[bblost]

NH 5, stretch between nellore and ongole.

This is a four lane highway.
I am in the second lane from right, driving a Wagon R at about 120+

Guy on a bike with his wife as pillion, cuts from the third lane into mine.
I had already spotted him. Somehow when I see a guy, w/o helmet, chappals and knees jutting out from the tank.

I had enough space to hit my breaks and screech to a halt.
cussing under my breath at this idiot, I see him now move to the rightmost lane.
I want to almost kick that idiot because he now made a Safari screech the brakes.

They dont learn, ever!

[Rtech]

Huh? the light is green. What do you want the indica driver to do? Brake? The highway has four lanes. The Indica and NC were in the extreme right hand lane.

AN AUTORICKSHAW who decided he wanted to drive in the fast lane and cut across from the 4th lane at 45 degrees right into the path of the Indica.

read that again. How on earth can you lay the blame here on the Indica driver? He avoided a possible accident which would have been caused by a rick driver who really didn't give a damn about anyone else on the road expect himself. But according to you the Indica driver is a lousy driver because he locked his brakes to avoid an accident. I am truly confused here.

[anupmathur]

That is perhaps why roads are potentially dangerous places. Too many people with differing opinions and assessments of an ever-changing and very dynamic situation! (read too many ***holes!!)

[Rtech]

Totally agree anup.

[IronWolf]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

That is perhaps why roads are potentially dangerous places. Too many people with differing opinions and assessments of an ever-changing and very dynamic situation! (read too many ***holes!!)

Good point Anup. however I dont see any sensible reason why any vehicle should enter onto a highway (or anyother road) at 45degrees without checking oncoming traffic.

Abroad there is a sign called "Yield!" - Yield is for anyone who is getting on to a bigger/faster road. You have to respect the highway and give way for people following their lane discipline. You only get into a lane when you know that lane is free.

Doing otherwise is only going to cause accidents and loss of life.

For an Auto driver or any driver to move into a highway lane without checking and waiting means he is not applying his God given mind to understand that blocking a Fast moving object with a slower moving object will result in an accident.... If someone does not understand that.. then I am not sorry to say that he is Mentally Challenged (being "Socially Correct" as request)

[rks]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

Yesterday evening - 2045 hours , I hit the Eastern Express Highway from Mulund and was going towards Chembur. [...]
EDIT - the auto did not have headlights nor tail lights.

For those who are arguing that the Indica driver is at fault: please take a look at the last line of NC's post above.

If the auto driver had headlights and tail lights on (and preferably had indicators flashing too) then one could blame the Indica driver for not seeing the auto in his peripheral vision until it was almost too late.

But if the auto guy did not have any lights on, it would be very difficult for the Indica driver to have seen him until he came within the range of his headlights (at least if the road was not well lit), by which time he had no option but to step on his brakes.

[diabloo]

Nobody is telling that Indica driver is at fault. We are blaming him for not expecting such antics from an auto driver. Since they were starting off from the signal, Indica driver would have known the position of auto.

Few questions:
1. Did the auto overtake Indica from left and then cut into Indica's lane?
2. If the auto was in 3rd lane and cut into 4th lane, how could it do at 45 degrees? Can somebody control any vehicle if they change lane at 45 degrees?
3. Was the spot lit? (Mostly likely the road would have lit).

[anupmathur]

Ironwolf, here in India we too have a very old rule of 'YIELD' - on our many many round-abouts. How many people are aware of that one?
The problem is compounded by the fact of utter illiteracy to the point of being unlettered and yet, in this great nation, you can obtain a driver's license.

And anyway our driving tests are such a complete farce.

It is because of these ground realities and having grown up seeing every imaginable idiocy on our roads that we need to have our code for defensive driving.
This MUST include the umpteen instances we have each encountered of people turning without any prior indication. It does not matter to them which is the bigger or more important road - many actually don't know and don't care.

Is there need to bring in the abysmal policing that we are saddled with? Such idiots as that autowallah go unaccosted and completely unpunished. (Perhaps what they will learn from is a physical thrashing on the spot!).
Don't we all regularly get into near gridlocked situations? At any intersection where the signals are not working, there is a gridlock within seconds. And there you see people who are not mentally challenged but are major contributors to the jam.

Actually I do believe they are challenged. Nobody is going anywhere but still nobody is willing to yield or be orderly.
The simple fact that discipline will get us ALL there faster just does not penetrate their skulls! It's been going on like this for years and it's only getting worse.

I don't like it. Nor do I condone it. All I am saying we need to factor these realities into our strategy for defensive driving.


P.S. There are HUNDREDS of autos on Delhi roads without tail lights and almost that many without working headlamps.
Such has been the case for the last many years and I have tried to incorporate that into my driving strategy.

[diabloo]

One member here on the forum was brave enough to admit that he didn't know the significance of yellow-line on roads, even after driving many years. He learnt it when a police guy fined him for crossing that.
(No offense to the member, just trying to highlight the traffic education in India)
With such ignorance among general public, how do you expect traffic sense on roads?

Originally Posted by anupmathur

The problem is compounded by the fact of utter illiteracy to the point of being unlettered and yet, in this great nation, you can obtain a driver's license.

And anyway our driving tests are such a complete farce.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by diabloo

One member here on the forum was brave enough to admit that he didn't know the significance of yellow-line on roads, even after driving many years.

Genuine problem: should you blame that person or blame the system??

I live very near South Delhi's biggest Police Station. I routinely see police vehicles jumping traffic signals and cutting across yellow lines.

[rks]

Well, there is also another possibility that the Indica guy saw the auto, but decided to keep going, maybe flashing his headlights, in the belief that the auto guy would pull out. Maybe he tried to accelerate and beat the auto past the signal and realized at the last minute that he will not make it. This scenario is also suggested by the fact that the Indica driver cut into the fast lane from the 3rd as he accelerated. Was it because he saw the auto?

I have seen some Indica cabbies drive in this fashion; it is up to us to get out of their way, they will not budge an inch (as a matter of prestige). We will never know what actually happened.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by IronWolf

Abroad there is a sign called "Yield!" - Yield is for anyone who is getting on to a bigger/faster road. You have to respect the highway and give way for people following their lane discipline. You only get into a lane when you know that lane is free.

if these autos and cabs cant follow signals and no-parking signs we have high hopes of them following a yield sign.

diabloo - when your on a 4 lane highway you cant expect people to look around from autos and then keep their eyes on them thinking about what the autos can suddenly do. even if he had anticipated the auto he would have thought the auto would have cut across maybe 1 or 2 lanes. definitely not 4. and the fact that the auto guy was smirking shows it was his fault. i suggest we stop arguing about whose fault it was since everything points to the auto guy.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by rks

Well, there is also another possibility that the Indica guy saw the auto, but decided to keep going, maybe flashing his headlights, in the belief that the auto guy would pull out.
------

That is a possibility. In which case I'd again be inclined to hold him (Indica chap) guilty of poor judgement and putting many others in peril.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

~ i suggest we stop arguing about whose fault it was since everything points to the auto guy.

God forbid, but if you ram into an auto, I'll consider it deficiency on your part. You ought to KNOW what you are dealing with on our roads.

But you will have ONE dubious satisfaction, perhaps:

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

I have been lucky enough to flip an auto with my car . Not my fault though, the dude jumped the signal and I t-boned the rick.
I cherish every moment of it since then.

It is very interesting that NOBODY has asked yet if anyone in that rick was injured!
Is it because our 'sympathy' MUST lie with TBHP members?

[KVS]

Exactly similar incident happened day before yesterday. My driver was driving the car (Indica) towards Hinjawadi in pune in afternoon. There was no traffic on the road. Some six seater guy decided to take a U turn cut across the car. Our driver applied the brakes but it was too late. the Car hit the other vehicle. Bonnet got dented, Head lights broken. The Six seater guy did not even stop his vehicle he took U Turn and sped away.

My wife was getting late for a meeting so they did not go behind the vehicle.

The Rics and six seater fellows do not care for other vehicles on the roads. Many people are not aware of the basic rules. Even my driver drives the car like a BPO car. I keep educating him on safe driving. I guess it is very hard to UNLEARN.