[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by honeybee

How many people here actually know the traffic rules? Whether they follow them or not is another question.
Agreed, not many of us know the traffic rules but can atleast read the speed limits signs puts all through the expressways. But still we would like to ignore the same and put to test the speed limits of our vehicles

So if the speed limit on the expressway is 80kmph, and you find a car in the rightmost lane going at 80kmph, what right do you have to flash your lights or honk and tailgate the car so you can zoom past, when you are breaking the law and the guy in front isn't?
Last weekend when returning back from Pune, I saw a race between the MSRTC vovlo and Neeta Volvo in the 2nd and last lanes. Luckily they raced in the straight paths. Imagine the same happening on the curves? Now if you were to get stuck between either of them the only option I feel is to push the pedal and zoom past them till I am in safe area and then retract back to the speed limits.

I agree private vehicle owners are soft targets for overspeeding offences, but that doesn't absolve us of the duty to follow the traffic rules. Simply pointing fingers at other vehicles breaking the rules doesn't justify your breaking the rule.
Rightly said

last weekend I could not locate a single patrol vehicle or the speed gun masters on the expressway. Even they have started getting casual about things happening.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by honeybee

So if the speed limit on the expressway is 80kmph, and you find a car in the rightmost lane going at 80kmph, what right do you have to flash your lights or honk and tailgate the car so you can zoom past, when you are breaking the law and the guy in front isn't?

That's where my earlier comments comes in. Right lane is not for anyone to hog. Use it only to overtake. Hanging to 80 kmph on right lane stating the speed limit is 80 doesn't mean one is correct. In USA if you try that gimmick, you'd get fined for holding up traffic.
But what ever said and done, flashing or honking or tailgating is very dangerous and drivers need to find ways of overtaking and not bully the vehicle in front.

I never keep on the right lane in the express way. That's where I find the rashest drivers fighting for their space at their speed.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

last weekend I could not locate a single patrol vehicle or the speed gun masters on the expressway. Even they have started getting casual about things happening.

I am not a frequent traveller on the expressway, but so far I haven't come across any squads doing speed checks. I have seen a few cops near the Panvel entry checking for seatbelts and such stuff, never any speed checks.

And yes, there are cops at the first Lonavala exit (from Mumbai to Pune), holding up all the traffic on the expressway. They need some lessons on traffic management seriously. And to top all the sh*t happening, last time I drove to Pune, near the first Lonavla exit I was trying to pass a truck from the extreme left lane, all the other lanes being hogged by trucks blocked by the parked vehicles near the exit. I met an Indica coming right back at me! Just imagine, this bozo driving on the wrong side of the road on the expressway at a busy place like this!!!

[MX6]

Originally Posted by honeybee

And to top all the sh*t happening, last time I drove to Pune, near the first Lonavla exit I was trying to pass a truck from the extreme left lane, all the other lanes being hogged by trucks blocked by the parked vehicles near the exit. I met an Indica coming right back at me! Just imagine, this bozo driving on the wrong side of the road on the expressway at a busy place like this!!!

Lol. That's the exact reason why trucks hog the middle and right lanes near the exit. Because there's a moron coming on the wrong side. That's why you should never overtake a truck on a hill, around a curve, near an exit from the left.
I once happened to meet an Autorickshaw taking a U-turn from the left most lane to the middle lane once you cross the entry point in to e-way after lonavla. He came directly on to me around the curve as I do most of the driving on the middle lane.
The stretch where the NH4 merges with the e-way is where one needs to look out for 2/3 wheelers and other vehicles taking u-turns or coming on wrong side.

[ajay2233]

I was once confronted by a cop on the East Coast Road (Chennai to Pondycherry) He just jumped into the lane with the speed gun.. I was just at 60kmph.. I very well know the speed gun is going to show 100 as they have shown in the past.. This time

I was in no mood to stop and started pumping the engine (My wallet was empty after a weekend at pondy). though it was not the right way to act,but I was in no mood to show him all papers as in any case these guys are going to rob me (though I did not have anything to give - Not even Bribe)....

Police men are better highway dacoits than the real dacoits....

I dont understand why the mark roads as expressways and stand with speed guns.. you have already looted me in the name of TOLL.
How long will the government collect toll? God only knows. As Far As I Know, ECR is well over 10 years old ....

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by MX6

Lol. That's the exact reason why trucks hog the middle and right lanes near the exit.

This has happened to me only once, so I am hoping it was just a stray incident. God save the guys who drive like this on an expressway!

And why the trucks hog the middle/right lanes? I believe they simply don't understand how to drive on the expressway. Specially in the evening and night time I have seen heavy vehicles lumbering at maybe 20-30kmph in all lanes, trying to overtake each other. Waste of everything.

[rah1735]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I have seen all kinds of vehicles hog the right lane. This includes Taxis, buses, trucks etc,.
Buses and trucks *sometimes* give way, but many times you have to overtake from left.
There are two choices. To be a save driver and go behind the truck at 50, or do a "zigzag" maneuver for overtaking heavy vehicles.

Then there are the hatchbacks, doing around 75-85 in the right lane, often slower(speed limit is 90).
To overtake them you have to speed beyond the speed limit, and overtaking a fast vehicle is tough on a highway. Again, you need to zig zag.

Last but not the least are ultra slow vehicles like tractors in the fast lane. They drive in the fast lane, and often against the traffic. None of them have any tail lights, and they carry iron rods too in many cases.

the the utopia of fast vehicle stick to right does not exist here. There is no policing for obstruction of traffic, hence you have the highways the way they are.
ITs not the speed that kills, its these idiotic drivers who make the highway a dangerous place and force others to zig zag

PS : I do 1000s of kilometers of highway driving every few weeks, and this scenario is universal in the country, whether its south or north.

You are perfectly right about the above scenarios and also I have found lot of bikes tractors trolleys ,trucks coming from opp side on your side of road and they often come in the right lane . I too am a frequent traveller and many times specially near satara, karad, kolhapur, I have found bikes SPEEDING on the right lane on the NH4 in the opp diection . If you say something to this people then they start abusing you .there is absolutely no discipline or education of basic safety norms to this village folks.sometimes when you are overtaking a bus or truck or a car who is travelling on the left lane you are suddenly faced with a tractor coming in the opp direction on your lane . there is no place to swerve and avoid as on your right is the divider and on your left the vehicle which you are trying to overtake .and in case you are trying to overtake two or more vehicles on the left hand side then there is absolutely no space to go.

There should be heavy fines {even imprisonment}to these fellows who travel in the wrong direction on the highway . the police should patrol and see that basic road discipline is enforced on our highways.

[honeybee]

I have seen drivers zigzagging amongst vehicles just because they have faster cars, or they want to show off their skills. Most modern SUVs rarely seem to follow any road manners, forget about the law. These guys will show off the impeccable road holding of their vehicles by swerving across lanes through the other vehicles and racing ahead no matter how. This often involves tailgating and light-flashing. Pests on the road.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by honeybee

I have seen drivers zigzagging amongst vehicles just because they have faster cars, or they want to show off their skills. Most modern SUVs rarely seem to follow any road manners, forget about the law. These guys will show off the impeccable road holding of their vehicles by swerving across lanes through the other vehicles and racing ahead no matter how. This often involves tailgating and light-flashing. Pests on the road.

True. The rich and famous youngsters do this on the Mumbai pune eway. I avoid friday eve and sunday eve driving on that stretch due to these morons.

[goandude]

Bumping up an old thread as there is news for mumbai pune expressway users here Speed demons on E-way will be made to pay 2.5K - The Times of India users gong above the speed limit of 80 kmph will be fined 2500/- This is due to a spate of accidents over the last few days. this morning news had a car catch fire after ramming into a tuck and killing the car driver,

[ghodlur]

Is the penalty of 2.5K enough considering the damage thats been done already. Why fine only the commuters when the patrol police are to be equally blamed for not doing their job. Rarely have I seen any patrol police doing rounds on the Pune Expressway. No speed guns, no surprise checks for lane discipline. How are commuters expected to follows the rules when we see the state owned buses flaunting them blatantly. Add to that 2 wheelers who drive freely without being punished inspite of being banned from using the e-way.

Suspending the licence IMO is the only way the discipline can be brought about.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by MX6

That's where my earlier comments comes in. Right lane is not for anyone to hog. Use it only to overtake. Hanging to 80 kmph on right lane stating the speed limit is 80 doesn't mean one is correct. In USA if you try that gimmick, you'd get fined for holding up traffic.

Not in my experience in the USA.
May be in Europe. Most Europeans follow the use the fastest lane only for overtaking, but Americans don't. It's the Europeans frequent complaint against American driving practice.

[rohit0103]

it seems the cops are checking the receipts of issuing time between the two Toll nakas. whatever be the distance (assuming 80 Kms), if the time diff between issuing and presenting the receipt is less than 1 hr, they are fining the motorists for over speeding. Now, there can be a lot of ifs and buts and even question on how can they fine for over speeding post facto (not in the Act itself), but this is the case.

So, please be careful.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by rohit0103

it seems the cops are checking the receipts of issuing time between the two Toll nakas. whatever be the distance (assuming 80 Kms), if the time diff between issuing and presenting the receipt is less than 1 hr, they are fining the motorists for over speeding. Now, there can be a lot of ifs and buts and even question on how can they fine for over speeding post facto (not in the Act itself), but this is the case.

So, please be careful.

Good idea by the police. The distance between the two toll booths is approx 55 kms. So covering 55 kms @80kmph should take 42 mins. Police are fining people if they cover that distance in less than 30 mins, which I believe means the vehicle is travelling at 110kmph.
This method is far safer than police standing with radar guns and taking risks trying to stop a fast moving car by jumping in front of them.

[dass]

Originally Posted by rohit0103

it seems the cops are checking the receipts of issuing time between the two Toll nakas. whatever be the distance (assuming 80 Kms), if the time diff between issuing and presenting the receipt is less than 1 hr, they are fining the motorists for over speeding. Now, there can be a lot of ifs and buts and even question on how can they fine for over speeding post facto (not in the Act itself), but this is the case.

So, please be careful.

This is a tried and tested method that the mumbai police are adopting now. If you have been to Tirupthi, then while you climb up the ghats to the temple, the receipt actually makes a mention of the minimum time it should take to reach the top and the maximum time too, just incase anyone decides to play traunt. It is a good method.