Team-BHP - Traffic and life on the roads in Chennai

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Originally Posted by saisree (Post 5320411)

Did State Highways apply Tar on the Velachery Railway Over Bridge. I don’t remember that bone jarring ride last evening. Did anyone notice that?

Yes, it was done about 3 weeks back. Both the directions have been resurfaced. clap:

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Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 5320786)

How is the large number of cows (yes, I've noticed too!) on our streets connected with covid?

Lot of these seem unattended without anybody herding them. Either these cattle are abandoned or let alone to freely roam for extortion.

Those with a herd are seen with some sort of tags, which was absent in the above case.

Free roaming cattle was not this bad a problem in 2019. Now I see almost 2-3 instances in a week on prime corridors.

I'm visiting my relatives in Chennai. I've been driving around Avadi, Ambattur, Mogappair, Mambalam, Velachery, Tambaram etc.
One thing I noticed is the combination of wider roads, faster moving traffic, impatience of 2-wheeler riders leading to completely idiotic and dangerous manoeuvers by 2-wheelers. They are squeezing into every single gap, at every opportunity, at a faster pace with absolutely no concern about their own safety (most don't use indicators; don't have rear view mirrors). The situation is exacerbated by the availablity of 200-500 cc faster bikes to folks who know only to wring the throttle - common sense be damned.
The above is with my reference with Bangalore traffic where narrower roads leads in general to slower moving traffic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by srvm (Post 5325164)

... They are squeezing into every single gap, at every opportunity, at a faster pace with absolutely no concern about their own safety ...

Or, ambling along, sometimes in pairs chatting, in the middle of the road! :Frustrati

Yes, that it is how it is here. I envy you if your city is different. I acknowledge that, worldwide, a major purpose of motorbikes is not to be held up by the traffic. That is perfectly possible without every impatience and risk they take.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 5325305)

Yes, that it is how it is here. I envy you if your city is different. I acknowledge that, worldwide, a major purpose of motorbikes is not to be held up by the traffic. That is perfectly possible without every impatience and risk they take.

You do realise that you just said that you envy Bangalore traffic behaviour? That's a bold statement!

Anyway, I never understood why 2 wheelers drive the way they do until I started a driving a 2 wheeler myself.

When you're in a 2 wheeler, the safe distance between you and the other vehicle is often a proportion to the size of the vehicle. For example, if you take the safe distance between your car and another car as 2 feet, you wouldn't consider the same in your 2 wheeler. 2 feet is very often the entire width of the bike and you automatically assume the safe distance to be something like 0.5 feet. These figures are just examples- the real world figures are more of a combination of speed and traffic conditions.

So once you drive a 2 wheeler, you'll understand why a two wheeler does what he does and it becomes easy to drive along with them.

Next, I want to try out rickshaws, lorries and buses.

I have been riding bikes from 1984, a decade before I started to drive cars. I always felt the safe passing distance between me and another two wheeler or car as at least two feet, whether I am passing them or they are passing me. More for bigger vehicles. While riding my bike I keep at least five feet between my bike and the vehicle ahead, and ensure I am not in their blind spot. While driving a car I keep a car length, or at least ensure I can see the rear tyres of the vehicle ahead clearly. Longer distance if the speeds are higher. The only exception to the above rules is when the traffic is crawling.

I have been on the road for four decades now without any damage. Barring a few minor incidents and spills over the years. Nothing that kept me in bed or needed more than a casual medical treatment. But when I observe the current generation riding around me on the roads, I am worried many of them may not attain the age to type similar words. Too much of brash riding and boorish behaviour on the roads. They don't respect their vehicles or the others on the roads. This includes girls and women riders, I am sorry to say.

In short, many of these know how to operate their rides. It does not equate to proper driving as per traffic rules, or road manners. Impatience, always impatience. Even from people who are in their 30's or more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gansan (Post 5325333)

I have been on the road for four decades now without any damage. Barring a few minor incidents and spills over the years. Nothing that kept me in bed or needed more than a casual medical treatment. But when I observe the current generation riding around me on the roads, I am worried many of them may not attain the age to type similar words. Too much of brash riding and boorish behaviour on the roads. They don't respect their vehicles or the others on the roads. This includes girls and women riders, I am sorry to say.

In short, many of these know how to operate their rides. It does not equate to proper driving as per traffic rules, or road manners. Impatience, always impatience. Even from people who are in their 30's or more.

Absolutely. There is a difference between driving and operating a vehicle. Breaking rules and causing inconvenience to others seem to be their birth right.

Any idea on the Traffic Jam on the Chennai One Road last Wednesday Morning. Vehilcles towards Thoraipakkam where diverted in to the opposite lane and there was a choc-a-bloc near the Chennai One Gate with vehicles facing each other. By the time I reached the lane on to Thoraipakkam is open and free but was sad to see a mess created by someone on the other lane.

I came across this video of a bridge being repainted in Chennai to celebrate a Chess olympiad.

https://twitter.com/supriyasahuias/s...36845263097856

The POV shown in the video did raise some safety concerns in my mind. Mainly the lack of any road markings and possible driver distractions. Can anyone describe how the stretch feels while driving?

Another question for any doctors reading this: Can traveling on such roads trigger epileptic seizures?

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Originally Posted by Rohan265 (Post 5359680)

The Napier bridge (for the history buffs, the original bridge was built by the then Governor of Madras Francis Napier in the year 1869 while the second arm similar to the original bridge was built in 1999) has no markings before the Chess pattern and so poses no safety risk.

I travelled in the night and the lighting effect combined with the head lights had a mesmerizing effect - like going through a Computer Game.
They will repaint and restore the bridge back to its original painting design once the Olympiad is over.

I was in Chennai for 4 days last week and one of the things I noticed was cops standing at every main junction and challaning vehicles -
mainly bikers without helmets. Apparently TN has recently made helmet mandatory for pillion rider also and thus the checking/challaning.

I think helmet for rider was made mandatory in Chennai in the late 90s and seatbelts for car front occupants sometime in early 2000s.
If I today religiously use helmets & seatbelts, the reason was the enforcement back then.:thumbs up