The Expressway to Hell

muralisk · 29th January 2009, 08:09

I agree with the points raised in the article. However, if we look at from a broader level, I would put the blame on the people (using and living around the highways), police and NHAI officials.

People because, they tend to feel that they live next to the highway and their attitude is like, it is my backyard and I can use whenever and which ever way I want to. People in India in general are not educated about road manners (if we can call it that way). We have scant respect for laws whether road or otherwise. We do not use the underpass or over pass, instead, try and run across the road putting in everyone's life in danger. We would drive few extra kms to take a right/ left turn - instead, we tend to drive over the divider or drive down the wrong side and demand (honk) for right of way.

Police - they just don't have will to implement the laws. They are either corrupt or just lax about the whole thing. Or, they wait for accidents so that they can make more money from both the victims - a win-win situation for them.

NHAI - for sheer lack of expertise and vision.

Dragonov · 30th January 2009, 14:03

Quote:

I agree with the points raised in the article. However, if we look at from a broader level, I would put the blame on the people (using and living around the highways), police and NHAI officials.

People because, they tend to feel that they live next to the highway and their attitude is like, it is my backyard and I can use whenever and which ever way I want to. People in India in general are not educated about road manners (if we can call it that way). We have scant respect for laws whether road or otherwise. We do not use the underpass or over pass, instead, try and run across the road putting in everyone's life in danger. We would drive few extra kms to take a right/ left turn - instead, we tend to drive over the divider or drive down the wrong side and demand (honk) for right of way.

Police - they just don't have will to implement the laws. They are either corrupt or just lax about the whole thing. Or, they wait for accidents so that they can make more money from both the victims - a win-win situation for them.

NHAI - for sheer lack of expertise and vision.

Bang on target - I completely agree. But the point here is that when can we have a effective governing/ policing system. Guess still a long way to go with the pathetic situation that we are in !!

Gangsta · 30th January 2009, 18:09

what about the villagers? who drives in the wrong lane on expressway... and the 2 wheeler guys who drives in the middle of the road with speed of 40-50 kmph churning out their mileage on greater noida expressway or gurgaon expressway ( 2 wheelers are not even allowed on this one).

phamilyman · 30th January 2009, 18:23

oh yes, add in the sunday drivers - who plod on at 60kph in the right lane and get pissed when you honk/overtakethem from left (finally!)

Gangsta · 30th January 2009, 19:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by phamilyman

oh yes, add in the sunday drivers - who plod on at 60kmph in the right lane and get pissed when you honk/overtakethem from left (finally!)

yo mate and one word to describe them "IDIOTS". i had seen an indigo guy was going at 50-60kmph kmph in the right lane and one guy in fiesta was honking and honking and honking to give him side to overtake him. But the indigo stupid guy didnt gave side to fiesta guy .. Ego or Stupidity? This lead to road rage and fiesta guy overtook him and applied brakes just infront of him and crawling his car at just 10-20 kmph... hehe me to slowed down my car to watch the drama.

then after words exchange bet. them fiesta guy showed middle finger to indigo guy and zoom.

tsk1979 · 18th April 2009, 12:50

Last night I slow down when I see a few cars slowing down and few even stopping.
As I near the site it seems as if a missile has hit the divider.
There is debris everywhere. Mostly concrete. The thick half foot poles which hold the barbed wire on both sides of the wide divder have been smashed.
The missile? Its a Honda city. The car is totally wrecked. The entire body has been ripped open. On from the tail lights I could make out what is it.
There are policmen around but the passengers(I don't know if anybody survived) have been removed.

While coming back. I managed to click a pic. Similar carnage of concrete glass and metal on the other side.
This one must be atleast doing 120-130 to smash dozens of concrete pillars!

kpzen · 18th April 2009, 13:03

Can't make out anything from the pic.
Which side of the expressway did this happen? Towards Noida or Greater Noida??
Last night till 7:30pm nothing had happened.

Thanks to the election they are destroying the expressway section near pari chowk to put a new layer of tar. Brilliant ideas of our politicians i must say.

tsk1979 · 18th April 2009, 13:08

No idea which side, there was equal amount of debris on both sides. The car could have come from any side.
This is about a km before the U turn near those Eldeco etc., on the expressway. The place where that overbridge goes over expressway

Mr_Bean · 18th April 2009, 13:14

On the chennai-blore highway to be more specific the scorpio & sumo drivers with the party flag in the front, they drive fast and they don't move from their right lane when honked and hate overtaking from the left.

Numerous vehicles ply on this highway which are powerful and expensive, that does not necessary mean that they should stick to right lane, drive slow and don't give way for vehicle behind them.

Some of the death traps are the workers doing the cleaning/repairing job on the highway without any indication. If any indication it is difficult to notice from a far distance, I guess due to heat.

venuraja · 18th April 2009, 14:12

Right most lane driving , near the divider may prove to be very dangerous.

Many times big boulders, concrete slabs,etc are placed adjacent to the divider.
If you driving along the divider on the right most lane, there shall be no time to avoid these heavy boulders misplaced/placed along the divider.

So better you travel, I always follow the rule, to drive in second lane on a three way lane or a very left side of the right most lane leaving a very good gap to the divider.

If you are not confident of controlling the car, in an emergency, then go about 90kmph where can control a car rather easily. And if you are very confident and has an experience of bringing down the car speed rather very quickly by using engine braking (by downgrading the gear ) , and by using the brakes without ever touching the clutch etc., then you can drive 120kmph.
Only on completely empty roads on a broad day light one shall attempt 140 kmph but not more is my idea.
A blind drive is a stupid drive.

deky · 18th April 2009, 19:28

@Tsk1979, Since this thread was started 2 years back, Do you think things have got better (lesser accidents) in the last 2 years or are the same or have become worst?

Gangsta · 18th April 2009, 20:52

Day before yesterday a red colour Accent Viva was wrecked upside down.. Time Around 6:30 PM.

tsk1979 · 18th April 2009, 23:38

Things have improved as people are not more aware of the "danger zones" like sharp curves.
But every now or then you see a high speed crash like this one

neeld · 20th April 2009, 23:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Things have improved as people are not more aware of the "danger zones" like sharp curves.
But every now or then you see a high speed crash like this one

I think the people also need to be aware of how their cars/bikes handles during different situations like hard braking, turning at higher speeds, etc. In another way, should know the limits of the vehicle & the limits of the person who is driving it.

venuraja · 21st April 2009, 10:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gangsta

yo mate and one word to describe them "IDIOTS". i had seen an indigo guy was going at 50-60kmph kmph in the right lane and one guy in fiesta was honking and honking and honking to give him side to overtake him. But the indigo stupid guy didnt gave side to fiesta guy .. Ego or Stupidity? This lead to road rage and fiesta guy overtook him and applied brakes just infront of him and crawling his car at just 10-20 kmph... hehe me to slowed down my car to watch the drama.

then after words exchange bet. them fiesta guy showed middle finger to indigo guy and zoom.

On Highway , one should not wait too much and bother the driver going slow on a right lane.
It is perfectly allright to overtake them,from left on highways.
Many in Indian cities do not bother to change lanes, even when a horn was blown hard on their back. It is quite common.
Just ovetake them from left , quetly.

29th January 2009, 08:09	#181
muralisk BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Hyderabad, Bangalore Posts: 711 Thanked: 13 Times View My Garage	I agree with the points raised in the article. However, if we look at from a broader level, I would put the blame on the people (using and living around the highways), police and NHAI officials. People because, they tend to feel that they live next to the highway and their attitude is like, it is my backyard and I can use whenever and which ever way I want to. People in India in general are not educated about road manners (if we can call it that way). We have scant respect for laws whether road or otherwise. We do not use the underpass or over pass, instead, try and run across the road putting in everyone's life in danger. We would drive few extra kms to take a right/ left turn - instead, we tend to drive over the divider or drive down the wrong side and demand (honk) for right of way. Police - they just don't have will to implement the laws. They are either corrupt or just lax about the whole thing. Or, they wait for accidents so that they can make more money from both the victims - a win-win situation for them. NHAI - for sheer lack of expertise and vision.
	() Thanks

30th January 2009, 18:09	#183
Gangsta BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 624 Thanked: 20 Times	what about the villagers? who drives in the wrong lane on expressway... and the 2 wheeler guys who drives in the middle of the road with speed of 40-50 kmph churning out their mileage on greater noida expressway or gurgaon expressway ( 2 wheelers are not even allowed on this one).
	() Thanks

30th January 2009, 18:23	#184
phamilyman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 5,975 Thanked: 4,673 Times	oh yes, add in the sunday drivers - who plod on at 60kph in the right lane and get pissed when you honk/overtakethem from left (finally!)
	() Thanks

18th April 2009, 12:50	#186
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,688 Thanked: 23,489 Times View My Garage	Another one bites the dust Last night I slow down when I see a few cars slowing down and few even stopping. As I near the site it seems as if a missile has hit the divider. There is debris everywhere. Mostly concrete. The thick half foot poles which hold the barbed wire on both sides of the wide divder have been smashed. The missile? Its a Honda city. The car is totally wrecked. The entire body has been ripped open. On from the tail lights I could make out what is it. There are policmen around but the passengers(I don't know if anybody survived) have been removed. While coming back. I managed to click a pic. Similar carnage of concrete glass and metal on the other side. This one must be atleast doing 120-130 to smash dozens of concrete pillars!
	() Thanks

18th April 2009, 13:03	#187
kpzen Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Faridabad Posts: 5,608 Thanked: 1,883 Times View My Garage	Can't make out anything from the pic. Which side of the expressway did this happen? Towards Noida or Greater Noida?? Last night till 7:30pm nothing had happened. Thanks to the election they are destroying the expressway section near pari chowk to put a new layer of tar. Brilliant ideas of our politicians i must say.
	() Thanks

18th April 2009, 13:08	#188
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,688 Thanked: 23,489 Times View My Garage	No idea which side, there was equal amount of debris on both sides. The car could have come from any side. This is about a km before the U turn near those Eldeco etc., on the expressway. The place where that overbridge goes over expressway
	() Thanks

18th April 2009, 13:14	#189
Mr_Bean BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 894 Thanked: 241 Times View My Garage	On the chennai-blore highway to be more specific the scorpio & sumo drivers with the party flag in the front, they drive fast and they don't move from their right lane when honked and hate overtaking from the left. Numerous vehicles ply on this highway which are powerful and expensive, that does not necessary mean that they should stick to right lane, drive slow and don't give way for vehicle behind them. Some of the death traps are the workers doing the cleaning/repairing job on the highway without any indication. If any indication it is difficult to notice from a far distance, I guess due to heat.
	() Thanks

18th April 2009, 14:12	#190
venuraja BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: HYDERABAD Posts: 91 Thanked: 118 Times	Right most lane driving , near the divider may prove to be very dangerous. Many times big boulders, concrete slabs,etc are placed adjacent to the divider. If you driving along the divider on the right most lane, there shall be no time to avoid these heavy boulders misplaced/placed along the divider. So better you travel, I always follow the rule, to drive in second lane on a three way lane or a very left side of the right most lane leaving a very good gap to the divider. If you are not confident of controlling the car, in an emergency, then go about 90kmph where can control a car rather easily. And if you are very confident and has an experience of bringing down the car speed rather very quickly by using engine braking (by downgrading the gear ) , and by using the brakes without ever touching the clutch etc., then you can drive 120kmph. Only on completely empty roads on a broad day light one shall attempt 140 kmph but not more is my idea. A blind drive is a stupid drive.
	() Thanks

18th April 2009, 19:28	#191
deky Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Jaipur Posts: 1,194 Thanked: 1,251 Times	@Tsk1979, Since this thread was started 2 years back, Do you think things have got better (lesser accidents) in the last 2 years or are the same or have become worst?
	() Thanks

18th April 2009, 20:52	#192
Gangsta BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 624 Thanked: 20 Times	Day before yesterday a red colour Accent Viva was wrecked upside down.. Time Around 6:30 PM.
	() Thanks

18th April 2009, 23:38	#193
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,688 Thanked: 23,489 Times View My Garage	Things have improved as people are not more aware of the "danger zones" like sharp curves. But every now or then you see a high speed crash like this one
	() Thanks