[gendarmee]

Originally Posted by DocG

Traffic and bad roads aren't the problem in Indian cities. It's the uncourtious ruthless drivers who outnumber the good drivers, hence converting all of us!

Exactly!
That so bluidy true!
We end up breaking many rules to save our self, thats a kind of compromise we unwillingly have to make.

Most common of all would be a guy boldly honking coz he wants to cut in front of you and guy infront, as though its his right...At a traffic signal, all taxi guys are gonna blow their horns off if one stops coz its a red signal while there is little traffic flowing from the other side.

[hondatoyotafan]

I Remember reading the indian motor vehicles act book from a local library and following every stupid rule specified in it,Soon in 2 months i realised that i am not going over 20kmph if i stuck to them.I used to cover 10km in 1hr when i followed them.However in india we have to cut lanes to reach our destinations faster..

[Keralite]

Originally Posted by dadu

Just drive drive drive, drive slow and steady, keep to your lane.

There is no fixed formula to determine when you will get confident, but as you drive on you will know.

, if we practice it for, suppose, an hour every day, would that be enough..? I mean in such case, a month is okay?

I am going to book Alto today or next week. People around me, friends & colleagues, have got different opinions. Some say, it take a month or more to confidently drive in heavy traffic, some says one month is enough, somebody even opines just a week is enough

[Keralite]

Originally Posted by bottle

its been 7-8 years since i started driving and i would give my driving an optimistic score of 40%

i would say practice is the best way to improve your driving. the more you drive and the more you experience different situations the better you get

'7 to 8 years' and still you rate yourself 40%?

[sanjayatarizona]

Well it has been around 16 years now, when i was first trying to get the Amby to move a couple of feet without stalling in the first gear. Since then have been driving on all continents(with the exception of Antartica ).

Took me a month to get the Amby rolling smoothly.

Driving is a passion and should be treated as such, not just as a mode of transport from A to B. I remember for the first couple of months after learning to drive, i literally used to eat and sleep in the car. Just the feel of the engine running and crunching miles got me an adrenaline rush. Much more sedate now, though the passion still remains.

I would think around 30 days(3 hours per day) should be good enough to get into a decent driving mode. Your steering should be steady enough and the clutch and gear action will get better every day.
Put in a percentage of the time for night driving. One needs to get used to driving with the lights on.

In today's cra**y traffic i think a key factor in honing your skills should be your awareness of the size of one's vehicle. Do not bite more than you can chew(though it defaults as habit if you are in Bangalore).

Practise reversing and parallel park in a local lot. It always helps.

Driving in India is a mental game, you need to keep alive and aware 360 degree all the time you are on the road.Driving may seems like a scary experience for first timers, but conquer the fear and you can conquer the lands ahead

[condor]

Driving is an art that nobody is perfect in !

(As read somewhere, and my memory isn't any where close either :-) )

[Keralite]

Originally Posted by Fountainheader

Hi Keralite,


I enrolled myself for driving classes, though I would say that the instructor as such dint help me much. I would say he was there just for the confidence.

But its the U-Turns, approaching signals, sudden braking situations and the most imp - reverse and parking, that I tend to concentrate.

My 1st drive lasted for a mere 10 mins. I panicked, and came back home. From the next time onwards, I started driving for 10 kms, and have subsequently increased to 35 kms now. And its been only 4-5 days and I already am confident of handling city traffic .

1: Learning the nitty-gritties of driving takes hardly anytime. All you need to know is how to apply the gears, when to change, how to handle various situations and voila you are there!
2: I think you can practice the way I am doing it. Driving round and round in an empty ground doesnt make any sense.
3: Depends on a hell lot of factors, but I guess in the end it all boils down to luck.
4: I guess the best tip would be to stay cool and concentrate on the road.
5: The way Indians drive, and the conditions of roads/traffic are such that no matter how good a driver you are, someone else's fault can cause severe damage. Though as a good driver you can very well learn to handle these situations, but to avoid them is not completely under your control.

Hope this helped.

Happy driving

Great post indeed! And shared very useful tips - thanks

you put it exactly - Joining in driving schools doesn't help much!

Basically, we should focus more on how to drive slowly than to do it fast. This will help handling in peak hours.

gauging is another important point.


Moderator's note: Do not paste [FONT], [SIZE] or [COLOR] tags with the post. They are not allowed on Team-BHP.

Originally Posted by bblost

If I don't practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it.
Quote by Jascha Heifetz

Excellent quote, not only driving, this is applicable for anything, anywhere

Originally Posted by manziee_crusier

You have some problem with traffic and first gear.Don't be panic idf some one honks at you.

You said it!

People honk without any reasons, when they get itching, they do, WHO CARES

[csentil]

Been 13 yrs since I got a license. Driving regularly for the last 7 yrs. Covered more than a lakh kilometres (adding up ODO). Just laying down some credentials. :-)

Its a continuous learning process. There is no perfect driving. You can be a good or a great driver but a perfect driver is nirvana !! Even Senna or Schumi wouldn't claim that they are.

Being able to drive according to the situation, analyzing and predicting road conditions, traffic, external factors, being in sync with the automobile are some of the important traits that a good drive would possess.

For example, one might be able to throw the car around and rip on a highway. But would the same person know how to drive a car smoothly when travelling with a family? No jerks, no pukes etc etc.

The abililty to drag race someone and the sense to pull out of a race when the guy tries something dangerous or forces you to do something dangerous. When your senses don't let your ego take over. There are umpteen such issues when it comes to driving !!

A good driver is someone who will not only get you from A to B quickly and safely. The manner in which he does that is also very important. If someone is able to master all these and much more then he's a perfect driver. Time frame for this: ????

[bottle]

Originally Posted by Keralite

, if we practice it for, suppose, an hour every day, would that be enough..? I mean in such case, a month is okay?

I am going to book Alto today or next week. People around me, friends & colleagues, have got different opinions. Some say, it take a month or more to confidently drive in heavy traffic, some says one month is enough, somebody even opines just a week is enough

haha as i said it all depends on where you drive and how long you drive. I would recommend a week or two of driving in back lanes and colonies (slowly of course , you dont want to run over any kids ) till you get the hang of the car

and then try venturing into traffic areas say main roads and free flowing traffic so you get used to judging the vehicles

i guess after a bit of all that try taking it into peak 5pm office traffic and if you manage you're good to go

of course basic handling reversing etc could be done with in the first week of practice.

Originally Posted by csentil

For example, one might be able to throw the car around and rip on a highway. But would the same person know how to drive a car smoothly when travelling with a family? No jerks, no pukes etc etc.

some great points made here csentil it takes a totally different mindset to drive when older people are around and is also a bit of an effort to make sure everything is smooth.. no sudden breaks sharp turns or jerks while changing gear etc

[Keralite]

I shouldn't have used the terminology "perfect driver"

[asr245]

Been driving for 12 yrs now though learnt it some 15 yrs ago (dad never let me drive alone before i got a license). Must have covered some 60K kms... 20K in europe and north america. Returned to India some 3 yrs ago. Driving ability went from good to a nut job (though I am again trying to improve). Driving cross-country between Gurgaon & Noida is what made me a nut job. Swerving in & out (half the times unavoidable), starting & stopping as if in a race are a few things i started doing. Trying to bring it under control now.

But few things I never stopped doing are using both ORVMs and looking over the shoulder for those blind spots (one can also get a tiny concave mirror for that). Knowing simple rules liking giving way to the right does help (especially in preventing jams at round-abouts).

Among others, you should be able to go up an incline from stop without stalling to going backwards. Some knowledge about how early or late to change gears, proper braking techniques etc will also keep your car healthier. You can find some threads on those here.

[abhinav.gupta88]

Basically there is nothing called perfect driving. Whatever makes you reach your destination safe and according to schedule is perfect.

[DirtyDan]

The mechanics of driving come within 3 months for most. Good judgment, courtesy under duress and respect take a little longer. Maybe a lot longer.

[TomRider]

Originally Posted by Keralite

Actually, how much time it takes to know all the essentional nitty-gritties of driving?

A 2hr theory, 2 days driving (arnd 3-4 hrs a day) and some confidence.

Originally Posted by Keralite

After getting the licence and owning a car, what's the proper way to practise it and we earn the real confidence in how much time?

Drive both in city and Highway during the initial days. Dont get used to only one type of driving. Never floor, unless have a good experience. Let others fly, u can do it in some more days. So now drive safely and responsibly.

Try to drive alone wherever you go. In a couple of weeks, u will be confident enough to go for an inter-state drive.

Originally Posted by Keralite

Even after learning, how fast we can start driving in the city traffic and how safe it is?

Start the next day. Be confident. Put one "L" on ur windshield and drive thru the city. People may be staring at u and the "L" on ur car. Dont worry.
There was a day called "First Day of driving" in Michael Schumacher' life too.

Originally Posted by Keralite

What are the tips for driving in the cities as well as highways?

Be careful while driving in the city and residential ares. Be careful abt Buses, Auto's and Bicycles. Dogs may cross the road anytime in residential areas (especially in Bangalore); and u never notice the kids following them.

Drive relaxed on Highways.. 60-70 kmph is a good speed for a beginner on highways.

Originally Posted by Keralite

We are seeing vehicles which receives dents, most of the times, on the back and what is the factor which contributes to this danger sitution, is it the inexperiance driving or the rash driving of the fellows who dash on our vehicles' back?

I personally feel that it is because of the careless/rash driving of the other person. Make sure that u keep a safe distance from the vehicle in the front. And follow the traffic rules. At least u r safe from ur part..

[Ram]

Think about it.

• Is driving only about handling the car.
• Or about driving safely without annoying or endangering other road users?

I got my first driving license in 1981 from RTO-Central, Haji-Ali, Bombay.
After driving daily for 4 years in Bombay city traffic: Nepean Sea Road to Nariman Point and back. And Nepean Sea Road to Chembur and back, I had reasonably good control of the vehicle.

I took the test and got a driving license in Sunnyvale, California in January 1985, because:

• In India, I had picked up the skills of smoothly steering, accelerating and braking,
• For the duration of the test, I took special care not to break any rule in the DMV rule book.

But when I actually drove on the street in the USA in 1985, I got pulled over by a policeman in a patrol car,

1. once for driving below 50 km/h when the road expected me to drive at 55 km/h.
2. once for changing lanes too close to the traffic junction.

I realized, that while I had learned to handle the vehicle well in India,
my road manners were still third-world!

There were still important skills and behaviors to master.

• Coming to a complete halt at a painted "STOP" sign, before entering a main road.
• Stopping to let a pedestrian cross the road.
• Smoothly changing lanes at 90 km/h without annoying the other freeway users, without scaring the Americans in my car and without upsetting myself.

Driving in Europe in 1986, I learned the special skills of changing lanes on a multi-lane roundabout without annoying the other citizens on the road.

Life as a software engineer, gave the opportunity, over time, to drive cars in Australia, Canada, Singapore and Japan. And each time, I learned, that there was so much more to driving than what I had learned before.

Above all, it taught me humility and discipline.
That driving is a privilege, not a birthright.
That driving safely, carefully and observing all the rules, were
the only way I would survive on roads worldwide.

To sum up:

• Correct use of external mirrors and internal mirror.
• Swiveling your head and looking back for passing road users, before pulling out.
• Proper signaling. Waiting until it is sufficiently safe before entering traffic.
• Proper use of headlights in rain and dull light conditions.
• Correct posture while driving, hands in proper places, ...
• Being in the correct lane. Signaling early enough, but not too early.
• Maintaining safe distance behind the car in front, at all times.
• Understanding all the complex painted signs worldwide and traffic signal lights.
• Skill in driving through busy crowded streets and junctions.
• Smooth and correct steering, and Smooth quick and safe stopping habits.
• Ability to reverse in a straight line, with complete control of the vehicle.
• Ability to decide the correct speed to drive at. Not too slow. Not too fast.
• Respect for the rights of other road users.
• Politeness to other drivers and pedestrians.
• Paying full undivided attention to the responsibility of driving.

It has taken me decades and many countries, and I realize that,
my driving can still be perfected!

Ram