[amit_mechengg]

Seriously the difference between Pune mumbai travel @ 120kmph and that @ 80kmph is just 10-15 minutes.
Why are people crying that they want freedom and speed more like european countries where the vehicles are forced to be maintained properly, roads are good, tyres are good and almost everything is ideal.

We have seen so many deaths on Expressway due to vehicles jumping from pune going road to mumbai going road and banging on a oncoming vehicle.

Heavy vehicles are uncontrollable above 80kmph due to excessive loads. Car drivers too sleep off even at 100kmph and go haywire.

Its a good initiative that Govt is fining the expressway speeders.

[honeybee]

Amit, I think a majority of us would also like better enforcement of traffic rules to make the journey safer. Increasing the speed limit was IMO a suggestion and not a cry.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by amit_mechengg

Seriously the difference between Pune mumbai travel @ 120kmph and that @ 80kmph is just 10-15 minutes.
Why are people crying that they want freedom and speed more like european countries where the vehicles are forced to be maintained properly, roads are good, tyres are good and almost everything is ideal.

We have seen so many deaths on Expressway due to vehicles jumping from pune going road to mumbai going road and banging on a oncoming vehicle.

Heavy vehicles are uncontrollable above 80kmph due to excessive loads. Car drivers too sleep off even at 100kmph and go haywire.

Its a good initiative that Govt is fining the expressway speeders.

You should know somethings about human characteristics which explain all this:
1. I am highly selfish and greedy (so why should I care about the impact of my action on others)
2. I am always in an irrational hurry (not just in traffic, but everything in life)
3. I can never be wrong, neither those in my close relationship
4. I always accuse others of being idiot (despite me doing the same - see the next point)
5. The rule is always flexible for me ( "इतना तो चलता है" )

Then there will be people who will say "we have bought an F1 car which is capable of doing 250 kmph safely, why do you want our F1 to be driven at 80 kmph simply because of a lorry that cannot be safe even at 80 kmph."

[amit_mechengg]

Originally Posted by alpha1

Then there will be people who will say "we have bought an F1 car which is capable of doing 250 kmph safely, why do you want our F1 to be driven at 80 kmph simply because of a lorry that cannot be safe even at 80 kmph."

Also because on indian roads even your F1 car doing 250kmph can fly off anywhere and bang on the lorry.

Also with lorries driving in almost all lanes how do you expect to drive @ 250kmph safely?

A human characteristics also includes :
Intelligene - if he doesnt use it, all is in vain.

[sgiitk]

I may not like the 100kph limit, but I think given the current status of our roads, cars and driving, it is Ok. when I was in the UK in 1989-91 BeNeLux had a 100kph limit. Also, on an expressway you can maintain near top speeds for extended periods of time, so you should be able to average about 80% of the limit.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by alpha1

You should know somethings about human characteristics which explain all this:
1. I am highly selfish and greedy (so why should I care about the impact of my action on others)
2. I am always in an irrational hurry (not just in traffic, but everything in life)
3. I can never be wrong, neither those in my close relationship
4. I always accuse others of being idiot (despite me doing the same - see the next point)
5. The rule is always flexible for me ( "इतना तो चलता है" )

Then there will be people who will say "we have bought an F1 car which is capable of doing 250 kmph safely, why do you want our F1 to be driven at 80 kmph simply because of a lorry that cannot be safe even at 80 kmph."

More than human nature, i am ashamed and sorry to say, this is perfect Indian nature. We cannot live as a civilized society, even when equal we all need to be 'above' equal. Thats why we see what we see happening around us.
Read the statements made by our own forum members. Why is that small car owner speeding unsafely at 100kmph, versus I can easily mantain 180kmph on my big car and so on and so forth.
No use of discussing any advances in traffic management or control unless we collectively and conciously change our behaviour towards others.

[sa_kiran]

Originally Posted by amit_mechengg

Seriously the difference between Pune mumbai travel @ 120kmph and that @ 80kmph is just 10-15 minutes.
Why are people crying that they want freedom and speed more like european countries where the vehicles are forced to be maintained properly, roads are good, tyres are good and almost everything is ideal.

We have seen so many deaths on Expressway due to vehicles jumping from pune going road to mumbai going road and banging on a oncoming vehicle.

Heavy vehicles are uncontrollable above 80kmph due to excessive loads. Car drivers too sleep off even at 100kmph and go haywire.

Its a good initiative that Govt is fining the expressway speeders.

There are many aspects to accidents than just speed. Most of the accidents are caused by negligent drivers and unfit vehicles. People at toll booths should not allow unfit vehicles. They don't do it because they lose revenue. THEY ARE PUTTING OTHER PEOPLE AT RISK.

Well, this applies to all roads, not just expressways. As a first step, insurance companies should refuse to pay insurance amount when the vehicles are unfit or overloaded.

[amit_mechengg]

Originally Posted by sa_kiran

There are many aspects to accidents than just speed. Most of the accidents are caused by negligent drivers and unfit vehicles. People at toll booths should not allow unfit vehicles. They don't do it because they lose revenue. THEY ARE PUTTING OTHER PEOPLE AT RISK.

Well, this applies to all roads, not just expressways. As a first step, insurance companies should refuse to pay insurance amount when the vehicles are unfit or overloaded.

Speed, negligent drivers, unfit vehicles, stressed drivers, sleepy drivers etc etc are the causes i agree.

But all govt can do period is control the Speed and unfit vehicles.

Just imagine a combination of speed + negligent driver. If speed is in control many things related to driving error can be controlled and vice versa the driving errors magnify multifolds with increase in speeds.

80kmph for a lorry or bus is too much compared to that on a car. 100kmph and you are maxing out the limit of heavy vehicle with load.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by sa_kiran

There are many aspects to accidents than just speed. Most of the accidents are caused by negligent drivers and unfit vehicles. People at toll booths should not allow unfit vehicles. They don't do it because they lose revenue. THEY ARE PUTTING OTHER PEOPLE AT RISK.

Well, this applies to all roads, not just expressways. As a first step, insurance companies should refuse to pay insurance amount when the vehicles are unfit or overloaded.

The no.1 cause is driver's overconfidence.
Overconfidence while over speeding.
Overconfidence on their vehicle's abilities at high speeds.
Overconfidence on their own ability at high speeds.

Allowing unfit vehicles on expressway is a plain crime by Expressway authorities. However, there is no quick way of determining the road-worthiness of a vehicle.
Nevertheless, this is no reason to brush aside this second most important cause of accidents.

[normally_crazy]

I drove to Lonavala and back yesterday. I really don't know whether this scheme of the cops checking the timing and fining motorists has actually struck some fear into the drivers on the expressway but what I saw was that the drivers were pretty much keeping under 100 kmph. A couple of stray ones were speeding above 120 kmph but then 99% of the cars were being driven under 100 kmph.

[Mr.Beat]

It's a good initiavtive by the Government. However, there are many more serious issues which could be done to aviod accidents. Coming back to the topic, i take the eway almost every weekend and i can vouch for the fact that most cars drive at speeds higher than the stable limit for it. I mostly refuel at the COCO HP fuel pump after the Khalapur toll ( Fuel is cheaper by a rupee!) and hence take about an hour to reach the 2nd toll depending on the traffic at the pump.

[EagleEye]

Read this old but interesting article:
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repos...sh-skin-custom

I completely agree with the opinions mentioned in it; speed is definitely not the reason for there being so many accidents on the e-way. If they found and fined all trucks moving on the middle/fast lane (I mean the right lane - who am I kidding), then the number of accidents would go down drastically. Also like somebody has said in this thread, there should be a minimum speed imposed on the road.

I mean, c'mon - what's the point of there being such a good road if one is not allowed to go at at least 120 kmph on it? (Ok.. I'm ducking already)
I do agree that anything above 140 kmph anywhere in India is dangerous though.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by EagleEye

I mean, c'mon - what's the point of there being such a good road if one is not allowed to go at at least 120 kmph on it? (Ok.. I'm ducking already)
I do agree that anything above 140 kmph anywhere in India is dangerous though.

IMO the good road is made to transport goods and people smoothly and accident free from Mumbai to Pune and vice versa, not for speeding at 120kmph or y kmph.
Example: For you 120 feels safe, may be for me 180 feels safe, how can you put a blanket statement as above?
Good roads also require good road manners, period. I will agree to higher speed limits provided, all road users on average can mantain that posted speed comfortably. What is my personal comfortable speed limit is immaterial here.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by EagleEye

I mean, c'mon - what's the point of there being such a good road if one is not allowed to go at at least 120 kmph on it? (Ok.. I'm ducking already)
I do agree that anything above 140 kmph anywhere in India is dangerous though.

In fact, *sarcasm on* my BMW M3 can easily do 200 kmph pretty safely. I've driven 100 times without even a minor accident.
I don't know why I have to follow this wretched revised speed limit of 140 kmph proposed by pedestrian Indians for their equally pedestrian jalopies and lorries. Its these slow lorrywallas that are the cause of each and every accident which happens on the e-way!
We should have a specific speed limit for each type of vehicles.
M3 should get a speed limit of 200 kmph, trucks should be limited to 20 kmph.
*sarcasm off*

See, this is exactly what I was talking about when I cited F1 example.

[sukhoi30]

Originally Posted by alpha1

In fact, *sarcasm on* my BMW M3 can easily do 200 kmph pretty safely. I've driven 100 times without even a minor accident.
I don't know why I have to follow this wretched revised speed limit of 140 kmph proposed by pedestrian Indians for their equally pedestrian jalopies and lorries. Its these slow lorrywallas that are the cause of each and every accident which happens on the e-way!
We should have a specific speed limit for each type of vehicles.
M3 should get a speed limit of 200 kmph, trucks should be limited to 20 kmph.
*sarcasm off*

See, this is exactly what I was talking about when I cited F1 example.

There is a point to your argument. And I agree to an extent that if you have good performing vehicle then why can't you "perform" it. See, the problem here is that there are many other vehicles here that are being driven by morons in the same speed as your BMW M3. I have seen simple vehicles like Indica, Bolero, Trax and sometimes even nano being driven over 120 kmph. The brake response of such vehicles and the stability of these type of vehicles at such speeds are way different from high end BMW. That is what causes such accidents. Overspeeding on vehicles which cannot be controlled at such speeds. I am not even going into other parameters like tyre bursts, engine heat up etc. which are common side effects of over speeding.
Abroad, you have different speed lanes and then there are different speed limits at different stretches (and this is monitored and maintained scientifically). But obviously this can't be implemented here. So, the easy thing to do is set a blanket speed limit of 80 kmph which applies to all vehicles however impractical and useless it may sound.
Maybe, the auto companies should be asked to set speed limit of the vehicles according to their stability/control factor at the time of manufacturing iteself.