[SamDiablo]

Originally Posted by binand

Driver merging onto a highway from my right, left, above, below - whatever - does not have the right of way.

Was the Vento or Prasanna's car following all the rules in this situation? Were they within the speed limits? Point is not on who has what and how many rights. In my opinion this is first an intersection then a highway not otherwise. One cannot conveniently chose to ignore one set of rules and expect others to follow all. My point being that we all should be more considerate towards situation and others. Thanks.

[electric_eel]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

The bus clearly has stopped to pick up passengers. Honda City driver is merging into the highway from the opposite lane and totally ignores that the Vento (car before mine) is oncoming at good speeds. Vento now has no way to divert and had to brake hard.


https://Youtu.be/QMKUQf-AFPU?si=QhG4QH_3p_McapWl

The vento might have been legally correct but defensive driving suggests slowing down because of at least two major reasons.

1. Approaching junctions: Just two days ago I was saved from being rear-ended because of this and leaving enough gap in front (I cannot control the gap behind me).

2. A bus in the left lane picking/dropping passengers (The bus should have moved to the service lane if there was one). When ever a public transport vehicle is stationary one needs to be extra cautious. Particularly in cities I do not overtake and wait behind. I have lost the count of how may times this one rule has saved me from hitting a pedestrian (a passenger who gets out of the bus and runs across for catching another waiting one). Situation like this is very common in morning rush hours, school area etc.

My point is one can discuss as much as one wants about right of the way, what the city should have done etc but the bottom line is, there is a chance for a pile up there. We should do everything possible to avoid that.

[chaitanyakrish]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Vento now has no way to divert and had to brake hard.

Originally Posted by MT_Hyderabad

Expect vehicles, people, cattle to cross, take U Turns and whatever things possible.

Originally Posted by binand

Driver merging onto a highway from my right, left, above, below - whatever - does not have the right of way.

Originally Posted by electric_eel

The vento might have been legally correct but defensive driving suggests slowing down because of at least two major reasons.

As per right of way, U turn has the least priority, so the U turn taking car must wait.
However, we cannot expect everyone to obey right of way as right of way is given not taken. Whenever two vehicles need to occupy same space on the road, one of them had to give way as per right of way rules.
If the vehicle which needs to give way, does not give way, the other vehicle shouldn't crash to prove that he had the right of way as every driver must try whatever they can to prevent a crash.

In this case, Vento driver had to look at the wheels of the U turn taking car. If they're slowly crawling forward, then it shows that, he will take the U turn before we reach the spot and we must slowdown.

[binand]

Originally Posted by SamDiablo

Point is not on who has what and how many rights.

I was only replying to the completely wrong statement that "driver merging on the highway [...] is on your right side and he can say that he has the right of way".

Anyone merging onto a highway has to always yield to someone already on the highway.

Originally Posted by SamDiablo

Was the Vento or Prasanna's car following all the rules in this situation? Were they within the speed limits?

Basing this opinion purely on what Prasanna posts here (obviously there could be high selection bias in this): he comes across as a thoughtful, law-abiding, fully-in-control driver. I have not ever tried to second guess his actions from his dashcam grabs.

[electric_eel]

Originally Posted by MT_Hyderabad

You will see a runner freezing in his act here.

https://Youtu.be/oohuqIRckrE?si=yZbpbhTU6_TRN04V

This is exactly the problem I was saying about overtaking a stationary public transport. The runner most likely wanted to catch the bus that was across the road. Thanks for getting a video with exactly the point I wanted to illustrate.

[SamDiablo]

Originally Posted by binand

Basing this opinion purely on what Prasanna posts here (obviously there could be high selection bias in this): he comes across as a thoughtful, law-abiding, fully-in-control driver. I have not ever tried to second guess his actions from his dashcam grabs.

I'm not saying anything that Prasanna is wrong here. If there are mistakes (consciuolsy or otherwise) happening in that incident, it starts with Bus stopping where it should not. Secondly Verna driver taking chances with traffic which is at higher speed than it's own, lastly Vento driver not anticipating that it is slowly turning into a situation where extra precaution is the best course of action. In my opinion Prasanna was just caught in the situation with almost no fault of his.

In fact this situation caught my attention because having driving on Krishnagiri - Salem stretch almost on weekly basis for last couple of years, I have seen similar situations so many times. These four lane highways, with so many barricades, U turn / intersection points tend to create this type of dangerous situation continuously. Earlier I used to think that everybody should respect right way. Unfortunately it doesn't happen like that. This forum and this particular thread itself has taught me that hope for the best and be prepared for the worst. Safety is much more important than gaining few seconds or minute.

[MT_Hyderabad]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

There is something called a right of way. Just because there is an intersection with barricades and rumble strips, you can't just merge like an idiot into the highway when there are oncoming vehicles.

We slowed down, if you watched the video clearly. And where was I trying to overtake

The driver of the city cannot observe what is behind the barricade, moreover, he has to turn and his field of view has to change once he starts turning. It is the oncoming traffic that has clear view of the car.

Coming to Right of way. As per MV act, it is quite clear what has to be done on intersections and who has the right of way. I am attaching the Intersection section here.

When you were entering the intersection, the car was already on it.

Regarding Overtake. You were moving in your lane behind the Vento, but when Vento started slowing down, you tried to overtake it from the left and crossed over to the other lane, only to find the barricade, which forced you to move back. Image attached.

I have done that and recorded this also. I was driving behind an XUV, when it started slowing down. I started moving to the other lane to overtake it, only to find a tyre on the road. The lane marking were moving under the car exactly how they were moving in your video, hence I know what you were trying to do. Video link attached.

https://youtu.be/vkOTCg20pvA?si=oyoDaqzsS70S0aq-

The bottomline is: While approaching an intersection, please slow down in such a way that you can avoid unexpected, foolish behaviour of others. There could have been passengers who deboarded the bus from the front side crossing the road and what not.

An example of such an unexpected event is in this post in the accidents thread. I blamed the car driver for this accident a few posts below. If we are not slowing down and driving defensively in such intersections, the blame lies on us.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...ml#post5479560 (Accidents in India | Pics & Videos)

[naveen.raju]

I couldnt understand why there was an headrest on the middle front seats. Then realised it was the driver's head. I could see a girl beside him as well. They could have been on te slow track for their romancing. Chose the worst road in Cochin for this. They wont be able to have a "good time" - and at the same time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOMnD0o7VRg

[funkykar]

Spotted minutes ago. A bad example being set by AP police, that too towing 2 vehicle simultaneously.

On other hand, not a surprise to see decades old never say die Totota Qualis doing the towing of 2 Ford Ecosports simultaneously

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ykv84_tz...zMmJSG850lQJ1X

[naveen.raju]

Saw this moron yesterday. This stretch of road is wide and totally empty. Although most guys are decent here (Central Gov offices - Custom, Port etc), there are some guys like this.

Just few months, a drunk central employee met with an accident killing a biker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be88SJQURsc

Audio muted for obvious reasons

btw, that's the exit toll so no need to stop.

[Mustang Sammy]

This gentleman in the Baleno is a classic example of drivers who do not look in their side view mirrors. He nearly drove into my car while merging onto a flyover, and was completely oblivious to my honking and warning flashing lights.
So many entitled fools on our roads.

[greyhound82]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

They wont be able to have a "good time" - and at the same time

A kind suggestion is to mask the number plate as this may end up in a crime/domestic violence.

[URWELCOME]

Hello All,

Spotting BAD drivers has become very easy. we just step out and there we find them.
Especially in Bangalore. Wrong side driving, using cell phone while driving and parking on roads as per their convenience. Add to this are kids wheeling their Dio/Activa on narrow roads.
Seems Traffic Police dept has taken sabbatical leave.

[Capri89]

Notice the biker from the left.

https://youtu.be/Sjw17D5aSow

[Small Bot]

Originally Posted by Capri89

Notice the biker from the left.

If you're referring to the Scooter Speedster who zips in front of the truck at the end of the clip, yes, that's very risky. I've seen the aftermath of a cement truck crushing a bike rider down in southern TN and believe me, it was gory to the point of making me wince and almost puke.

Lack of safety gear, driving recklessly with a passanger behind him, cutting in front of a moving block of metal, while almost hitting a pedestrian - such people drive as if there are only two modes in their lives: lucky or dead.

I passively wonder if it was testosterone that drives people to do this. Whatever it is, people like him are ticking time bombs on the road.