[xsrahul]

Hi all,

My learnings from 25 years of 2 wheeler and almost 20 years of 4 wheeler driving totalling up to almost 300k kms across the country.

I will skip some repetitive points already covered.

1. Avoid night driving unless absolutely necessary. If necessary, follow a pilot car from a distance making sure your headlights are not bothering him. Of course this is for highways and especially lesser known highways.

2. Defensive driving. Period.

3. SMILE and forgive (DO NOT CURSE, it spoils the mood and the drive for all parties involved)

4. 20mins late is better than ‘Late Mr.’ Speeding isn’t worth it especially on our road surfaces. (Mumbai/Maharashtra - I am looking at you)

5. Whatever calms you and helps enjoy the drive. Music, chit chat

6. Rest well before and after the drive.

7. Eat light and cut down on sugar - especially on the highways. You wouldn’t believe how it impacts.

8. My mantra - Learn from others experience (including this forum members which is why I post less and read more). Life is too short to make all mistakes oneself.

9. And lastly Share the love - care for the one who is speeding and give him the right of way. Maybe you don’t know but he/she is in an emergency. Assume the worst.

Oh yes, almost missed another - park the phone

Thanks and happy mile munching Bhp’ians

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

If you are a man, and spot a woman fallen from her vehicle, do not attempt to physically help her unless you are accompanied by a woman, or there are more people on the scene.

Did you adopt this policy because of any bad experience on the road? And what was the story, if you don't mind sharing? Because normally we would help when needed.

[Mustang_Boss]

The lessons i learned are as follows.

- Maintain your car mechanically Fit. It really pays off.

- Try to do some coasting and try to use engine breaking for your advantage. its too efficient and safe. Helps a lot in FE & engine not working too hard on those long drives.

- Always carry more water than you drink and a coke [Cafene]. Eat light before and do not eat till you reach your destination. [assuming you do some night driving.]

- Know how to use the headlight leveler as per different conditions. You don't need an upgrade. You need to use the Headlight leveler according to your speed and road conditions.

- If the lighting is not sufficient, Stop and clean the headlights. This often gives you ~20-30% additional lighting. [dusty & moist conditions + those who don't wash their cars ]

- Always ensure the angle your knees make is more than 45 Degrees. Keep stretching your legs (one at a time), when the roads are clear.

- Always drive with windows rolled up. Don't expose to outside air during day time, if you are on a long drive.

- Clean the air filter before you start. This helps your engine run smoother & efficient.

- Start with a full Tank, from a reputed pump you use often. Do not depend on the quality from the pumps on the highway. Have 2-3 psi more, as its a long drive.

- Carry the second key somewhere in your backpack. You never know, when you might need it.

- Relaxed cruising is the key to reach destination safely. Few minutes late shouldn't be an issue. If its an issue to reach on time, then don't drive.

- Do not take the vehicle off the road, not even by an inch on highway. Unless you are sure and there are some people using those side roads. Always park in safe place. Never park before/after a turn or near bridges.

[adrift@life]

I have realized something on my past behavior. Having a dashcam does not mean you are entitled to road fights. you can always be in the right and people will still not accept they are in the wrong, despite the dashcam. threads on T-BHP have caused one too many epiphany for me. The only situation you can be helped by the footage is a court of law provided that the recording is admissible, based on various factors. But do you want to go to court over street fights, do you have the time, energy and will to navigate the indian penal system?. Treat a dashcam as insurance and hope you never need it. My 2 cents.
Happy motoring.

[Tucker48]

One of many things I learnt about is the Blind Spot of heavier vehicles and the Blind spot they create for us while crossing or turning from the junctions. In the latter case, it's best to slow/stop if the heavier vehicle is slowing or stopping.

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

Did you adopt this policy because of any bad experience on the road? And what was the story, if you don't mind sharing? Because normally we would help when needed.

#1
Location: Mitramandal to Sarasbag Patch
Circa 1990
I was riding my two wheeler when a lady in front of me fell down from her Luna. Her dupatta had got wound around the chain sprocket causing the accident. I immediately pulled over, and noticing the dupatta which was also wrapped around her neck was almost strangling her, rushed forward to assist.
Her reaction: Don't touch me!
Her tone was extremely insulting, indicating, I might offend her modesty or worse. I immediately stopped myself, and mentally telling her to F.O. happily drove away.

#2
Location: Balbharti
Circa 2000
One of my lady friends was driving home late night from work. Noticing a college aged girl sitting on the footpath, with her bike fallen over, she stopped to enquire. The moment she got out of the car, some dudes who had been lurking in the shadows rushed forward and started to threaten her while the girl got up and took out my friend's laptop out of her car. Fortunately disaster was averted as a police vehicle appeared on the other side of the road. Immediately the whole gang fled and my friend shouted to the cops for help. Unfortunately she was unable to recall the bike's number. She did go to the police station and register a complaint, but as far as I know, there have been no arrests yet.
Apparently this was not the first incident in that area, and the friendly cop told my friend to never stop and get out of the car, but to call the authorities on the phone instead.

#3
Recent news (numerous) To cite a few:
Rohtak "brave hearts"
Jasleen Kaur incident in Delhi

In both cases, the ladies who accused the male were proven to be false. The male's lives were ruined, no legal consequences for the ladies.
Check out Deepika Narayan Bharadwaj's social media account for what can happen in real life. It will shock you.

https://twitter.com/DeepikaBhardwaj

[am1m]

On the highway, a steady speed that doesn't stress you out will get to you to your destination at the same time and fresher than continuously 'jackrabbiting' - accelerating to high speeds for a short while, hard braking, swerving and overtaking- all useless.

Always let the jackrabbiting/honking idiots overtake- a moron ahead of you is safer (for you) than a moron behind you.

The horn is useless in the city. Lots of people will tell you otherwise, but honking won't make your city commute faster or safer. It just adds stress to you and everyone around you.

It's just a car/bike- no point getting stressed about scratches, dings, etc.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by KebabBoi

Handbrake is your friend

Not just on inclines. But also on plains. Any wait more than 10 seconds. I trust the handbrake over my right foot.

Originally Posted by Mustang_Boss

Try to do some coasting and try to use engine breaking for your advantage. its too efficient and safe. Helps a lot in FE & engine not working too hard on those long drives.

Don't do that! It is something our parents generation did on inefficient engines on lot more empty roads. It is simply not worth in modern day road entropy. The job of the vehicle is to protect you, not the other way around.

[Raghu M]

My motto and the lesson that I have learned over and over is - start early, drive slowly, reach safely. I never floor my accelerator. I am a very sober driver. I follow the below without fail.

1. Have at least 50 meters full visibility on highways (no blind spots between trucks, so never drive between them)
2. When on the highway during a bend, never take the right most lane. You can never anticipate that cattle or a wrong side tractor. So, I always keep the left lane to have full visibility
3. I look at my RVMs every 3 to 5 secs
4. When someone is trying to overtake and is being rash, let them pass. There is no point in fighting a rash driver. Keep your calm and drive on
5. I never drive after 6:30 PM. I think the visibility when compared to mornings is less than 30%. There are too many risks involved. So, I avoid night driving

There are multiple other things but I learnt the above through experience and after a few years behind the wheel.

[fiat_tarun]

I think most of the changes to my driving style and outlook have happened with time as one grows older. From fast acceleration to top speeds and darting into every gap, I am now focussed on a smooth drive.

I have reaslised that crusing at 140kmph is not going to get you to your destination significantly faster than maintaining a 100-120kmph speed, but the risk factor is much much higher and not worth it. You also get better mileage and save some money !

I anticipate movement and brake early & lightly rather than accelerate to cut the person off, don't get irritated if somone cuts me off and try to remain as calm as possible (not easy all the time but getting there !). All this while still driving at a good pace and not 'slowly' by any means.

A recent trip to Germany where I got to drive around for ~1400 km also gave me a lot of perpective and has further made me calmer on our roads. I LOVED how organised the traffic was and how everyone respects the other on the road. To bring sanity to our roads we need everyone to participate which I personally do not see happenning (probably ever!), so why go through the trouble of getting stressed about it.

A smooth driving style also keeps the car healthy. I am on my stock brake pads at 60k km and I was told at my last service they have quite some life left too !

[Capri89]

Originally Posted by adrift@life

I have realized something on my past behavior. Having a dashcam does not mean you are entitled to road fights. you can always be in the right and people will still not accept they are in the wrong, despite the dashcam. threads on T-BHP have caused one too many epiphany for me. The only situation you can be helped by the footage is a court of law provided that the recording is admissible, based on various factors. But do you want to go to court over street fights, do you have the time, energy and will to navigate the indian penal system?. Treat a dashcam as insurance and hope you never need it. My 2 cents.
Happy motoring.

Fully agree. See following from my dash cam.

https://youtu.be/WxtKkQ45yIo

[Mustang_Boss]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Don't do that! It is something our parents generation did on inefficient engines on lot more empty roads. It is simply not worth in modern day road entropy. The job of the vehicle is to protect you, not the other way around.

You do coasting in gear. Not in Neutral. Again this depends, if you see some traffic ahead, you let accelerator off and let the automobile slow down by the time you catchup those ahead of you.

[sse]

Things I learnt ( skipping relevant points already mentioned ) are -

1. Plan for your journey ( If unknown routes )

Invest time to know your route. If it’s within city limits, be aware of traffic limitations or diversions. If maps show you 30 minutes to reach destination, give a leeway of 25%. Try to know about parking spots near your destination if it does not have one or you are not aware of it.

2. Use Alternate Routes in Maps if required

Never trust Google Maps completely. Always look at alternate routes Google Maps provides. Sometimes, the alternate routes ( longer routes ) are less traffic prone or have a moving traffic rather than a jam!

3. Know your Fuel Efficiency

If your Distance to Empty shows less than 150 kms, fuel up. Never leave it to last minute to avoid anxiety. You never know when you’d come up with an emergency.

4. Use your Indicators

Use your indicators while turning. It’s okay to skip the turn if you have to jump lanes suddenly. You can always find your way around.

5. Be Patient

Everyone is a human being, have compassion. Give way for others, even if they are breaking rules. Be patient. Nothing is worth more than extra couple of minutes in your life while driving. Be very careful of blind spots during turn.

6. Stay off your phone

Even if it’s handsfree, try to avoid. If you are a solo driving using phone for maps, get a mobile holder or use infotainment.

[Harjot37]

Things learnt later (rather, with experience):
1. What to do in the event of an accident- Try staying CALM. Having a dashcam is a plus. Other than that, accept that such things happen, and try moving on. It may take a psychological toll on you, but remember that driving is a skill- don't give it up!
2. Maneuvering cars in large puddles and strong winds at high speeds- Honestly, driving schools should teach this, too. While windy conditions might be difficult, rather impossible, to simulate, puddles can be made rather easily. Who knows, one day it may save your life!

[Gummybear]

There were a couple of things I learnt when I used self-drive rentals in Malaysia:

1. Right of the way, especially at the T-section and roundabout. We really don't need signals at every nook and corner, if people know and follow who's right is it to go first.

2. Humanity on the road: I saw a guy in BMW 7 series, coming out of his car in heavy rain to give a push to a moped, which got stalled in the middle of an uphill road.