[chaitanyakrish]

We very often observe that driving in Indian cities is stressful as everyone wants to outsmart each other in a never ending race and ultimately making everyone's drive risky.


Adding salt to the injury, with lack of adequate public transport, most people started using cars with poor driver training/education.
We can get away from a minor crash in cities by not following the rules, but the same mistake on the highway could be disastrous.

Example, here we can see a driver reversing on a 80kmph speed highway.
What is the source of confidence for him? He might have done the same many times on city roads.

https://youtu.be/NXfA-sJ9mNI

Somehow I feel, driving in our dense city traffic is spoiling the way people drive.

1. No one uses indicators
2. Squeezing and going
3. Not checking blindspots
4. Weaving
5. Not yielding at intersections
6. Not keeping safe following distance
7. No Lane discipline
8. Overtaking using road shoulder etc
9. Excessive Honking and the list is endless.

https://youtu.be/LFsT1r7OZSg

Our cities are where people should learn safe driving habits and save themselves on the highways,but unfortunately they're becoming breeding grounds of :
1. Road Rage
2. Impatience
3. Tailgating
4. Cutting lanes
5. Excessive horns etc.
Highway driving is like test cricket,it requires accuracy, knowledge, patience and planning the drive like a well planned innings.
Unfortunately, everyone is playing like T20 cricket and some are getting out.


We need to reduce excessive risk taking on highways. Unfortunately, the more times we encounter risk and get away, the more optimism bias creeps in and we attempt the same on highways and get caught by surprise.

How to develop good habits which can be life saving on highways?
1. Use indicators even if no one is using
2. Follow the proper MSM routine
3. Plan your drive well
4. Follow lane discipline etc

Share your thoughts.

[SiddharthR]

I agree. There is a lot more risk when driving on highways. Driving in city traffic, while the chance of scratches to your car are high - it is very difficult to do something stupid enough to have a deadly accident. Highways on the other hand - if you aren't paying attention, it is very possible to lose your life

[deathwalkr]

It all boils down to a "I want to get ahead" mentality many of us have. Whether it be in a queue or on the road...rules be damned and safety be cast to the winds.

[SS-Traveller]

I remember this incident from a couple of decades ago: someone who always drove an Ambassador in the city of Kolkata, and on the highways of West Bengal, in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, came visiting me in Delhi. Contextually, the streets of Kolkata and highways of West Bengal in those days were some of the most congested, and average speeds could be in the low 10s (kmph) or even slower. In contrast, Delhi had wide and smooth roads, no speed limits, and most importantly, very few cars compared to the capacity of the roads. I had a Maruti 800, and it was fun to drive at 80-90 kmph, or even faster.

That kind of speed left my guest a little terrified, and he asked me to slow down a few times. I handed him the wheel one day, and he wouldn't go past 40-50 kmph! He wasn't used to higher speeds. His conditioning was such that his senses weren't comfortable at higher speeds.

Today, everyone has been in a car that goes fast, so their senses are conditioned to move at 100 kmph and even more. Yet, when they start to drive (usually in a congested city), they are forced to drive slower (and often, in their quest to go faster, they cause accidents). Once out on the highway, they experience the freedom to fly - and they do. Except, no one has taught them the rules, told them how to control a fast, powerful vehicle, or explained the consequences of a high-speed crash.

When one gets one's driving licence by driving at 10-15 kmph, one is not qualified to drive at 100 kmph (or even faster, influenced by social media and friends). The practice of automated DL testing (Why automated driving licence testing in India produces dangerous drivers) is destroying whatever chances new drivers have, of acquiring some skills and knowledge before driving fast.

[Yesterdaysnews]

Change can happen only when we who know change and betterment will demand and educate about change and betterment. We need to hold people accountable and demand accountability from law and authorities. We need to invest ourselves and our time and effort into bringing about change. We also, of course first and foremost need to be the change that we want to be or see.

We need to stop in front of people going in the wrong way, either in cities or on highways and demand that they take the right route.

We need to stop and demand drivers with high beams on to switch to low beams.

We CAN be the forebears of change, not merely pen our thoughts.

Unfortunately, I think most of us on team bhp, while having the power to drive change, are rather content on being arm chair activists.

Going against the forum rules, and risking a ban - I do think we are moderated by a very good team of people who keep the bullshit away from this forum - and no easy task that - but also by a moderation team that are content only on content, but not on any actually ground breaking change or a revolution, though the forum does have the power to do so.

Perhaps we can demand a change of thinking from the mods, and from GTO himself - who we all know have a VERY logical thinking - to make this a place and a forum to drive change and bring about a better driving experience for all of us in India!

[bpm_km]

I have to admit that I have a very dim view of the future of India's driving culture. With people lapping up cars as though they are apparel, the arrogance behind the wheel is only getting worse and common sense, as always gets tossed out of the window. Obviously the RTOs are least motivated to bring about any lasting change and it's only going to deteriorate.

Because transport is such a crucial part of our lives, I strongly feel traffic culture (in addition to civic culture) should be a key part of young students' curriculum in schools across classes or grades (for which the teachers also need to be trained appropriately) so that at least the next generation of drivers become responsible (by and large, the current generation is a lost cause in this regard). But it's going to be a long road ahead, in any case.

[GeeTee TSI]

Dense city crawls are fodder for violations and hazards because it is a dog-eat-dog world out there. Lack of surveillance and enforcement emboldens the neighbour to break rules leading to 'so shall I'. I have felt my own principles and resolutions erode when I take to very frequent city drives (which thankfully I do not regularly) whereas I feel I am at ease and more confident doing highway long hauls.

We humans not being saints, just give us logical infrastructure and rules with democratically and uniformly applied enforcement.

[discoverwild]

Originally Posted by chaitanyakrish

Somehow I feel, driving in our dense city traffic is spoiling the way people drive.

1. No one uses indicators
2. Squeezing and going
3. Not checking blindspots
4. Weaving
5. Not yielding at intersections
6. Not keeping safe following distance
7. No Lane discipline
8. Overtaking using road shoulder etc
9. Excessive Honking and the list is endless.

I might be sounding a bit contrarian here but here are things that I practice.
1. I use indicators to shift lanes only when there's a bottle neck of multiple vehicles. On a 4/6-lane highway, with ample space between vehicles, I do not indicate a lane change if I'm faster than the car I intend to overtake on his lane, provided he's at least a good 50m away.

2. Only in an emergency, with ample indication. If I can't make a maneuver without discomforting/brake checking the car behind, I do not take it.

3. Always use all the three mirrors. When in doubt, indicate or use the horn once.

4. An unfortunate circumstance in India, where slow moving vehicles occupy both lanes and sometimes there's one maniac coming in the opposite direction.

5. Right of way belongs to the highway. So if you are turning into the highway, give way to vehicles on the highway. If you're turning off the highway, indicate in advance (at least 200m), move to the correct lane (150m) and soft brake early (50m) before slowing down to make the turn.

6. The rubber band effect of traffic is very real with different vehicles, different loads, different drivers with different demeanors. Anticipate early and slow down in advance. Compulsorily indicate lane changes.

7. Same reasoning as above. Some of them hog two lanes by driving in the middle.

8. Definitely no. Use the shoulder only if you're avoiding something. No sudden steering inputs. Watch where you get off (height difference) and where you get back on.

9. Excessive honking and flashing lights is a bane. Best way to deal with it, is to give way and enjoy your drive.

How to develop good habits which can be life saving on highways?
1. Use indicators even if no one is using
2. Follow the proper MSM routine
3. Plan your drive well
4. Follow lane discipline etc

Share your thoughts.

This has been cultivated over 33 years of being behind the wheel for over 12L kms, driving hatchbacks to SUVs and LCVs.

I follow one golden rule my father taught me, when I get upset by someone's stupidity (like an autorickshaw cutting across forcing me to brake hard). He said, "That's how much that guy knows and that's why he's still driving an auto. If he knew better, he would move up the ladder. So, understand that and calm down. You know better."

Not all of us are privileged to drive and enjoy our drives on the highway. Most of them do it, because they don't have a choice and that's sustenance for them. Give them a bit of leverage and move on.

[chaitanyakrish]

Originally Posted by discoverwild

I might be sounding a bit contrarian here but here are things that I practice.

Good to see. We need to increase the number of drivers like you, on the roads.