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Old 10th January 2010, 15:23   #16
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longhorn,

I hope everybody takes your lessons seriously

Can we call this the Teach-TeamBHP thread?
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Old 10th January 2010, 15:49   #17
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Originally Posted by vigsom View Post
longhorn,

I hope everybody takes your lessons seriously

Can we call this the Teach-TeamBHP thread?
I started this thread because I was surprised to see even some senior bhpians doing things the wrong way, something which I least expected. Doing test drives and posting reviews and ownership reports are all good things. But somewhere down the line we need to introspect and think about our driving techniques are correct them if and when required. I don't intend to don the role of a driving instructor here. I'm just trying to inculcate the basics. Stick to these are you should be fine. Most of it is just plain common sense which somehow seems to be so uncommon these days. I and not a guru on the Motor Vehicles Act or something like that, but I shall stress the fact that we need to get our basics right. We should not practice something just because we saw someone else doing it. Apply your head. Don't follow the herd, follow the rules ! I intend to watch this thread for a few days and they take a call on whether I should continue posting or not. There's no use preaching if no one wants to listen right?
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Old 10th January 2010, 16:04   #18
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Originally Posted by longhorn View Post
There's no use preaching if no one wants to listen right?
absolutely.But whatever you post remains;and someone who wants to learn will definitely benefit.
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Old 10th January 2010, 16:13   #19
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Driving Tips - Driving in the Rain

1. Turn on your headlights in low beam to ensure greater visibility to other road users.

2. Keep your eyes on the vehicle in front of you. It will be easier for you to follow than to lead. Watching the 'behaviour' of the car in front of you will give you a pretty good idea of the road ahead.

3. Maintain sufficient distance from the vehicle in front of you. Remember it takes more distance for your car to stop when the road is wet, and even more when your brakes are wet!

4. Apply brakes sooner than you normally would with lesser force. Sudden braking on slippery roads is a recipe for disaster. Moreover when you brake sooner, it also reminds the guy behind you to start slowing down and gives him ample time to stop.(This is what I call defensive driving ! More on that later)

5. Stay away from the edge of the road. Drive as close as possible to the centre of the road as is possible and safe. Normally good roads are built with the centre higher and sloping towards the edges to facilitate draining away of water during rains. Hennce the possbility of water logging is relatively higher at the edges when compared to the centre.

Last edited by longhorn : 10th January 2010 at 16:26.
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Old 10th January 2010, 16:54   #20
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What is Defensive Driving ?

(Sounds alien?)

It is a driving technique wherein the driver takes every possible precaution to avoid an unwarranted situation(accident). Here you need to swallow your ego and pride and think that I would rather be alive than a hero. As the old saying goes, better late than never. Here the line of thought is this:-
You can control your thought and actions but not that of other drivers on the road. The road is as safe as you want to make it. I would rather put my life in my hands than risk it with an unknown person. Anticipation is the key here. It comes only with practice.
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Old 10th January 2010, 17:05   #21
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Defensive Driving Tips - Part1

1. Anticipate when an unwarranted situation is likely to occur by keeping you eyes and ears open.This comes with practice. The earlier you anticipate, the easier it becomes to avoid it.

2. Do not display and more importantly do not react to road rage. It takes two to tango.

3. As far as possible, avoid being immediately in front of or behind a vehicle in poor shape. It is most likely to be driven by a bad driver.

4. As far as possible, avoid being in the blind spot of another vehicle.

5. On a highway, maintain a distance of at least 3 seconds of driving time behind the vehicle in front of you (double in case of bad weather).

Last edited by longhorn : 10th January 2010 at 17:07.
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Old 10th January 2010, 17:23   #22
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Denesive Driving Tips - Part 2 (The Golden Rules)

1. Always wear a seat belt. It reduces the chances of fatality by as much as 25% in the event of a shunt.

2. Expand your line of sight, especially on a highway. Always look ahead and beyond the vehicle immediately in front of you. This gives you more time to react and take evasive action if necessary.

3. Keep away from heavy vehicles. Avoid driving immediately in front or behind of them as far as possible.

4. Avoid internal distractions like MP3 players, switching between, CD player and FM radio,making and receiving calls etc.

5. Always drive with both your hands on the steering wheel(except when changing gears of course !). Nine and three o' clock postions provide the best control over your vehicle.

6. In heavy city traffic, stay away from a group of cars jostling for space. This is recipe for a shunt.

7. Avoid being tailgated. Either change lanes or let them pass.

Last edited by longhorn : 10th January 2010 at 17:26.
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Old 10th January 2010, 23:00   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by longhorn View Post
......4. As far as possible, avoid being in the blind spot of another vehicle......
All you have said is good and well-taken. Regarding the blind spot I have this query.

How am I to know or guess that I am on the blind spot of another vehicle?
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Old 11th January 2010, 10:32   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ponmayilal View Post
All you have said is good and well-taken. Regarding the blind spot I have this query.

How am I to know or guess that I am on the blind spot of another vehicle?
Nice question. If you cannot see the internal rear view mirror of the vehicle in front of you, then you are in his blind spot.
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Old 11th January 2010, 11:45   #25
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The blind spot of a vehicle comes just as one is overtaking it, which is why a quick glance over the shoulder is a good thing before changing lanes.

Those idiots who drive with their orvms folded in, of course, have much extended blind spots, as do those who simply don't use their mirrors.
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Old 11th January 2010, 13:59   #26
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Glad you started this thread, longhorn.

Quote:
Originally Posted by longhorn View Post
....Once you have entered the roundabout you should not stop to give way to traffic on your left. ...
Unless the guy from the left is one of the many who has no idea of priority at roundabouts and keeps coming, in which case it makes sense to slow down.
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Old 11th January 2010, 14:19   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by straightdrive View Post
Glad you started this thread, longhorn.

Unless the guy from the left is one of the many who has no idea of priority at roundabouts and keeps coming, in which case it makes sense to slow down.
Yes that's defensive driving. You know you have the right of way but the moron barging in doesn't.
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Old 11th January 2010, 15:00   #28
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If you cannot see the drivers face in either of his OVRMs, and you are not directly behind him, you are in their blind spot. Tinted windows make it difficult to determine.

Also assume that the left OVRM is seldom looked at hence can be considered a blind spot.
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Old 12th January 2010, 12:35   #29
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Highway Driving Tips - Part 1

(Triple century post on Tbhp !)

1. The indicators are meant to indicate if and when you want to take a right/left turn. Do not use it to indicate to the guy behind you to overtake !

2. Look ahead and beyond the vehicle immediately in front of you. This gives you better reaction time to adjust if and when necessary.

3. Try to maintain a steady speed. This gives you better fuel efficiency and reduces wear and tear of your vehicle. It will also reduce your stress levels.

4. Ensure there is no oncoming traffic behind you before overtaking on multi lane highways.

5. Complete your overtaking manouvere as swiftly as possible without cutting off the vehicle you are overtaking.

6. Shift back to the slow lane once you have completed overtaking.

7. Drive in low beam when there is oncoming traffic.

8. Never underestimate your speed. As speed increases, so does the time it takes to come to a halt. Always maintain a gap of at least 3 seconds of driving time from the vehicle in front of you.

9. Do not follow a vehicle that is overtaking. Wait for him to complete his manouvere before you start else you might be in for a shock.

10. Maintain lane discipline. Do not troll on the middle of two lanes.
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Old 12th January 2010, 14:02   #30
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Middle of lanes to avoid jutting light-reflecting-stickers

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Originally Posted by longhorn View Post
10. Maintain lane discipline. Do not troll on the middle of two lanes.
There is this problem with our new 4-lane roads.
There are this light-reflecting-stickers jutting out between the lanes which are good to look at in the night but it can damage my expensive tyres when I switch lanes too-much. So when I drive on roads with sparse traffic, I tend to let these stickers pass between my tyres, thus driving in the middle of two lanes.

In fact I feel that these stickers are downright dangerous since it affects my manoeuvrability.
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