Quote:
Originally Posted by Samba Now my point in the whole post is : I want to ask is when am cruising at say 80km/hr in the heavy rain with my tail lamps on and say a Volvo bus is coming behind me at 100km/hr. |
Looks like neither you nor the Volvo drivers in WB have heard of
aquaplaning.
From the wiki article:
In general, cars aquaplane at speeds above 53 mph (85 km/h), where water ponds to a depth of at least 1/10 of an inch (2.5 mm) over a distance of 30 feet (9 meters) or more.
If the tyre is worn out or water is deeper, it can happen even at slower speed.
I had to learn this as part of my US driving license test in 1993. Therefore, I slow down to 60kmph or below when driving through heavy rains.
Since we Indians don't have any driver's manual to study before the driving test, none of us really learn the exhaustive set of driving rules usually studied in other countries. We just learn to control the vehicle, get the license and do whatever we feel like on the road.
In fact, that is why we have threads like this where simple driving rules are discussed and debated upon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderernomad Proper way of using the flasher to give right of way? Dear Sir, in Rome do as the romans do. |
What if Romans were dead wrong? They used lead for plumbing and even for water bottles. It caused massive
lead poisoning. Let's not follow the Romans blindly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderernomad Flashing is the universal sign in India to demand right of way and not give. So I shall stick to it. |
Here is lies the problem.
Driving is a privilege, not a right. It is an act where you share a common resource like road to travel to different places. That act can be safely performed only when you use courtesy as the basic principle.
Therefore, every driving signal is based on the principle of courtesy. Think about it. There is not a single driving signal where you can order others do your bidding. You show the turn signal to warn others about your intention to turn. But you execute the turn only when it is safe to turn. Would you show right turn signal and then turn when there is oncoming traffic? If you do, the oncoming car/bus will pummel into you. Similarly, you can't flash a signal to say "I am coming anyway", and then go head on. How is it different than turn right when there is oncoming traffic?
This is what wrong usage leads to:
Car 1: "Flash" "Flash" "I am coming anyway, get out of my way..."
Car 2: "The hell you are... I won't allow" OR "Oh shit, I can't get out of the way."
[This leads to accidents unless one can yield before it is too late]
You can't have a driving signal that depends on
playing chicken.
The correct usage:
Car 1: "Flash" "Flash" "I yield, you go first".
Car 2: "Oh, he is letting me go. Thanks buddy."
[This never leads to an accident]
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderernomad Just because Europeans flash to give right of way does not mean it is the correct way, is it? |
Actually, yes. Because it doesn't lead to an accident. Almost all head-on collisions in India happen due to idiots coming on the wrong side flashing their lights and demanding passage. What if the other side doesn't give passage or cannot give passage for lack of room or time? Bang!
This is not about of having different customs. European/American usage of flash is courteous and safe, ours is rude and nearly suicidal. Do you really have to wonder which is correct?
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderernomad confusing behaviour like the right indicator for letting a guy overtake |
This is a very dangerous wrong usage. If the same signal is used for right turn as well as to allow overtake, how to know which one is indicated? What if I mistake the right turn indication as overtake indication? The car in front is trying to turn, the rear car will try to pass it. Bang!
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderernomad or using hazard flashers as direction indicators or just illumination. |
Have you ever tried staring at blinking lights for couple minutes or more? You will feel dizzy or disoriented. The purpose of blinking lights is to instantly alert you to danger. It should be used only in situations where people will see it for very short duration. When used by a stranded car, or very slow moving car, other cars will be instantly alerted and then pass carefully. However, when used by a fast moving car, the cars in the rear have no escape from the blinking lights for a long time. And you can't signal any turns. Therefore, this is both dangerous and discourteous to the cars behind you.