Your On Road Signature (Driving Habits)

[aargee]

Originally Posted by silversteed

aargee, hazard warning signals are there for a purpose. Better to avoid using them to indicate that you're going straight.

Nope; there're morons driving in the opposite who assume I would take a left, I don't want to leave any room for any confusion.

Originally Posted by silversteed

Sometimes, we need to have it...it's only a beeper.

That's why I go around the car everytime before getting inside. It helps a lot to check what's on the rear, what's underneath the car or even if the tires have run flat.

I agree a switch is a perfect choice to determine whether the reverse horn needs to be switched ON/OFF. It sometime is irritating when reversing a car on empty parking lot.

[sajjt]

@zazer, nice effort and its going to be an interesting thread. I hope there will be lot things to come up for discussion & learning

Originally Posted by aargee

Nope; there're morons driving in the opposite who assume I would take a left, I don't want to leave any room for any confusion.

That's why I go around the car everytime before getting inside. It helps a lot to check what's on the rear, what's underneath the car or even if the tires have run flat.

I agree a switch is a perfect choice to determine whether the reverse horn needs to be switched ON/OFF. It sometime is irritating when reversing a car on empty parking lot.

Aargee, if you are keeping the proper line, no one is confused. Its a common practice that to keep the car in the centre line at signals for going straight, keep right for right turns and left line for left turn. But there are people who are least bothered about others safety and inconvenience used to follow wrong lines and try all possible stunts make everything a mess while they change the line from left to right for a right turn

I am fed up of this reverse horns as most of these are quite annoying especially near any meditation/prayer halls where pin drop silence is maintained.

BTW, aargee, you have quoted my previous postings but named as goandude

[aargee]

Originally Posted by sajjt

Aargee, if you are keeping the proper line, no one is confused.

Well, not on highways, but how about a busy junction or even at signals? But sorry, I somehow feel its safe on my part to show appropriate signal & there's nothing harm in it.

Or, are you guys saying that there's no signal to show that I'm going straight & turning all the 4 blinkers is only meant for hazard?

Originally Posted by sajjt

But there are people...left to right for a right turn

Yap; I signal only for them; for my own safety & theirs.

Originally Posted by sajjt

I am fed up of this reverse horns as most of these are quite annoying especially near any meditation/prayer halls where pin drop silence is maintained.

Originally Posted by sajjt

BTW, aargee, you have quoted my previous postings but named as goandude

Its ghodlur, sorry about that.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by aargee

Or, are you guys saying that there's no signal to show that I'm going straight & turning all the 4 blinkers is only meant for hazard?

Yes, that's exactly what I meant.

Originally Posted by sajjt

I am fed up of this reverse horns as most of these are quite annoying especially near any meditation/prayer halls where pin drop silence is maintained.

We have to use it sensibly. Anything can be misused/abused.

[HammerHead]

Things I follow while driving:
1. Check all 4 wheels to make sure none is flat/low air pressure before getting in.
2. Wear seat belt whenever the car is moving forward. I'm not comfortable reversing the car with seat belt on.
3. Strictly low beam and fogs turned on while driving inside the city during night.
4. I give way to anyone who is in hurry. Reaching my destination a bit late does not make much difference to me as I always start my journey at least 20-60mins early, depending on the distance I'm going to cover.
5. I never drive in wrong direction, not even if I have to change the direction and there is a opening on the divider just 10-20mtrs behind me. I will drive for 500mtrs straight to find another opening to get to the other side!
6. I don't honk when I know its of no use and I give a damn to guys honking behind me when I can see vehicles lined-up in front of me!!
7. Its only on open road, for e.g. highway/empty stretch, I cross 60KM/Hr or else I'm always well within 60's .

[anilisanil]

Originally Posted by aargee

Or, are you guys saying that there's no signal to show that I'm going straight & turning all the 4 blinkers is only meant for hazard?

Precisely! Hazard lights are for that purpose! Actually I am a bit concerned about how people are misinformed about the hazard lights and use them to signal that they are going straight or in some cases (driving through tunnels) to mark their presence.

A few cars have this safety feature of turning on the hazard lamps in case of emergency braking! I seriously hope none should mistake that for a car which is wanting to go ahead straight!!

So if I were to be behind you and you turn on hazard signal, I get confused whether you are going to stop right there or going to go ahead!

[sreenivass]

More or less covered already

• Seat belt always on
• Let people cross, infact if there is one near a turn where people walk straight, I try to turn behind them instead of ahead
• Less cussing and let go off seniors
• Extra careful when children are around
• Low beam always in the city, unless ill-lit, turn to low beam when there are vehicles close in either direction
• Stick to lane and hate people that come in between lanes
• 90% use of indicators for lane switch and turns, generally ahead
• Inner most lane for turns
• Always park/ stop on shoulder, unless there is none
• Stop & wait at buffalo crossings , no honks, ..
• Avoid shops without parking facility

[aargee]

Originally Posted by aargee

Nice thread & I'm looking forward to drop some of my bad habits that I may not be aware & pick up some good habits from others

I wonder how true is the above statement of mine!!!

Originally Posted by silversteed

Yes, that's exactly what I meant.

Originally Posted by anilisanil

Precisely! Hazard lights are for that purpose!

Like you guys said, I'm misinformed on that; a few years ago there used to be a common habit with two-wheelers that they show their index finger pointing straight to indicate that they have the right of way to go straight.

Ok, from now on, I'll stop using hazard lights to indicate I'm going straight. However will continue using them when I pull over.

[zazer]

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

Why and why?

Rather keep the fogs on at night so as to avoid blinding oncomers (even low beam is annoying). I'm assuming you have OE type fogs mounted / integrated at bumper level and not extra ones elsewhere.

I keep it on during the day so that the vehicles in the front and the back are aware of my presence and it at times helps keep their attention focussed. This is similar to the use of daytime running lights in the newer audis and angel eyes of beemers. As you said these lights are OE and are below bumper level, hence many a times under the right lighting conditions during the night time I switch OFF my O/E Xenons and switch on the fogs as it is easy on the guy in the front, also it helps light up the road ahead thus solving the purpose of lights inside the city.

Originally Posted by sajjt

@zazer, nice effort and its going to be an interesting thread. I hope there will be lot things to come up for discussion & learning

Thank you, sajjt hope this helps us understand the wrong practices and encourage the right ones and above all helps members share their feel good factor so that everybody benefits and feel`s good always .

[goandude]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Ive never understood guys honking at toll booths. I mean its not like the guy in front is purposely taking long. Of course if they guy is front is talking or arguing with the attendant its a different story.

Mostly arguing and waiting for change. I don't honk, only my BP goes up :-(

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by goandude

Mostly arguing and waiting for change.

I see them most of the time when I am trying to cross the toll booth. They start searching the car first then their pockets, start counting and then finally hand over a 500 note for a 30 rs toll then wait till they put the change back into some corner of the car or their pocket. All this happening with a huge line of cars behind some honking incessantly, some hurling verbal abuses. Gosh that place turns into a fish market within seconds and all this happening coz of one car.

[Iluvcars]

Originally Posted by aargee

Or, are you guys saying that there's no signal to show that I'm going straight & turning all the 4 blinkers is only meant for hazard?

If the below point is understood well and practiced most (if not all) confusions around signalling will be answered:
"You (the one in the driving seat of a car) is supposed to continue to do what you have been doing unless / until you signal otherwise."
So at a junction, you're supposed to continue to drive without taking any turn unless / until you indicate your intention to turn. So, no turn? well, no indication either!
Now my road signature:
I never use the indicator to signal a vehicle from behind to pass me or not. I know (and also had experienced a bitter incident) that it's not uncommon to turn the right indicator on as a signal to let the vehicle behind you know that they may pass you. One of the dangerous misuses of indicators - that is!

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by Iluvcars

If the below point is understood well and practiced most (if not all) confusions around signalling will be answered:
"You (the one in the driving seat of a car) is supposed to continue to do what you have been doing unless / until you signal otherwise."
So at a junction, you're supposed to continue to drive without taking any turn unless / until you indicate your intention to turn. So, no turn? well, no indication either!

Originally Posted by Iluvcars

it's not uncommon to turn the right indicator on as a signal to let the vehicle behind you know that they may pass you. One of the dangerous misuses of indicators - that is!

Very often seen truckers and some cabbies doing it on highways. Putting the left-side indicators to allow overtaking, though wrong, is OK (manageable, not catastrophic, less idiotic) - I've seen this being done by some bus drivers.

[GTO]

Neat thread! My on-road signature:

- Say a short prayer before driving off in the morning

- No revvs at all until the car has heated up

- Low beam always on in the evening, even on well-lit roads. This increases my visibility to other cars

- Low beam always on, on the highway. Whether day or night

- Work the engine on empty roads. Drive real smooth, jerk-free and without any sudden action in traffic

- Maintain a safe distance from the car ahead at all times. I hate drivers who tail-gate

- Customary revv before switching the engine off (in non-turbo cars)

[rohan_iitr]

Originally Posted by GTO

- No revvs at all until the car has heated up
- Customary revv before switching the engine off (in non-turbo cars)

Slightly OT, but I will still ask.

Can you/someone briefly elaborate on technicalities of these 2 points.

Do these practices increase the life of the engine ?

Rohan