[rks]

Originally Posted by khaadu75

Hey .. U have it wrong there . Even if you don't know the roads it easier to drive in the hills at night unless u sleepy ( in that case it doesnt matter day or night ) !! Let me try and explain it ... At night you might get blinded by lights but you can see the lights way before they actually blind you so one can always slow down or park on the side . [...]

No, not always. You are assuming that the road is in a straight line, but the opposite is the case on ghat roads. In fact most often, you will see the blinding headlights only as it emerges from a sharp corner and you will not have a good idea of how to approach that corner (if at all you see it) or even where the edge of the road is.
Regards, rks

[jkdas]

Donno if anyone said it before Dont accelerate when you reverse when coming downhill.

[khaadu75]

Originally Posted by rks

No, not always. You are assuming that the road is in a straight line, but the opposite is the case on ghat roads. In fact most often, you will see the blinding headlights only as it emerges from a sharp corner and you will not have a good idea of how to approach that corner (if at all you see it) or even where the edge of the road is.
Regards, rks

Hey, Like someone mentioned earlier .. Try coming down the hill in the same gear that you would take to go up !!!

Well the same way its been passed down the years that its faster and safer to drive on straight stretches during the day and the hills during the night ..

I dunno about the ghats but if you notice the guy who started the thread u'll realise that he's not planning on driving in the ghats but in the mountains of Himachal or Uttaranchal and the average speed on these roads just cannot be high so even if there is a car parked on the road after a turn u will still have time to stop !!! The ghats are probably a faster stretch and thus you may feel that you wudn't have time to stop .

And I still stick to the point ... Its safer at night !!!

Cheers

[Revvhead]

The Dudes Handle is Khaadu-
Lemme explain-
Khaadu means in Himachali slang a Hill guy
He's a boy who knows what he's sayin
and while i generally would always oppose driving on unknown roads at night - simply coz you just dont know whats comin up

He has a very good point about being able to see ( or rather make outthe existence ) the cars many bends before they arrive near you

[khaadu75]

Originally Posted by Revvhead

The Dudes Handle is Khaadu-
Lemme explain-
Khaadu means in Himachali slang a Hill guy
He's a boy who knows what he's sayin
and while i generally would always oppose driving on unknown roads at night - simply coz you just dont know whats comin up

He has a very good point about being able to see ( or rather make outthe existence ) the cars many bends before they arrive near you

Hey , Thanx Revvhead ... But I guess they are right in their own point as the Ghats are a totally different ball game as compared to the roads in Himachal !!! And yes the ghats has many more stupid drivers than the mountains up here .... A lot of the drivers on those ghat roads won't survive for too long on the roads of Himachal or Uttaranchal without being in an accident or causing one ... ---

Cheers

[bigman]

Originally Posted by khaadu75

1) NEVER OVERTAKE ON A TURN NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION
2) NEVER TRY AND DRIVE IN NEUTRAL

Could not put it any better myself.

No matter what the temptation is never overtake on a turn. Remember if you cannot see ahead play it safe and do not attempt to overtake.

[rks]

Originally Posted by khaadu75

Hey, Like someone mentioned earlier .. Try coming down the hill in the same gear that you would take to go up !!! I dunno about the ghats but if you notice the guy who started the thread u'll realise that he's not planning on driving in the ghats but in the mountains of Himachal or Uttaranchal and the average speed on these roads just cannot be high so even if there is a car parked on the road after a turn u will still have time to stop !!! The ghats are probably a faster stretch and thus you may feel that you wudn't have time to stop .

And I still stick to the point ... Its safer at night !!!

Cheers

Well, you are right in that opposing headlights can be seen from some distance most of the time. Also experienced drivers can make good use of the opposing vehicle's powerful headlights by noting the road condition (especially the edges) from a distance *before* getting too close and blinded. And the key is not to stare into the blinding headlights, but into the space where where you would like to go. And as you said, go down in the right gear. But I still say, all this is not *always* true. E.g. in an S-turn, the opposing guy takes one hair-pin bend and you take the other at the same time, the two of you could meet up and get blinded by each other's headlights without too much (if any) advance warning. Secondly, there could be obstructing heavy vehicles ahead of you going in your direction, and blinding headlights of opposing vehicles could suddenly emerge from behind those heavy vehicles. Etc. But, as Revhead pointed out, you are much more experienced in hill driving than I am, so I will concede your point that under certain circumstances, you can feel more comfortable at night on the hills.
Regards, rks

[speedsatya]

Originally Posted by rks

. But are you advocating that one should drive at night ALWAYS with powerful high beams and not dip your headlights for opposing traffic? Surely this will blind opposing traffic, a complaint you made in your previous post? If this is what you meant (as seemingly suggested by your signature also), I have to disagree.
Regards, rks

no ...you should always drive with low beam ...a 90w low beam is more than enough ...but you do come across fools ...mostly car drivers ...who wouldnt dip at all ...its at that time that u need high beams ...also when there is no oncoming trafiic or when the vehicle is not very close ..its ok to drive with high beams ...

[DRC]

Well ,I think we are argueing on two right things.

Yes, Khaadu's tricks are good for winding roards, Provided, you know for sure that the terrain in good, you dont have a rough edge road with a quick sand beside it.

More than that, stick to your confidence levels.

I have driven extensively in western ghats of karnataka, as well as a few trips to ooty, both tough and easy routes. If I have to drive to mangalore, I will normally take the night option, but never want to risk kalhatti, or charmadi routes in night.

Hope I have made my point.

[rks]

Originally Posted by rks

[...]
-- On a one-way ghat road, you are better off hugging the middle of the road on straight patches. When you take corners, you can choose that path which will enable you to move quickly and safely (no need to keep left in these situations). For example, if you are taking a sharp right you can hug the right side of the road for safety, say, if the left side of the road is unprotected and goes down a sheer cliff.
[...]

Let me qualify this a bit. On occasion, I have seen maintenance vehicles (e.g. jeeps) come the wrong way even on one-way ghat roads, such as, Tirupati. If I remember correctly, there are even warnings to this effect on certain one-way ghat roads. This is highly deplorable -- surely these maintenance guys, if they feel compelled to go the wrong way, ought to CLOSE the roads and say, do their job at night. But then, this is India and no rules are too sacred to be broken.
Regards, rks

[lodhra]

Hi

I often visits the ghats and lemme me tell u the most worrying thing u will find is fog. One rule i folloe no matter what keep ur eye on the road border of the left side while going up or down and steer slow. Lots of time amidst fog at night with heavy vehicles coming at u withh full lights on its difficulta hd dangerous to stop and evebn drive as you are shocked. just follow this rule. No matter what just watch the left border of the road ur driving always in this condition it is avery helpful

[khaadu75]

Originally Posted by lodhra

Hi

I often visits the ghats and lemme me tell u the most worrying thing u will find is fog. One rule i folloe no matter what keep ur eye on the road border of the left side while going up or down and steer slow. Lots of time amidst fog at night with heavy vehicles coming at u withh full lights on its difficulta hd dangerous to stop and evebn drive as you are shocked. just follow this rule. No matter what just watch the left border of the road ur driving always in this condition it is avery helpful

Hey, But remember not to stare at the left border for too long .. always advised to break the continuous concentration on that for too long as it can lead to a mini hypnotic effect and can be FATAL !!! Always remember this ...

Cheers

[naveendhyani]

Originally Posted by khaadu75

And I still stick to the point ... Its safer at night !!!

on this point i totally agree with khaadu75. i have personally driven around uttranchal (as i belong there) and trust me its faster and safer at night. not many buses or lorries to overtake, no cows of bufflows on their lunch break, no people walking in the middle of the road and many other benefits.

also in the night its not completely dark on the hills except on the nights when there is no moon. else its lighted enough to see at a fair distance.

small suggestion with the pic

[khaadu75]

Originally Posted by naveendhyani

also in the night its not completely dark on the hills except on the nights when there is no moon. else its lighted enough to see at a fair distance.

Hey, This is not advised but yes a lot of us ppl have the habit of switching on the lights way after its completely dark but then this is not somethig I wud advise as there are certain precautions you have to take .... !!! This is not for everyone Navin ... u'll just confuse this thread up ....

Cheers

[Surprise]

Originally Posted by rks

-- Be aware that buses (especiallly) and lorries, whose drivers are very familiar with the ghat road, can come uphill or downhill at a great clip especially on hair-pin bends. Either stay far ahead of them or let them go *on a clear, safe stretch* of road. Do not irritate them by not giving way and slowing them down, as this could induce a rash response from them. Also be aware that these guys are prone to overtaking anywhere, anytime, and will think nothing of forcing you onto the edge of a ghat road. They definitely do not like to be slowed down, especially while going uphill (which will make their job of climbing that much more difficult). Avoid such potential dangers by good anticipation. This is another reason why night driving on ghat roads (especially two-way roads) is not advisable.
Regards, rks

Already I had asked about this in a different post. I had seen that drivers on certain bends in ghats, move towards right and allow the vehicle coming in opposite direction to cut through. Why this is done and they do it only on certain bends on not on all, whats specific with those bends?

Not sure whether I got answer for the same or not