[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

OT: Your last post? So you found a good quality rope already?

Ha ha atleast someone got the point.

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

You have a point but if you read my earlier post I specifically stated an empty road free from obstruction. In any case, our thread originator seems NOW to have learned something. You can tell that from the title and tone of his opening post. Are you going to tell me that you have not taken a calculated risk on a safe, empty public road? We have all done it, I think. Some of us learn to be more careful, some do not.

There are no empty public roads. A public road may be empty now and not in the next moment. You have no control over whether someone will enter the road at the next blind curve. That's where a race track and the controlled environment comes into picture. (I've never driven on a race track though.)

Regarding the calculated risk you mentioned, sometimes others get involved in this risk taking without their knowledge. That's when the risk taking becomes un-acceptable.

Excuse my preaching. I'm no great and i've my own list of stupidities...but i hate to see the innocent get hurt (ok, nobody got hurt here.) because of some bad calculation by sensible / educated drivers.

[Shan2nu]

all I wanted was to overtake them with the existing momentum and move on - something you and me would have done countless times in city traffic albeit at lower speeds. Now I know that it can be dangerous and stand corrected.

Yeah i can understand, people tend to get carried away at times. I rem the first time i hit 185kmph on my car and tried to overtake a truck. The car got sucked towards the truck the moment i got inline with it and got pushed away as soon as i overtook it. These are things that you don't really expect until it happens.

So every time i overtake a heavy vehicle, i slow down, leave enough room between me n the truck and be prepared to make steering adjustments incase i expereince the pull/push.

More than track days we need to have sessions on defensive driving and hands on experience with what to do and what not to do at high speeds and under various driving conditions. Once you get used to putting yourself through these tests, you stand a much better chance of surviving a real case scenario.

Shan2nu

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by Shan2nu

Yeah i can understand, people tend to get carried away at times. I rem the first time i hit 185kmph on my car and tried to overtake a truck. The car got sucked towards the truck the moment i got inline with it and got pushed away as soon as i overtook it. These are things that you don't really expect until it happens.

Why do we need to perform such manuvers to prove what? How in the world is overtaking lorries at 185 kmph on Indian Public road teach me anything. And you say you didnt expect it to happen? I travel on highways a lot and i lower my speed to acceptable levels get a fair view of the road and the vehicle in front and then i overtake. I am not in such a big hurry or i am no race track specialist that i need to see "what happens?". When are we going to learn. Knowingly taking a vehicle to the limit and then discussing why it gave way dosent make sens to me.

Originally Posted by Shan2nu

So every time i overtake a heavy vehicle, i slow down, leave enough room between me n the truck and be prepared to make steering adjustments incase i expereince the pull/push.

Is it all about the pull/push what if the lorry driver suddenly turns without a signal. Or a kid jumps out of the median. There could be too many factors. The next thing i will be told is "Do you want us to totally stop driving" and that statment will prove that stupidity still reigns supreme over commonsense.

Originally Posted by Shan2nu

More than track days we need to have sessions on defensive driving and hands on experience with what to do and what not to do at high speeds and under various driving conditions. Once you get used to putting yourself through these tests, you stand a much better chance of surviving a real case scenario.

Track days are NOT for knowing "how i can safely drive my car at 160kmph on public roads".

[spadival]

SB, first things first, Get yourself a good set of tyres. Doing 130 on stock tyres inside city limits is almost criminally insane !!

My tyres stick like glue on to the road surface, even while cornering @ 80kmph. BTW, I never exceed 80-90 kmph within city limits, regardless of the road conditions or the traffic conditions.

[hrag]

If you were going from TIDEL towards Madhya Kailash, there is a slight bump on the road on the RHS lane somewhere near the turn off to Modern Bakery. There used to be an opening in the median initially and it was then sealed. Which means the road at that point in the RHS lane is not exactly smooth.

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Track days are NOT for knowing "how i can safely drive my car at 160kmph on public roads".

Thank God...Cricket is still the most popular sport here and NOT rallying.
Imagine all of them driving to office / going to drop the kid at school in the morning traffic.

[Technocrat]

@SB: You reminded me of my Baleno Test drive almost 7-8 years back. It swerved like a boat & Showroom guy who was seating behind had told me how good it handles just a few minutes before the incident. Also just like I had thoughts like "Damn am gonna crasha 8L car & my dad will screw me" but nothing happened.

Nice to know nothing happened in your case as well

[DirtyDan]

Spitfire,

If you are going to hang yourself can I have your Classic?

DirtyDan

[Spitfire]

@ DirtyDan: My will says i should be cremated with the Classic and the RD350

[Shan2nu]

@SB: You reminded me of my Baleno Test drive almost 7-8 years back. It swerved like a boat & Showroom guy who was seating behind had told me how good it handles just a few minutes before the incident. Also just like I had thoughts like "Damn am gonna crasha 8L car & my dad will screw me" but nothing happened.

Nice to know nothing happened in your case as well

Ah those showroom buggers, they'l tell you everything the car is not. Hehe

Shan2nu

[Technocrat]

LOL After this scary incident I looked at that guy in RVM he was pale & to add some spice I mumbled(I was scared too so could speak loudly) "Yea handling kafi accha hai" Poor soul didnt utter a word

I basically had a few cylce guys in front of me to save whom I sverevd but I had not idea about the speeds I was doing But when I had to counter balance my move I realised I was at 120 & had to do a few more lefts & right counter moves to stablise the car. But it was fun :P

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by Shan2nu

Instead of all these late night stunts. Why don't you take your car for track days (considering the fact that there's one just 30kms from the city).

I do go to the track days and have taken my car once on track too. But after a spin with the FISSME and my car, I did not find it much fun to just keep going round and round the track, handling the curves etc (which most people seem to love).

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

...... I thought you would be enjoying fatherhood these days ...

Exactly what I was doing all the previous weekends, but last weekend I had to stay back at Chennai due to work. And so...

Originally Posted by Spitfire

PS: Stick a small picture of your family in your field of vision on the windscreen so that it does not obstruct your view but is always in your sight. See how it helps us drive safely.

After this, I dont think it would be needed. The thought of the incident itself helps.

Originally Posted by quicksilver

From what I read, SB had taken precautions, but pushed his car a bit further than he should have and got lucky. It happens to all of us.

Yes, my idea was not reckless driving. If that was the case, I didn't have to drive 11km (one-way) to reach this place and check out my car. I could have as well done it on the road to this place. Still, it being a public road, and inspite of the precautions I took, if you go strictly by the rules (its another matter that for each km of normal driving we do, we are breaking atleast a dozen rules, knowingly or unknowingly), it was wrong.

Originally Posted by quicksilver

He is at least man enough to accept his mistakes and also discuss it on the forum so others be aware. Why don't we look at it this way? If at least one member learns from this, isn't that a good enough reason for the post?

Actually it was tough to post it here, knowing the comments that would fly back and forth. Infact the very next day, I was with chennai tbhp-ians from 4PM to 7PM and it was only at the fag end of our meet that I could bring myself to tell them about this incident. As you said, if someone learns something from this experience, it is good enough.

Originally Posted by quicksilver

I, for one, am going to drive home slow tonight because I read this post.

Actually I did slow down yesterday, and abnormally so. After the Friday thing, I took the car out only yesterday (to work) and my whole driving style has changed - there is some fear which makes me hesitate for even normal stuff. I just hope this is temporary.

Originally Posted by tifosikrishna

SB, i am sure you have realized the downside of such an action, and in the process also helped few others understand the grave dangers of acts of such irrational exuberance.

Sure, I did. And if it helps someone out there, that would be a bonus.

Originally Posted by hrag

If you were going from TIDEL towards Madhya Kailash, there is a slight bump on the road on the RHS lane somewhere near the turn off to Modern Bakery. There used to be an opening in the median initially and it was then sealed. Which means the road at that point in the RHS lane is not exactly smooth.

You are right about that uneven patch. If I remember right, I swerved to the left lane before reaching this place. I could be wrong too, in which case, that patch could have also had something to do with this.

Originally Posted by Technocrat

You reminded me of my Baleno Test drive almost 7-8 years back. It swerved like a boat ...

Actually this was more like a boat in rough sea.

[skandyhere]

Originally Posted by Shan2nu

More than track days we need to have sessions on defensive driving and hands on experience with what to do and what not to do at high speeds and under various driving conditions. Once you get used to putting yourself through these tests, you stand a much better chance of surviving a real case scenario.

Absolutely not. We need not learn how and what to do at 'high speeds' under any conditions. For once, let the mind override the adrenaline, and tell me if you still believe it makes ANY sense to do high speeds.

Without the speed, life may not excite us perhaps, but if you're the one who believes in enjoying an insanely profligate short life (short, due to that very profligacy) rather than living a sober, boring long life, there's no argument I can put forth. No offense meant; I don't mean to sound that way, but why is everyone TRYING to justify speed all the time?

Speeding is wrong. Or is it?

[skandyhere]

But I really appreciate SB's candid narration.

It needs to be repeatedly hammered into young drivers (myself very well being one of them) that it's 'in fashion, and will always remain to be' to slow down and learn to enjoy the finer aspects of driving. Whoever thinks driving at less than crazy speeds can't be fun hasn't bonded well enough with his car.

The problem with us all is the attempt to push the definition of 'crazy speeds' quoting 'safe' conditions. I'm no saint; I have erred too, but I feel it's useful to acknowledge what's right and what's not.