[carnutfrombanga]

I have driven about 115,000 km in 5 years, just letting other members know that I am no stranger to Indian road conditions and would like to believe that I follow most rules & best practices for highway driving, most of the time.

I have unfortunately seen quite a few vehicles and people post accident; had quite a few near hits with trucks, cattle, canines, humans and an assortment of other vehicles.

The latest incident which made me rethink driving in India was a dog jumping out of the highway onto the middle of the road and my car running into it.

There was no place for me to pull over to help the animal (a long stretch with barricades on the side of the road) but saw it limping/scampering away in my rear view mirror.

I hope the dog survived with minor injuries or at least died quickly if it was more serious.

I know that running into an animal on the highway is quite common but makes me realize that it's only a matter of time before I get into a more serious accident involving a vehicle or person considering the number of close shaves.

I have driven another 1700 km on the highway since then but have become cautious, have kept my speeds low and keep expecting a worst case scenario, I am thinking of quitting driving but I won't be able to for at least the next 6 months.

I can't afford to keep a driver for highway trips.

How do other bhp-ians cope?

PS: it's been a cathartic experience just writing this post

[GTO]

No, no, no, no, no . Couple of thoughts:

- The glass is half-full or half-empty, bud? Sure, Indian roads & highways present a lot of dangers and the conditions are far from ideal, but a safe driving style has kept many of us accident-free for decades (*touches wood*). 99% of this community consists of enthusiasts from India and we are on Team-BHP because we love driving (India included). In fact, I enjoy Indian road-trips a lot more than road-tripping in the USA, which I have done often and found rather boring.

- If concerned about safety, you could drive at a slower speed, brush your skills up (like SS-Traveller's courses), get a car that handles better & is safer, stick to expressway routes instead of two-lane highways etc.

- Do also note that Indian highways will keep getting safer & safer due to the construction of more expressways, ever stricter speed limit enforcement, the improvements we're seeing in new cars & trucks...

- Quitting driving is frankly impractical in India as the public transportation system sucks. Plus, in these Covid times, no transportation is safer than your own car.

- All of us can get disillusioned from time to time. Just wait a while and perhaps, this feeling will pass too?

- You've driven well over 1 lakh km. Have you had a lot of accidents? If not, please do continue driving. If you've had a rare crash or two, take it in your stride and move on. On the other hand, if you have crashed often, well, some people simply are bad drivers (one of my sisters is, a cousin is) and I recommend they don't drive on the highway at all.

- Whose driving do you trust more? Your own, or some cab driver's who you might potentially hire for highway trips?

- Were your close shaves in the early morning or late night? If so, best to drive during the day only. I stopped night-highway driving a long time back.

- Suggestion: Try early morning highway runs. I feel Indian roads are the most enjoyable between 0500 - 0900 hours. Once the public wakes up, it's too crowded & haphazard.

Hope things change and we see a travelogue from you in 2021. Live to drive, brother

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by GTO

- Whose driving do you trust more? Your own, or some cab driver's who you might potentially hire for highway trips?

This is one key aspect. When I go to Kerala, there are only two instances where I sit in the car as a passenger - airport to home and then back to airport. All other times I prefer to drive; not that I am a super-expert driver, but I trust myself more than an unknown driver on our roads.

Originally Posted by carnutfrombanga

it's been a cathartic experience just writing this post

As GTO mentioned, do a nice road trip and pen down a travelogue – you will feel much better

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by carnutfrombanga

I have unfortunately seen quite a few vehicles and people post accident;

As number of vehicles on the road go up, this (seeing more accidents) is a statistical certainty. But the overall probability of you being involved in such an incident now (when compared to 5 years ago) remains more or less the same or goes up slightly. That's because majority of these incidents happen because of driving style (not by chance)

had quite a few near hits with trucks, cattle, canines, humans and an assortment of other vehicles. The latest incident which made me rethink driving in India was a dog jumping out of the highway onto the middle of the road and my car running into it.

On a 8 hour trip, roughly 2 to 3 close shaves are par for the course. Cruising at 80 to 100 kmph eliminates most of the risk. Modern cars take around 2.5 seconds to stop dead in tracks from 80 kmph.

makes me realize that it's only a matter of time before I get into a more serious accident involving a vehicle or person considering the number of close shaves. I have driven another 1700 km on the highway since then but have become cautious, have kept my speeds low and keep expecting a worst case scenario, I am thinking of quitting driving but I won't be able to for at least the next 6 months. I can't afford to keep a driver for highway trips.

It looks like you are mostly worried about personal legal liability rather than injury/death.

1) Only solution to this fear is knowledge. Read up on what to do if you are involved in an accident (from legal point of view) - there are a few threads on TeamBHP too. Have a chat with your lawyer friend or relative too (if you have one)

2) Understand probability of an event occurring. Eg: Just because there are 100,000 murders per year in India, it doesn't mean our country is unsafe when compared to United States. You have to consider the population difference between the two countries too

3) Drive together with friends or relatives in separate cars. If you are planning a Goa drive, invite a few friends or relatives for the holiday. Sign up for Team-BHP meets. Because if you drive in a mini-convoy, help is always at hand. If the above is not possible because of circumstances, see if you can get another male (friend/relative/brother) with spouse to come with you on a holiday trip in the same car.

4) Cruise at 80 to 100 kmph on highways. Always keep an eye out for animals/people/two wheelers etc. Avoid driving after dark perhaps. If you noticed that most of these incidents happen at night, that is.

5) Use Google Maps to find alternative routes to your destination, even if it is a bit longer. Choose a route with less traffic.

[jkrishnakj]

If you look at it, almost everything on the roads these days, including as mundane as walking is prone to something or the other. Driving is no exception. We don’t give up walking, do we. We practise safety and we practice anticipation.

Driving is no different. Practising defensive driving and anticipation will help, not wanting to be driving anymore won’t help because you will end up ‘phantom’ driving as a passenger.

[chakri400]

For someone whose t-bhp handle is 'carnut' to come to this point, feels like post-kalinga Asoka like transformation. I can totally understand the reasons.

Today, self driving is more of a need than a want for reasons GTO called out:
1. Covid is number one reason for me
2. Better to put yourself and your family in the hands of a carnut than a nut-driver

Having said that: Asoka would have got similar advice but he chose the path of renunciation. If that is your calling, you will find a way.

[condor]

GTO has posted very nicely, and the opening line sums the response to your query

We have all had incidents. Dogs, yes - I ran over a pup. I had a bird flying down exactly below my front left wheel. I drove over a pigeon. Worst was a drunk woman deliberately running across in front of my vehicle, getting hit - and we going thru the ordeal after that (including a court appearance).

There will be challenges, you just take precautions but continue to drive.

The only person I have known who has given up driving is a team-mate. But he has given up a lot of things too - turning sagely

Heck, my FiL at 75 is looking for a replacement car. He wants a manual too. But the push from the family is to go for an automatic, so he can drive that car longer. He still goes out to near-by towns himself.

Take a leaf out of his book, my friend.

[KPR]

Not just dogs, nowadays stray cattle is rampant in town roads, national highways 4 laned roads, single laned roads too. I've never seen such stray cattle on roads in TN highways as seen in MP or RJ. Cattle just run amok bang in wrong direction in the center of the road. The motorists makes life still worser by cutting through any direction to avoid hitting cattle and honk so much that even stray cattle get over excited. Now as a driver I've to avoid hitting both cattle and bikers. The situation is worst in dusk and night times. Given such conditions I wouldn't be surprised at your thinking. So to avoid driving altogether is impossible but keeping it to absolute minimum isn't bad for now.

[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by carnutfrombanga

I have driven another 1700 km on the highway since then but have become cautious, have kept my speeds low and keep expecting a worst case scenario.

This is my default driving style.

And I honestly feel, that all Indians should be in the same state of mind while driving, because Murphy's law becomes doubly applicable in India. If you worry about a kid crossing the road, he will, in fact his mother will cross the road too with the granny.

I dont think >100 kmph is a speed which should be used anywhere in India, except completely covered expressways.

[androdev]

Fear of danger is the beginning of safety. You, my friend, need not quit.

[ABHI_1512]

GTO above has already summed up nicely with his erudite points but I would still like to add something from my personal experience.

There was a time when I was slapped a section 304(A) case for helping a man hit by a car. I took the man to the hospital in my own car and was summoned for causing death due to negligence !! That instance almost killed my fondness for driving too but then realised for the better after some time.

Survived a bad crash recently in a friend’s car but that incident also did not made me think of quitting driving. You will have a probability that even if you quit driving, there can be a scenario way beyond your control where you can be put in a spot of bother. Things happen but one has to move on.

Driving with care and with utmost diligence is what you can do and rest is not in your control. I would like to believe that you love driving and that you continue to do what you love.

Keep the good hope and will look forward to read your next driving escapade in the forum.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by carnutfrombanga

The latest incident which made me rethink driving in India was a dog jumping out of the highway onto the middle of the road and my car running into it.

I've had my fair share of close calls, but thanks to the many kilometres behind the wheels, most were not even noticed by others in the car. By the way, I have also managed to flip an MUV at low speeds (sub 40 km/h).

For me, driving multiple cars is the key to drive safely. When you drive your own car, you get into comfort mode. E.g., last week I drove my uncle's Grand i10 petrol, a diesel Honda City and a friend's Innova 2.8. Driving all these cars has made me realize what a gem of car I owned (Abarth Punto). That said, I would always pick the Innova for highway drives thanks to the supreme comfort it offered along with loads of space for luggage.

Driving different cars has made me aware of each car's shortcoming. This helps to better look out for obstacles on the roads, the errant 2 wheelers and even the random animals. I have been driving at both day time and night, and have come to love driving in the nights.

Try having a group of friends who go on drives just to have a coffee to build up your confidence. After all, who is better - You or a random over worked taxi driver?

[RedTerrano]

Let's see now. I have survived to live the tale for:

1. In Apr 93, I was riding my bullet, and was on the verge of merging onto the highway, when this dude came running from behind a truck which was parked on the left corner. Being too busy monitoring the oncoming traffic on my right, I noticed him too late and we collided. End result a police case and court appearances for thirteen years. Took me that much to prove to the court that it was not fully my fault (truck parked on left, dude appearing from behind truck), and I had done everything which I could possibly do (immediately stopped to help him, took him to the hospital, paid for his medical treatment)
   
   
   
2. Another time, another place. I had just about started to overtake a PMT bus when an old lady spat from the window, which landed right on my helmet visor. Her tobacco stained fluid totally obliterated my vision momentarily and I was very fortunate to not hit the divider or get hit by vehicle behind me.
   
   
3. Fast forward circa 2006. Driving on highway en route to Hinjewadi on my brand new WagonR. Back then there was hardly 10% traffic compared to today and you could really enjoy a fast drive. I must have been doing ~80 in top gear when suddenly I lost power and the engine revved up like a screaming banshee. The gearbox had shifted on it's own to neutral! I just missed getting rammed by the vehicle behind me by inches. Turned out this was a known issue with the WagonR. In fact this was even mentioned in black and white in their "Welcome magazine"
   
   
4. Almost collided with a moron astride a two wheeler, coming from the wrong side, in the right hand lane. This happened twice on the Pune Goa highway.
   
   
5. Almost ran into the back of a tractor hauling multiple tractors over loaded with sugar cane. The overflowing sugarcane had obliterated any tail lamps or reflectors if they existed in the first place.
   
   
6. On my way to Nagpur early morning, I noticed a biker with a kid riding pillion on the edge of the highway. I was still at a distance and just to ensure he knew I would be passing him in the next few seconds, I tooted my horn. To my horror, instead of ignoring me / checking his mirrors, he turned his head back, and in the process, lost his line and his bike drifted right. Managed to avoid hitting him by a mere few inches.
   
   
7. Almost collided with a gypsy full of police armed with automatic weapons in Assam, who had come to a dead stop on a blind curve on the highway. All gory details documented here https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ml#post4493461 (To escape in-laws, I became an outlaw and fled to the waiting arms of the 7 sisters…and their cousin)
   
   

Moral of the story: Sh*t happens. This is India. Do not deprive yourself of the joy of driving. Take as may precautions as you can (more alert, sensible speeds) and leave the rest in the hands of God.

[clevermax]

I am wondering, how can one ever thing about quitting driving! If location is a problem, change location! One of the reasons I moved from Bangalore was that I couldn't enjoy driving because of the terrible situation with traffic, especially the weekends.

For me, sitting behind the wheel & driving is the best part of my day. It never gets boring, it never gets me tiring. It is extremely enjoyable.

Sharing my recent dashcam video of Ponmudi Hill Climb.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjAp...ature=youtu.be

Originally Posted by vb-san

This is one key aspect. When I go to Kerala, there are only two instances where I sit in the car as a passenger - airport to home and then back to airport. All other times I prefer to drive; not that I am a super-expert driver, but I trust myself more than an unknown driver on our roads.

Exactly my thoughts too. Many taxi drivers are not quite safe drivers. I trust myself as a driver way more than most taxi drivers.

[Kosfactor]

Driving as a necessity vs driving for recreation - see which one motivates you more, if there is some other hobby associated with driving - say you like traveling or photography and needs to go places, that should motivate you to continue driving.

Change the car? Get a Jeep , explore some open top offroad fun, you can go slow and yet look super cool.

We have miles to go before we retire my friend, keep on driving.