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-   -   Bad Drivers - How do you spot 'em (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-safety/3580-bad-drivers-how-do-you-spot-em-256.html)

In a country where everyone feels like they have a special deal with God :) and where something as basic as helmets is still considered a nuisance, how could you expect such a miracle to happen?
Jokes apart I can understand your position but I guess our country is still in the state of transformation. With education and more importantly more and more cars coming up on our roads and the associated hazards, people are gradually accepting safety as a reasonable parameter too. Still Many times we have to just hold ourselves back. My uncle is used to driving his car with both his ORVMs closed and also finds seat belts irritating. I have tried to reason out a lot of times but sometimes you just cant do enough to convince a person. Habits once formed are very difficult to change.

BTW even I am a culprit when it comes to having sat on your dad's lap and driven the car as a kid. stupid: Ofcourse the traffic was much lesser in the early 90s and also people were even less informed than now.

Came across a 3 car crash on BETL at about 5 PM. This was on the lane from Ecity to Madiwala.

Thanks to the rains there was a bit of water logging on the right (fast) lane. Most cars were well under the speed limit and right fully so, given the conditions (poor visibilty, made worse by water sprayed by vehicles going through water on the road).

It appears the driver of the first car (A Star) driving the fast lane decided to slow down for one such water logged area. The invetiable happened as he was back ended by two other cars.

I know the rule states that we need to maintain adequate distance from the vehicle in front, but we also expect the driver in front not to do anything out of the ordinary, especially when visibilty is poor.

The accident was closer to Ecity. It appered that all were ok. They were out of their cars having what seemed to be a mature discussion devoid of any hysterics.

Drive safe.

That is a wrong expectation, not to mention the fact that slowing down for waterlogging is not out of the ordinary.

The distance between us and the guy in front should be enough to cope with completely unexpected actions, whether it is being just plain stupid, or seeing something ahead which we can't see or haven't seen. It should be enough, even, to cope with him coming to a physics-defying dead halt.

And, all this especially when the visibility is poor.

Agree with you there. Even in the countries with much better evolved traffic systems, the safe distance concept is followed to avert/react to unexpected situations. Some people have overconfidence in their skills/machine and they tend to follow way too close for comfort. I would let such morons go rather than let them stick right behind me, even if that means slowing down a little bit to let them pass.

It is much safer to have such an idiot in front of you than behind you.

I try to remember that --- but being a very imperfect human, sometimes I just can't resist giving the guy some exercise in using his gear box. The point is that it is not only giving them space, it is giving yourself space to change lane or overtake, or whatever appropriate action, whereas if they do actually stop, any you are right on top of them, you're trapped. Even in stationary traffic, it is good to have space to steer around the vehicle in front without having to back up: it is not unknown for them to break down, run into the person in front of them, etc etc.

Seat-belts save you even when you're absolutely stationary.

Very few people understand this.

It's definitely all about multi-tasking but why do you think parents keep their kids on their lap while being in driving seat? For sure they know the dangers (but not to the extent we think it is ) they simply believe nothing won't happen to them as they have done this many times in the past.

As mentioned by Dr Mohit we are still evolving in terms of following road safety. As simple task as keeping seat belts on is more of habit that needs to be inculcated right from the first time a person holds the steering of a car to drive.

To me it all starts with making the license procedure strict and meaningful which should ensure that before we even start driving a person should know all the basic road signs, know what are the bare minimum steps one needs to take to ensure safety of himself/herself along with their family.

See many a bad drivers everyday on Kochi roads these days. Just like the number of vehicles the baddie's tribe also is on the rise.The bus is blocking the left turn and the Figo also went inching forward to the left lane and when signal cleared there was total bedlam.

In this picture see many a baddies and I am not masking their plates.
The Scorpio and the Dezire wanting to go straight blocking me from taking the free left turn. Then the guy with his left ORVM hanging embarking on an unwanted antic.

In the first picture below see all the motorists patiently waiting for the signal and a rare scene in any city and suddenly two baddies blotted the copy book.

Rajeev. Nice phots. Though I would suggest you concentrate on driving. You are diverting your concentration, and traffic seems to be bad.

Rajeev, in a two lane choked up road, I doubt, the left lane would be exclusively meant for left-turn-only. As per my understanding, unless a lane is specifically marked as "left-turn only", it can be used for people going straight as well.

Take a look again, you will come to know of it.

• There are three lanes out there and the Scorpio is partially on the extreme left and center lanes.
• The Dezire is on the left most lane blocking traffic to the left.
• See the Police signage indicating a free left.

Hope it is clear now.
Thanks for the advice. But though I am behind the wheel, the vehicle is at a standstill.

Sorry,my mistake. Missed the signage completely.

In the pic with Dezire on extreme left, the red Dezire is also indicating to go left.

Its always pain to drive in such narrow roads. :Frustrati

One of my friends was taking pics while driving (at very slow speed) in similar traffic condition, gave a long scratch on left doors of his car (Maruti 800) from a cycle rickshaw. Just shared my concern.

Nope. The Dezire was proceeding straight, he switched on the indicator to come to this lane from the middle one. But what is seen in the pic is his brake lights and the reflection on his turn indicator could probably be of my turn indicator.
Your concern is well taken. Thanks.

In Hyderabad, off late, I've observed 2 things which seems to be a habit -

1. Cutting across lanes with no indication to extreme 90 degree turns.
2. When taking a U-turn, another car trying to overtake and pull over next to you, there by blocking the view of the on coming traffic. This is so frustrating.

I can understand uneducated, ignorant shared auto drivers doing such stuff but its really saddening to see well educated people driving nice fancy cars do that.
Traffic sense seem to deteriorate from bad to worse day by day and every day drive has become a pain.

The charm of the drive lasts only till you pull out the car from your parking or when you are parking it back when you return home.:Frustrati