply, and anyone with sense will brake seeing the approaching turn. But this chap was doing about 120 and didn't brake at all. I knew that instant an accident was imminent. I braked hard and saw this Accent turning in, understeering, heard squeeling, and BAM, it jumped the divider and hit the barrier on the other side of the road and continued rolling and jumped the divider again back to my side and stopped. Luckily there were no cars on the other side. Drove slowly, 2 doors opened, saw that the occupants were ok and drove off and reported the incident to some cops down the road.

[Dieseldunk]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Well a couple of days ago I saw 2 incidents, which left me


2) Same night, about 45 minutes later, .... It is very visible that there is a left turn, though it turns in sharply, and anyone with sense will brake seeing the approaching turn. But this chap was doing about 120 and didn't brake at all. I knew that instant an accident was imminent. .....saw that the occupants were ok and drove off and reported the incident to some cops down the road.

Well as more often said Common sense is an uncommon commodity. Very true but very sad that it is always proven in driving.
More concerning is the fact people buy fast cars not to enjoy the drive but to just fancy it on others in the bargain landing up with the fast machine as a showcase piece.
Hope people will start driving more judiciously and with more driving manners. In fact driving licenses should be more based on driving manners rather than rules.

[shifu]

Imagine watching your own car's reflection in the mirror of a car that is overtaking you. A M800 (APXXAB2832) overtook me from my right at Hi-Tech city junction, Hyd. I casually looked at the car and was shocked to see my car's reflection in its ORVM. I think some bike must have nicked it turning the mirror outwards. However the driver of the car was least bothered. He was swerving lanes at will without any consideration for vehicles around him.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

5 minutes later I come up to a flyover and see some traffic on it. Slowed down and put on my hazards,
2) I got ticked off and proceeded to catch up a bit a flashed my lights a few times.

Did it call for the hazard lights to be put up in your car? In a slow moving traffic? In the second instance wasnt that the trigger for a sort of road rage - to get even. There are hordes of such morons driving daily on the road, would suggest you to refrain from trying to get even with them however ticked off you are.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Did it call for the hazard lights to be put up in your car? In a slow moving traffic? In the second instance wasnt that the trigger for a sort of road rage - to get even. There are hordes of such morons driving daily on the road, would suggest you to refrain from trying to get even with them however ticked off you are.

Yes. This is exactly a situation which calls for hazard lights.
Imaging an expressway where everyone is going fast. Suddenly, due to an accident, you have a pileup starting. Hazard lights means there is hazard ahead, and prepare in advance.

[sukhoi30]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

2) Same night, about 45 minutes later, I'm going home on JJ flyover taking a mild left turn when a white Accent overtakes me really close and really fast from the left lane. I got ticked off and proceeded to catch up a bit a flashed my lights a few times. Anyway I know JJ flyover well, and knew a sharp left turn was coming up. It is very visible that there is a left turn, though it turns in sharply, and anyone with sense will brake seeing the approaching turn. But this chap was doing about 120 and didn't brake at all. I knew that instant an accident was imminent. I braked hard and saw this Accent turning in, understeering, heard squeeling, and BAM, it jumped the divider and hit the barrier on the other side of the road and continued rolling and jumped the divider again back to my side and stopped. Luckily there were no cars on the other side. Drove slowly, 2 doors opened, saw that the occupants were ok and drove off and reported the incident to some cops down the road.

Hahaha ... 1st rule in any turning, brake before the turn starts. Even Ferrari race drivers do that. I have seen many people start braking once they are into the turn. This will cause the vehicle to tilt and skid and mostly overturn.