[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

How is that?

I don't know about you folks, but I find the habit of switching on hazard lights in the north Indian fog to be a highly annoying trait - it hurts the eyes, ruins clarity of vision, and becomes very mesmeric after a time.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

*I wasn't really serious. Of course, if they are your friend, you just call them up on the mobile.

... Or send them as SMS!

Not when driving, Nick!

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

*

*I wasn't really serious. Of course, if they are your friend, you just call them up on the mobile.


... Or send them as SMS!

LOL, My sides are aching from , this is a real riot!

Now before someone reads us the Riot Act, let me clarify - Thad's last post (so gleefully quoted by me here) is written in jest.

DO NOT USE YOUR CELL PHONE TO MAKE A CALL OR SMS WHILE DRIVING.

Cheers,

[prince_pervez]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

In UK driving, slowing down and indicating left is the way to say so. Not sure how one tells the person behind that you want them to stop too, apart from turning round and making wild gestures at them --- during which, of course, you colide with the bus coming the other way!

No you did not get what I meant. Read my previous post word by word again. You have written the exact opposite of what I have written . The person driving behind puts on the blinkers to let the guy ahead know that he is stopping. Samajhdaar ko ishaara and stuff.

How is that?

If it is a short tunnel and the driver ahead does not want to put on the headlights then the brake lights are the only way to know where the dude in front is. Hence the blinkers tell everyone behind where he is and what are the dimensions of the vehicle if anyone wants to overtake.

All this needs a lot of highway driving experience in India where driver protocols are wierd and sometimes funny. That will teach you which yellow plate driver is safe and not. Of course not to tailgate any and everyone is not rocket science.

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

......
If it is a short tunnel and the driver ahead does not want to put on the headlights then the brake lights are the only way to know where the dude in front is. Hence the blinkers tell everyone behind where he is and what are the dimensions of the vehicle if anyone wants to overtake.

....

Takes the same effort to put on tail lights as switching on the hazard warning lights. So why the hazard warning lights and not the tail lights?

About the car at the back wanting to stop - there are quite a few ways to signal the driver in front (1) Flash lights, (2) Tap the horn a few times, and then hang back a little and switch on the left indicator. One can also overtake and then do the slowing down (not too soon) and putting on the left indicator.

[prince_pervez]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

Takes the same effort to put on tail lights as switching on the hazard warning lights. So why the hazard warning lights and not the tail lights?

About the car at the back wanting to stop - there are quite a few ways to signal the driver in front (1) Flash lights, (2) Tap the horn a few times, and then hang back a little and switch on the left indicator. One can also overtake and then do the slowing down (not too soon) and putting on the left indicator.

Dunno man, you gotta ask them who practice the above mentioned methods. These might be effective in the driver/trucker circles, not us.
But these are highway techniques followed in India, and it'll be good if we know this so that we know what the trucker means when he blinks his right or left indicator just 2 or 3 times instead of showing the signal for overtaking. We need not join the gang and do what they do.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

No you did not get what I meant. Read my previous post word by word again. You have written the exact opposite of what I have written . The person driving behind puts on the blinkers to let the guy ahead know that he is stopping. Samajhdaar ko ishaara and stuff.

You are right: I missed the point entirely! But hey, I'm not going to re-write my cell-phone jokes to match!

As to the rest. Yes, I guess I still have a lot to learn!

[swarooppatil]

Originally Posted by shibujp

Generally it is advised to use a higher air pressure in while driving on highways but certainly not excessive. 1 - 2 PSI more than what you usually use. The reason being that at high speed the tires tend to heat up more and the higher pressure slows this heating process and prevents a blowup in extreme cases.

The ride will become stiffer for sure. IMHO that since highways are usually smoother than city roads the grip factor will be the same or perhaps better even if you use a higher pressure.

Drive on!!
Shibu.

Actually you should definitely avoid higher tyre pressure for that specific reason. With the tyres heating up the air in the tyres tends to expand and which actually increases the tyre pressure furthermore. Especially if you have tubed tyres where friction is higher. In such cases there are more chances of tyre bursts. Hence, when traveling on the highways, where the speeds would be higher than normal and the roads are also heated up, its advisable to maintain the specified tyre pressure.

The only advantage you can get with overfilling your tyres is a bit of an increase in the mileage.

Experts can correct me if I am wrong...

[venuraja]

Originally Posted by swarooppatil

Actually you should definitely avoid higher tyre pressure for that specific reason. With the tyres heating up the air in the tyres tends to expand and which actually increases the tyre pressure furthermore. Especially if you have tubed tyres where friction is higher. In such cases there are more chances of tyre bursts. Hence, when traveling on the highways, where the speeds would be higher than normal and the roads are also heated up, its advisable to maintain the specified tyre pressure.

The only advantage you can get with overfilling your tyres is a bit of an increase in the mileage.

Experts can correct me if I am wrong...

I can only tell what I have seen.
A truck accident I had seen was because of high air pressure in front tyres.
The front right side tyre was burst pulling the truck towards right causing a hit to the huge banayan tree which killed all the 3 three people sitting in the front except the cleaner on the extreme left.

On high ways when you drive, stop the car every 3 hours under a shade and allow it cool down ,engine as well as tyres, perticularly in Indian summers.
You must check tyre pressure in the petrol bunks and adjust accordingly if you are on a long journey.
One more caution is to change the tyres, once in every 3 years or 4 years , you shall not neglect if the tyres on the front worn out.

If your tyre air pressure is very low (many people drive like that)
the steering (rock and pinion type) will be ruined completely,with steering becoming very hard.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by venuraja

If your tyre air pressure is very low (many people drive like that)
the steering (rock and pinion type) will be ruined completely,with steering becoming very hard.

BTW, even lower pressure results in the sidewalls getting subjected to constant flexing and building up the heat internally, which may eventually cause tear/burst

[mooza]

Cannot agree more regarding the correct front tyre pressures and condition of tyres. My aunt's Santro bust its front left tyre and the car instantly veered off to hit the side wall of a bridge. Only minor injuries, luckily.

[navan49]

Hi guys

We discuss all these in length and breadth. I haven't seen any driving school or the test drive observed by the inspector before issuing the licence asks or brief the drivers during the test drive. It has to be initiated by the RTOs and given a book let. We got 3 Dl in Chennai none of the RTOs gave us a booklet on it.

[vigsom]

I don't know how many of us have the Driver's Manual by Dr.P S Pasricha - lot of info contained in it

[ptushar]

Originally Posted by subbusos

• Once you have finished overtaking a vehicle, don't cut immediately to the left. Proceed till your car crosses the vehicle fully and move to the lane.

One of the ways I was told to do this in the UK was that while you overtake, continue in the right lane (overtaing lane) till you see both the headlights of the vehicle which you are overtaking in your rear-view mirror. Then switch to the left lane. This provides adequate distance so that the person you are overtaking does not have to touch his brakes.

[pkumar]

Originally Posted by venuraja

On high ways when you drive, stop the car every 3 hours under a shade and allow it cool down ,engine as well as tyres, perticularly in Indian summers.
You must check tyre pressure in the petrol bunks and adjust accordingly if you are on a long journey.

Completely wrong information. Never check/fill air while on the move and tyre is already hot.
And yeah, no need to stop your car under shade to cool the engine or the tyre. Totally not needed, unless you are travelling in an old Amby.

[shramik]

Use nitrogen instead of air to fill tyres. Nitrogen does not expand with heat being inert. The tyres remain cool to the touch even after a scorching fast drive !

Originally Posted by pkumar

Completely wrong information. Never check/fill air while on the move and tyre is already hot.
And yeah, no need to stop your car under shade to cool the engine or the tyre. Totally not needed, unless you are travelling in an old Amby.