[shivir]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Problem is, there is a misconception that anyone who is able to cut lanes, has a right to do it. It is not a conscious breach of rule, most people are not even aware / haven't even heard that it is wrong to cut lanes. I think MOST of our traffic problems stem from this misconception. It is not only 2-wheelers; it is just that 2-wheelers do it more because they are able to execute it more easily.

I am of the opinion that the problem CAN be addressed to some extent if the police decide to do it. I am seeing a significantly higher number of heads with helmets than before the helmet rule was placed. It is nowhere close to 100%, but it is now closer to 50-60%, whereas earlier it was around 10%. Similarly if police do a "dont cut lanes" campaign left, right and center - thru TV, radio, posters, rallies, etc all over the place then there might be SOME effect.

After 2 or 3 years of this campaign, next can be "leave 10 meter gap" campaign with hypnotic drilling of the same message in every direction they turn. It will not completely change the way everyone drives, overnight. But, even if there is a 10% effect, that will be very, very useful.

+200 to that. So often I find myself saying that to these idiots cutting lanes in dense traffic - Its you guys causing it and getting the most inconvenienced because you lack patience. But I am a believer in my people - we will learn. Let me explain - When the toll plaza opened at the border on NH8 , for the first month there were 60 lanes trying to use 20 odd toll booths. It was slow and intolerable. Today, even without clear lane marker, people get into lanes and stay there. You still get the odd jackass trying to jump from lane to lane but in general the improvement is close to 90% and I am proud of us. Just have to be more people willing to do the right thing irrespective of getting somewhere late.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

Problem is, there is a misconception that anyone who is able to cut lanes, has a right to do it. It is not a conscious breach of rule, most people are not even aware / haven't even heard that it is wrong to cut lanes. I think MOST of our traffic problems stem from this misconception. It is not only 2-wheelers; it is just that 2-wheelers do it more because they are able to execute it more easily.

I am of the opinion that the problem CAN be addressed to some extent if the police decide to do it. I am seeing a significantly higher number of heads with helmets than before the helmet rule was placed. It is nowhere close to 100%, but it is now closer to 50-60%, whereas earlier it was around 10%. Similarly if police do a "dont cut lanes" campaign left, right and center - thru TV, radio, posters, rallies, etc all over the place then there might be SOME effect.

After 2 or 3 years of this campaign, next can be "leave 10 meter gap" campaign with hypnotic drilling of the same message in every direction they turn. It will not completely change the way everyone drives, overnight. But, even if there is a 10% effect, that will be very, very useful.

Originally Posted by shivir

+200 to that. So often I find myself saying that to these idiots cutting lanes in dense traffic - Its you guys causing it and getting the most inconvenienced because you lack patience. But I am a believer in my people - we will learn. Let me explain - When the toll plaza opened at the border on NH8 , for the first month there were 60 lanes trying to use 20 odd toll booths. It was slow and intolerable. Today, even without clear lane marker, people get into lanes and stay there. You still get the odd jackass trying to jump from lane to lane but in general the improvement is close to 90% and I am proud of us. Just have to be more people willing to do the right thing irrespective of getting somewhere late.

Before implementing these rules, we need to have proper lane system for different types of vehicles [I saw this in Chennai 6 years back itself - bus / trucks in the left most lane and bikes / ricks at the right most lane. If a rick is in front of me in a straight road and is moving at 20kmph, and is adamant not to move out of my way, I will have to change lane to overtake this guy. So its just not one or two rules, there are a bunch of interdependent factors that need to be addressed in one shot !

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Before implementing these rules, we need to have proper lane system for different types of vehicles [I saw this in Chennai 6 years back itself - bus / trucks in the left most lane and bikes / ricks at the right most lane. If a rick is in front of me in a straight road and is moving at 20kmph, and is adamant not to move out of my way, I will have to change lane to overtake this guy. So its just not one or two rules, there are a bunch of interdependent factors that need to be addressed in one shot !

+1 to that. I remember many cruises down Mount road right from 10 years ago, past 1000 lights and Spencers Plaza. The traffic, if I recall right, was very orderly, and there were service lanes too.

But you see, in the case of cities like Bangalore, the roads are quite narrow. Most of the roads here are 4 lane roads. In some cases they are 3 lane (1 1/2 lane + 1 1/2 lane) . So you can't expect to have lane categorization to be implemented to perfection without road widening. But we can have a system in which buses, LMVs and ricks have to stick to the left lane, and bikes & cars in the right. But now rises another problem, which we see in Bangalore; at signals, the left lane gets blocked. So, we will then need to have a merging system when we approach signals.

About lane discipline on highways, we do have steadfast rules, but they are more than often not implemented.

@Mods: Sorry if this was OT, I'll get back to the thread topic now:

Here's a pic of a crashed ikon from today's The hindu. Its a file photo.

[nim_peter]

Just came back from a 1000 mile trip here in UK. Not much difference between the motorways here and the express ways in India(Mumbai-Pune and Thrichy-Chennai). But I was amazed by the lane discipline here. The slower car always stick to the left lane which makes overtaking much easier and with minimum risk. Set the cruise control to 70mph and I didn't use the brake at all the entire journey, maybe 4-5 times here and there. Covered huge distance in very less time inspite of sticking to a modest speed limit of 70 mph. Wish the lane discipline awareness spreads widely in India.

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

I was at the spot , were the accident happened , not sure about the number of little angels passed away. It was a kintergarden owned maruti omini and not a bus , the road was not tarred , it's not a river a small canal completely filled with water , the road is a canal bund converted to road , even a moron will not speed through that way but the omini driver did !

Every one was taking their mobile cameras and busy shooting pictures !

I don't know why , I didn't took any snaps , I was exhausted by seeing all the life less bodies of little angels and their bags , shoes , tiffin carriers , empty water bottles ......

Let's pray for their parents to get strength to face this catastrophe !

This accident took place just about a Kilometer from my home. I didn't even have the courage to go to that location. I felt so numb after seeing the news that 4 kids passed away.

The driver was a 19 year old kid! Shouldn't be driving a school van at that age when one has speed in his blood!! Parents should have already complained about a 'kid driver' driving their loved ones to school.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by nim_peter

Just came back from a 1000 mile trip here in UK. Not much difference between the motorways here and the express ways in India(Mumbai-Pune and Thrichy-Chennai). But I was amazed by the lane discipline here....

You may still notice a big difference between the drivers who have just left London and those elsewhere.

[sunishsamuel]

Originally Posted by clevermax

The driver was a 19 year old kid! Shouldn't be driving a school van at that age when one has speed in his blood!! Parents should have already complained about a 'kid driver' driving their loved ones to school.

Well the problem is that, till something happens no one will say anything because everyone likes to "adjust" and now that someone is a victim they will raise a hue and cry. Looks the kid was doing the job for past two years per malayalam news channels (?)

Saw these recently on a trip to Chennai.

- Alto got sandwiched between the railings and truck, the truck driver ws very much there and was not being abused or attacked by the mob, i got click the pics very soon after the incident, the alto got "L" board
- The van once came on 4 wheels was driven rash and the driver was honking to glory, guess no one learned anything from the incident !
- The santro was lying near a toll booth, the attender was casually telling that all people in the car "washed out" Looks like a sandwich or possibly damaged while rescuing the passengers.

[silversteed]

^^^ first pic. I feel the SUP bars did their job. Else the Alto would've been crushed by the trailer's rear wheels. It looks like the truck was trying to cut into the right lane, from the position of the cabin. If that really was the case, then the trucker is to be punished. Another scenario - if the Alto was trying to squeeze into the lane and overtake the truck before the truck completed the lane switching, then I'd say that the accident serves the Alto guy right. Either way, I hope the Alto occupants won't be hurt badly

[Aiel]

There was an accident on Bannerghatta Road, just before the Himagiri Meadows turning. It happened sometime early morning yesterday (Feb. 19) around 5 and was cleared before the morning crowd came out.



There seemed to be no casualities.

[DRIV3R]

Come Sunday morning and there is rash driving all over!

Spotted these two TATA siblings not very far from each other.

1) An Indigo Manza AURA ABS, driven by a student rashly, unbuckled, lost control over a slight turn (Apparently he was doing triple digit speeds), and came to the other side hit the pavement, and then an electric pole which was bent due to the impact. I shudder to think what would have happened if there was a 2 wheeler in his trajectory.

2) A Indica Vista, t-boned by a Skoda. (Not sure if it's an Octy/Laura)

[DRIV3R]

MODS: Pardon for the back to back posts. Had to cos of the number of pics.

The Manza's front right wheel was deflated due to the impact. And the A-pillar had lost it's structural integrity. Parts were hanging.

[EP.]

Remember seeing accident picture 10 years back, whenever a car hits an electric pole, you usually don't expect people in it to live. Look at the picture, he was reportedly doing triple digit speeds (he obviously slowed down before collision) and the passenger cage is almost intact from the pictures.

Looks like he hit his head on the windshield. Are the victims ok?

[DRIV3R]

It was just a guy in the car. He was ok except for a few cuts. He hit his face on the windshield cos he was not buckled. His friends came in a nano to pick him up.

[BurningHeart]

Saw this total write off (brand new, 3000 km) Cruze LT in Bangalore.



Apparently it was driven by a 20 year old who was participating in some amateur road racing on the ORR from Banashankari. He was overtaking some poor soul at triple digit speeds and crashed into the divider ripping his front right fenders and the alloys (they were sheared and chipped off).






The engine is damaged The car lifted off and it was airborne for sometime and it crashed into a lamp post standing on the divider bending the whole chassis, right at the center.


The engine is damaged too. The car is so new that it still has plastic covers in the rear seats. What a waste of (papa's) money!

BH.

[prince_pervez]

^^I liked the color on the car. Highly unfortunate and sad to see this happen to the car. Any idea on the condition of the 20 year old ?