[khaadu75]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Good points, Shankar.
Alas, there are too many 'offenders' in the hills these days (summer holidays) and not surprisingly they are mostly PB, HR, CH or DL numberplates (all from the plains of northern India)!

The deviant ways of Delhi traffic are inexorably getting to our mountains!

It is so reassuring to see 'road courtesy' being discussed.

Good point Anup .. Its so irritating when you see ppl making simple mistakes up in the mountains - and as you said it seems, Delhi traffic is ending up in the mountains .

Originally Posted by srishiva

Thanks for telling me not to drive. I don't know what kind of mountainous terrain you've driven and for how long and what altitude, steepness etc.,

Please don't misguide people who are here to gain the right driving knowledge.

Don't even ask ... I ain't here to misguide but sometimes a bitter truth may hurt and thats whats happened with you . Read properly -- all I said is that one needs to have some basics in place before driving in the hills so as not to frustsrate people who have been driving there for ages .

As for terrains - altitutdes - steepness .... come , visit me and you will know . :-)

Originally Posted by anupmathur

If all else fails, shout out to all in the car to brace themselves and drive into the nearest mountainside at no uncertain angle.
Damage, yes, quite a bit. But you'll get away with small injuries to occupants.
This is a last resort method, but good to keep in mind. Some people prefer to keep strongly brushing against the mountainsides and keep shedding speed before the final ploughing into the 'wall'.

Seems you are prett experienced with the hills and good to see that ....

Originally Posted by planet_rocker

since we are talking about hill driving - why has no one mentioned about using indicators - IMO it is something similar to trucks using their RHS indicators to indicate a pass.

i have seen all vehicles giving a pass either to on-coming traffic or the car behind them by switching on the vehicle's RHS indicator.

more details on this will be great

RHS indicator does mean a pass but only in the hills ... what people have done though is that they have sstarted using it in the plains as well leading to a bit of confusion . In the plains a right indicator at night could mean that the driver is indicating to the oncoming vehicle where his right corner is -- now you will ask me as to how are we suppose to figure that out ? If you following a bus/truck and suddenly you see the RHS indicator comes on -- pull a little for an overtake but don't commit to one , chances are that you will see approaching lights meaning that the indication is for him not for you to overtake .

In cities/plains a RHS indicator usually means turning right .. !!!

Also one needs to use ones brains in such situations ... coz the guy in the front could be dumb .

Originally Posted by kaynmantis

I've also noticed heavy vehicles use turn indicators to indicate overtake and for on-coming traffics. Im not sure its a good idea to have different meaning when using turn indicators. I have personally witnessed a minor accident on the highway when the bus right indicator was flashing and the car behind propably interpreted as "overtake". The bus turned and the car bumped the side of the bus.

However, I have to admit it does help sometimes on hilly winding roads. The truck ahead has greater view of the road ahead and they use the right indicator to signal all-clear to overtake (sometimes you cannot see hand signals), and you sprint and overtake. Sprint, aye! Mostly one gets just a couple of seconds till you hit the next turn or on-coming traffic or both.

Read what I wrote above ... this to be used only in the hills !!!

Another thing that a lot of people don't know but Ive posted earlier is that in the hills when you need/want to say ' THANK YOU ' to another driver that you just overtook or who gave you a pass on a narrow stretch by parking on the side -- u do so by honking , not a long press of the horn but a short tap on the horn . It usually means THANK YOU and you will hear a similar honk back and thats him saying ' WELCOME ' !!!

Cheers

Originally Posted by khaadu75

RHS indicator does mean a pass but only in the hills

why a special rule for the hills? why cant you indicate left when you are ready to let the vehicle behind you pass? maybe there is something i need to learn.

[khaadu75]

Originally Posted by rippergeo

why a special rule for the hills? why cant you indicate left when you are ready to let the vehicle behind you pass? maybe there is something i need to learn.

Did you know that Hill Driving required a special license as well .. ??

It aint a rule , I mean it aint written in a rule book for driving in the hills but more of a rule thats been passed from generation to generation or I could be wrong and there could be a full story about how it came into being . Maybe some google master will do that for us soon ...

Also maybe you can start the concept of LHS indicator for giving a pass and who knows , maybe after a few thousand accidents may become a SOP .

Cheers

Originally Posted by khaadu75

Did you know that Hill Driving required a special license as well .. ??

It aint a rule , I mean it aint written in a rule book for driving in the hills but more of a rule thats been passed from generation to generation or I could be wrong and there could be a full story about how it came into being . Maybe some google master will do that for us soon ...

Also maybe you can start the concept of LHS indicator for giving a pass and who knows , maybe after a few thousand accidents may become a SOP .

Cheers

I have a theory on how this happened- someone read a driving book that was written for a left hand drive country and blindly applied it to india.
then it was passed on from one unquestioning generation to the next

BTW- indicating with the LHS to let someone pass is Standard Operating Procedure in all countries that have left hand drive and some basic sense.

driving techniques and skills may be different on the hills, but, the rules are the same, hills or plains.

this passing from generation to generation business is what keeps our country from progressing at its true potential.

we should try and spread the correct way atleast among the educated populace, and it will trickle down. in the meantime, we have to use our common sense and skills to survive the mess that is our road network.

OT- we seem to be locking horns frequently khaadu- no hard feelings I hope.

[BlackPearl]

I fail to understand all this fuss about hill driving.. is it really that hard ?? AFAIK it needs one rare thing for good hill driving and that is common sense

[khaadu75]

Originally Posted by rippergeo

I have a theory on how this happened- someone read a driving book that was written for a left hand drive country and blindly applied it to india.
then it was passed on from one unquestioning generation to the next

BTW- indicating with the LHS to let someone pass is Standard Operating Procedure in all countries that have left hand drive and some basic sense.

driving techniques and skills may be different on the hills, but, the rules are the same, hills or plains.

this passing from generation to generation business is what keeps our country from progressing at its true potential.

we should try and spread the correct way atleast among the educated populace, and it will trickle down. in the meantime, we have to use our common sense and skills to survive the mess that is our road network.

OT- we seem to be locking horns frequently khaadu- no hard feelings I hope.

HARD FEELINGS .. Why would you get that impression ?

As for being passed on from generation to generation .. I think its a damn good signal in the hills , it makes passing so much easier and I see no reason why it needs to be changed as long as its used properly -- In my many years of driving in the hills I havnt once experienced a truck/bus guy giving me a pass signal at a wrong time . But then one has to keep in mind to always use ones own common sense as well -- If a truck/bus gives it to me with a turn coming up , there is NO WAY Im gonna follow it blindly .

The mess is in the traffic in the cities and its when the city guys decide to use city traffic sense to driving in the hills that the CONFUSION starts to happen .

Cheers

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by khaadu75

In my many years of driving in the hills I havnt once experienced a truck/bus guy giving me a pass signal at a wrong time . But then one has to keep in mind to always use ones own common sense as well -- If a truck/bus gives it to me with a turn coming up , there is NO WAY Im gonna follow it blindly .

Sorry, I cannot agree here. The whole point is: HOW on earth am I to know which place is a 'valid' place and that I'm reading his signal correctly??
Your statement above assumes familiarity with the region, in terms of knowing where there is or is not a right turn coming up. And who knows better than you that there is very little you can see (in the hills) in terms of the road ahead or the road/turns coming up.
Unfortunately, this completely hazardous method of signalling seems to have its origins in some exceptionally 'bad' thinking on someone's part, or it is simply the result of complete illiteracy and lack of awareness of the broader objectives behind a signalling system.
The fact that it has become SOP is regrettable, and many of us have seen the accidents that have directly resulted from such signalling.
The sooner we start changing such dangerous 'practices' the better it will be for future road users.
The fact that I too have driven for two decades in every corner of Himachal, J&K & Kumaon without a single mishap of any sort does not vindicate the potentially dangerous practice that this RHS signal is. I have NEVER used this practice in my signalling. I use the jolly ol' hand signalling to give way, or I clearly pull over and stop.

[rkbharat]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

I fail to understand all this fuss about hill driving.. is it really that hard ?? AFAIK it needs one rare thing for good hill driving and that is common sense

Boss, all sense fails when you are new to driving on hills. I have seen friends driving for the first time on hills and sweating hard while climbing incline and seeing vehicle coming down, or driving on the edge side, or halted on steep incline in traffic and no matter what they do, car always go back. basically its panic that switch in and kills all the sense.

So bottom line is first try some small hill drives with lesser inclines. It will good if you are accompanied by somebody comfortable with hill drive, so that in case of panic he can guide. its just 2-3 hill drives that you need to build some confidence.

Originally Posted by khaadu75

Another thing that a lot of people don't know but Ive posted earlier is that in the hills when you need/want to say ' THANK YOU ' to another driver that you just overtook or who gave you a pass on a narrow stretch by parking on the side -- u do so by honking , not a long press of the horn but a short tap on the horn . It usually means THANK YOU and you will hear a similar honk back and thats him saying ' WELCOME ' !!!
Cheers

Was not aware of this, but all the times a simple hand wave work wonder for me.

[hrag]

This might help

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...tml#post245706

[srishiva]

Quote:
Khaadu75.

Don't even ask ... I ain't here to misguide but sometimes a bitter truth may hurt and thats whats happened with you . Read properly -- all I said is that one needs to have some basics in place before driving in the hills so as not to frustsrate people who have been driving there for ages .

As for terrains - altitutdes - steepness .... come , visit me and you will know . :-)
****************

Nothing personal here. The thread starter had a issue with his brake failing due to heat. Its not about driving "in" the mountains. Its not about debating who drives in the hills.

When you have to climb down a mountain for thousands of feet in not much distance, the steepness while coming down (with associated tight curves) will take a lot out of your brakes.

The engine compression can be varying with the different vehicles. Auto transmissions might not even have a 1st gear in which case you have to use your brakes a lot (which might not be that strong again). There is not much your skill can do when traffic is more and you have to adhere to a speed limit.

What you said was not bitter truth. You cant trivialize all mountain driving without knowing the other person's experience. All answers can't be of the type "you don't have the skill and hence your problem".

[GTO]

Auto transmissions might not even have a 1st gear in which case you have to use your brakes a lot (which might not be that strong again).

Most slushboxes have the L / 1 / 2 option which will serve just as well here. This will stop the tranny from shifting to a higher gear.

[bblost]

How To Drive Down Steep Hills... Without Using Your Brakes! - Jim and Lynnette's Fun Times Guide

an interesting link on driving down a hill in an automatic.

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

I fail to understand all this fuss about hill driving.. is it really that hard ?? AFAIK it needs one rare thing for good hill driving and that is common sense

Originally Posted by rkbharat

Boss, all sense fails when you are new to driving on hills. I have seen friends driving for the first time on hills and sweating hard while climbing incline and seeing vehicle coming down, or driving on the edge side, or halted on steep incline in traffic and no matter what they do, car always go back. basically its panic that switch in and kills all the sense.

You know before I started driving on hills, I always wondered what the fuss was all about with elders around me always talking about how difficult it was & how they dreaded driving on hills themselves & rather preferred an 'experienced' driver.

When I took my first few trips I just observed what was going on & got along just fine, no great difficulty if you had a reasonable level of control over your machine & some common sense. Sure I made a mistake every now & then like once when it was a raining & while climbing a narrow path a jeep came out of a side lane right into my way & I had to brake. I foolishly tried to continue the climb from there only but all I got was wheel spin! But by & by it came naturally & was never a problem.

Then I realised that it's also the same rules that apply everywhere else with cars. If you're interested in cars & driving them (read if you're an enthusiast) & have some common sense & knowledge, then it's not that difficult! But if you're not interested & can't be bothered to focus on the small things then it's always going to be difficult. IMO that is one major reason a lot of people find hill driving difficult.

Originally Posted by srishiva

The engine compression can be varying with the different vehicles. Auto transmissions might not even have a 1st gear in which case you have to use your brakes a lot (which might not be that strong again).

As far as I've seen in most Auto's sold in India most of them have a 1/2 or a Low setting for you to use when going down inclines.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by iraghava

Then I realised that it's also the same rules that apply everywhere else with cars. If you're interested in cars & driving them (read if you're an enthusiast) & have some common sense & knowledge, then it's not that difficult! But if you're not interested & can't be bothered to focus on the small things then it's always going to be difficult. IMO that is one major reason a lot of people find hill driving difficult.

This point has not been made on this thread yet. I think it has more merit to it than meets the eye at first glance!
Don't we all know someone who has been driving for many years but is 'not prepared for hill driving'?!

[jyobeb]

I would like to stress on one thing that has already been said. Always, always, always give way to uphill traffic. Most guys going uphill are so sure that everybody else knows this rule so they just keep coming, even if they see someone coming down fast.
Make sure you slow down or stop well in advance with enough space to let them go past. Most truck and bus drives hate having to stop while going uphill as re-starting is a right royal pain for them.