[Thad E Ginathom]

Getting fined is not as hard a way to learn as hitting the windscreen with your head (and the steering wheel with your chest, dashboard with your knees, etc etc etc) but it is a much safer way to learn. You did right, but I wonder how many will just right off the fine to the bad luck of getting caught that day?

Anybody who doubts the value of seatbelts should look at the phptp in this post.

We habitual belt users are a tiny minority in a city where almost nobody wears, or is even interested in, seatbelts. Herculean task: how on earth will they enforce it? Will they check out rear-seat passengers? Will they include taxi drivers? "Flag-flying" vehicles? I certainly hope so.

[VW2010]

Though I had been driving for many years, I never used seat-belts till the TN Govt started enforcing it in 2003 or so. At that time the only motivation was to avoid being pulled over by the cops and paying a fine, but it soon became a habit and now is something that is default. So hopefully this time around also, the enforcement drive will result in many more folks belting-up and thus ensuring their safety

Sometimes overseas travel change our behaviour. I have never driven a car before i went onsite. I have never ever driven without a seat belt ever nor i have let people sit in my car without seat belt. I am so rude and have even asked people to get down if they are not interested to do it.

And the worst part of this habit is, any trip outside city mandates rear seat belts as well and people hate me for it. To top it of i wear seat belts at the rear irrespective of what car who is driving. I just feel safe and this habit has never left me.

Before they announce these rules, cant they enforce speed limits and may be decent lane discipline.

Speed limits will change the way we drive and we will be forced to change our habits to ride/drive to work or any other place.

[Gansan]

In a recent bus mishap near Chennai reported in the papers, an old man sitting in a single seat right near the windshield of an SETC bus was thrown on the road and died, when the bus hit a median and the windshield shattered. What about seat belts for buses?

http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct...,d.Yms&cad=rja

[Thad E Ginathom]

Even in my mother country, where use of car seatbelts is almost universally accepted as necessary, there is no such thing in buses. And of course, no restraint is possible for standing passengers. It's an anomaly. But at least nobody would even dream of hanging on to the outside of a bus.

[iamswift]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Even in my mother country, where use of car seatbelts is almost universally accepted as necessary, there is no such thing in buses. And of course, no restraint is possible for standing passengers. It's an anomaly. But at least nobody would even dream of hanging on to the outside of a bus.

Are you talking about city buses?
On my 2012 visit, I remember National express coach driver (to/from airport as well as to London city) asking all passengers to wear seat belts as it was mandated by law.
Ofcourse very few of us heeded.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Yes, I am. As I wrote it, I thought err... maybe this doesn't apply to long-distance buses [Blush]

[Daewood]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Will they include taxi drivers?

These days i see a lot of call taxi drivers wearing seat belts. Mostly it's the new entrants into the trade that are enforcing this. Maybe they are doing it to differentiate their service. Whatever the motive, the outcome is good.
The other day i took a call taxi and i got feedback call, and one among the six questions was whether the driver was wearing seat belt.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Mostly it's the new entrants into the trade that are enforcing this

Hmmm, sounds good. Care to name names? It's always nice when they don't end in -track, but I suppose lack of imagination doesn't mean a bad service!

[Gansan]

While coming to office an hour ago, I saw a huge, what seemed to be a pre-mix concrete truck, overturned on the rotary on top of the GST Road - Radial Road flyover at Chromepet. A fire tender and a crane were present, in addition to lots of policemen.

The vehicle was lying on it's left side. Looks like the driver must have climbed the ramp from the Chromepet side at good speed during the wee hours, and then took a very fast right turn towards Radial Road, toppling the vehicle on it's left side. No idea about casualties. As the police were hurrying everybody along I could not take a picture. At first glance there did not seem to be any damage to the bridge.

Edit: It seems to be an accident between the truck and a car, as reported in the Accidents in India thread. From where I was passing, I could not see the car.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

wonder how many will just right off the fine to the bad luck of getting caught that day?

Unlike the enforcement drive against sun-films where (some) people gladly opt to pay the measly fine instead of ripping off their costly sun-films, the majority do convert (even if reluctantly) to helmets and strapping on belts. Even if fine is as low as 100bucks, if you paid it 8 times, it is equal to what you would pay for a decent helmet.

Originally Posted by VW2010

Before they announce these rules, cant they enforce speed limits and may be decent lane discipline.

They are already enforcing speed-limits on the OMR and Chennai One roads using speed guns. To enforce lane-discipline, there needs to be proper lanes in the first place and enough of the lanes for the traffic population.

[ThePunter]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

To enforce lane-discipline, there needs to be proper lanes in the first place and enough of the lanes for the traffic population.

Speaking of lanes..
I always found the non existance of lanes in the stretch from 'end of Velachery' bridge till towards Vijayanagar jn unsafe due to the 3lane? Width of road as well as vehicles and people all over the place
Happy to see today morning that it now has the lanes marked (atleast sensible brains can now take it easier) at the same time some HVs happily cruising exactly with their mid belly exacy on top of the line huh!

Another stretch that needs lanes is the entire one from starting point of Velachey byepass from Phoenix jn till the Metro filling. It is like a playground after the newly laid tarmac and perfect recipe for a Question - 'Dude, where's my lane?' only to be asked after a mishap

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

They are already enforcing speed-limits on the OMR and Chennai One roads using speed guns. To enforce lane-discipline, there needs to be proper lanes in the first place and enough of the lanes for the traffic population.

That's a joke!

It is so bloody choked on a working day morning that I refuse to cycle there after 7am - and they want to enforce speed limits. Good fun. It is the CTP put pedestrian crossing barriers that completely choke three lanes to one and bring traffic to a standstill - where's the speed to be fined?!!

All of this is surprising since IME, chennai has otherwise some of the best / mindful traffic / general policing I have seen in India.

While all over chennai two wheelers and autos will drive the wrong side and what not, or policemen themselves will ride their bikes without helmets (yet to see ONE helmeted policeman on a bike in 4 months here) - good fun!

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

That's a joke! It is so bloody choked on a working day morning that I refuse to cycle there after 7am - and they want to enforce speed limits. Good fun. It is the CTP put pedestrian crossing barriers that completely choke three lanes to one and bring traffic to a standstill - where's the speed to be fined?!!

Depends on the stretch and timing. Cops usually stand on Chennai-One road and near Karapakkam in the afternoon when these roads are relatively free and thus people speed up, only to be caught.

Regarding the pedestrian-crossing barriers (barrels), you are right in them being more of a bane than a boon. And while they are indeed causing a standstill (which if you are in a car, is just a minor irritant), they are hazardous for bikers. On a bike, you are in the left-most lane and at these barriers, you have to move to the middle lane, which leaves you right in front of the speeding cars/buses for whom this is just an excuse for a slalom. I hope someone sees sense and removes these eye-sores from this otherwise nice road (except for the service lanes).

BTW if you go back few pages in this thread, we have had lots of heated discussions on that topic.

Originally Posted by phamilyman

All of this is surprising since IME, chennai has otherwise some of the best / mindful traffic / general policing I have seen in India.

While all over chennai two wheelers and autos will drive the wrong side and what not, or policemen themselves will ride their bikes without helmets (yet to see ONE helmeted policeman on a bike in 4 months here) - good fun!

Not sure I understood this. Your first sentence implies Chennai traffic being good, but the second sentence says bikers/autos drive wrongly.

[Dieseldunk]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Hmmm, sounds good. Care to name names? It's always nice when they don't end in -track, but I suppose lack of imagination doesn't mean a bad service!

I do not know if the provider of the taxi service was /is the same. I had recvd a SMS from NTL for this seatbelt and cap part (recvd it at start of journey if I answered in negative then I need to deduct 100 rs or some sort and inform the driver ) good in all aspects but bad in one way that the cut is from the driver's pay and why make a tired and poor soul remorse.

I informed him he could use the seatbelt or choose his free will and he belted up.

Originally Posted by phamilyman

That's a joke!


All of this is surprising since IME, chennai has otherwise some of the best / mindful traffic / general policing I have seen in India.

While all over chennai two wheelers and autos will drive the wrong side and what not, or policemen themselves will ride their bikes without helmets (yet to see ONE helmeted policeman on a bike in 4 months here) - good fun!

Is it a postive with a negative twist or along with good comes the bad. Jokes apart would like to know if you are telling that the usual mango man drives proper and these special sect of folks have rules unto themselves??

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Not sure I understood this. Your first sentence implies Chennai traffic being good, but the second sentence says bikers/autos drive wrongly.

I was talking about policing (general/traffic) - not the traffic per se. My thoughts on traffic are in the second para (though yes, traffic here knows how to get out of the way of ambulance).

Originally Posted by Dieseldunk

Is it a postive with a negative twist or along with good comes the bad. Jokes apart would like to know if you are telling that the usual mango man drives proper and these special sect of folks have rules unto themselves??

I'm saying that for a city that is otherwise well policed- the general darwinian driving exhibited by 90% of bikers is incredible, as is the general random driving by auto guys (like last weekend when an idiot tried to drive his auto on the wrong side on the already choked santhome high road!!)