[siddartha]

watchout for people sticking their heads out and throwing up from windows of buses.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by straightdrive

One more which I learnt by scary experience. Especially valid for night-time highway driving. On undivided two lane highways, try not to overtake by following a vehicle directly in front of you who is overtaking someone ahead at the same time. The driver whom you are following will be better able to see the traffic coming from the opposite direction (while your view may be blocked by his car) and he will also have more time to return to the correct lane after overtaking, as he is ahead of you.

Whereas you may suddenly see a car from the opposite direction approaching you with very little time for you to move out, immediately after the guy in front of you returns to his lane after overtaking.

Well said, dude. I'd mentioned this in my travelogue to Mumbai last year. We cannot afford to put into use the 'herd mentality' that is often used in city driving.

Another tip--when you cannot see the gap between the vehicle overtaking and the vehicle being overtaken, do not rely on your co-passenger to tell you the coast is clear, especially if it is a woman or a person with no experience of highway driving. I once nearly paid the price for this. I relied on my wife's green signal and overtook a truck, and when I got a clear view after reaching the front door of the truck, I saw two speeding Ambassadors bearing down on me in the opposite direction. I was lucky that the truck driver sensed my problem and veered left, leaving room for me to steer left. It was also great that the Ambassadors found enough room beyond the edge of the tar road to steer clear of me.
It was plainly my fault for not relying on my own eyes. (On the contrary, my kids, who were under 10 at that time, thought it was the most thrilling moment of the entire drive, and they were guffawing in laughter at my nervousness).

[lordofgondor]

Another important thing while overtaking over blind turns or even normal driving over sharp curves is to keep a sharp eye on the road surface. On one of my mountain trips, while taking a sharp curve, the road suddenly disappeared and got replaced with gravel. Thank GOD and Formula 1 for giving me sharp reflexes and reverse lock technique that we didn't bang into the mountain face. So we should be careful about our speeds and watchful for any deterioration of the road surface.

[Blur]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

...do not rely on your co-passenger to tell you the coast is clear, especially if it is a woman or a person with no experience of highway driving.
I was lucky that the truck driver sensed my problem and veered left, leaving room for me to steer left.

Vnabhi, you are one lucky soul. Truck drivers don't usually display such generosity. Bless him!
And at no point of time, overtaking or otherwise, should one trust the judgement of your co-passenger. When you do the driving, you do the judging.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

(On the contrary, my kids, who were under 10 at that time, thought it was the most thrilling moment of the entire drive, and they were guffawing in laughter at my nervousness)

Brave kids

[watashi75]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Another tip--when you cannot see the gap between the vehicle overtaking and the vehicle being overtaken, do not rely on your co-passenger to tell you the coast is clear, especially if it is a woman or a person with no experience of highway driving.

Yes, you should not rely on your co-passengers if they are new or inexperienced - there are too many opportunities for miscommunication.

I can relate one personal experience. Sometimes when I had to overtake a slow vehicle from left and could not see, I used to ask my wife if the left lane was clear. After quite sometime I realized that my wife was only checking if the left lane was free behind us and not if it was clear in front.

[Bubby]

Originally Posted by Blur

One little trick, although NOT RECOMMENDED, while trying a tailgate overtake.

Hang back, just a little, from the vehicle being overtaken and position yourself such that you can see through the gap created between it and the overtaking vehicle. This will give you a clear view of the road ahead.

Well quoted, its a very useful and somewhat safe approach as compared blindly tailgating the vehicle in front.

I learnt it from my Dad

[Bubby]

Originally Posted by watashi75

I can relate one personal experience. Sometimes when I had to overtake a slow vehicle from left and could not see, I used to ask my wife if the left lane was clear. After quite sometime I realized that my wife was only checking if the left lane was free behind us and not if it was clear in front.

Goodness me
Thats very typical of wifes, one should always ask the question, if your co-passenger is himself a frequent driver. The question shouldnt be asked to someone who has never ever driven.

[Zenster]

Great Points brought forward fellas, keep it up!!

Here is what i'd like to add to the list. I learnt this the while my early morning (pre-dawn) drives to office in Bangalore roads. Its just a small tip i'm experienced drives know this already.

When i drive on empty roads with no dividers or with a junction approaching. Even after honking, i still keep my eyes locked on the road and the surrounding area where the light-beam of an on coming vehicle would fall. This helps me judge from a fair distance that some is coming and i better HONK hard and slow down if reqd. In the early-hours that i travel, i have encountered many situation when Sumo Cabbies race around at speeds at which they cannot control the car or its braking. 'It helps me to let them know that I exist on the same road, well in advance '

There is one more situation this Light-Tracking helps in night driving and that is when at a crossing/junction a biker tries to whitsle past a slower car in the lane at 90' (perpendicular) to mine. If the car he is overtaking at that point is bigger than the car then there is no way i pick it up unless it roars out that loud fro the exhaust

Hope this helps new drivers like me.

[lohithrao]

Would like to add my bit:

When tailing a bus or truck, ensure if their is no other vehicle in front...if so need to calculate on that before overtaking. have seen too many people getting into trouble just because they thought that thier is no other vehicle in front of that truck/bus....

[Guna]

Originally Posted by lohithrao

Would like to add my bit:

When tailing a bus or truck, ensure if their is no other vehicle in front...if so need to calculate on that before overtaking. have seen too many people getting into trouble just because they thought that thier is no other vehicle in front of that truck/bus....

This is also true for those long carrier trucks. some of them actually have it written at the back so that other drivers dont mistake it for the normal trucks.

[neeld]

Originally Posted by Guna

Somewhat related situation is, when you see a bus which is stopped to pick up/drop off passengers, people from across the road may run across in a hurry to catch the bus. They may not pay attention to other vehicles coming their way in the hurry. This is especially true in small towns and villages along highways. So, when you see a bus, watch out both sides of the road!

In small towns and villages I often come across children (2-10 yrs) crossing / running near the road. They just come in front and try to outrun (cross) even when they have seen the vehicle . Should be extra careful when near villages and see children running around there.

[sridhu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-0E2Nxtm6o

If you did not watch the image, it shows a car cutting across 2 lanes into an exit lane and ramming into a parked truck she could not see because she was coming out from behind another truck.

I have seen this kind of things being done multiple times on Indian roads. Of late, I have seem 'intelligent', aggressive drivers overtake a car slowing down for a speed breaker by moving over into the empty oncoming lane. Near a T junction (In Koramangala, if you must know) twice I have almost had an accident when I was coming from the side lane and taking a right turn into the main road. THe main road has the breaker precisely to slow down people enough to allow the turn. But because of the drivers in hurry coming on the wrong lane at speed (whom I cant see behind the truck which is slowing down at the speed breaker) I almost ran into them.

Take care folks & make a move only if you can see the road ahead is clear.

[trek]

Thanks for putting up the video. The crash was chilling and I wonder if the occupants survived!

This is a horrific reminder of the consequences of bad driving habits. I will admit, I am one of those guys who gets impatient behind a slowly driven vehicle. I need to be patient and this video will be a reminder.

Thanks again.

[sridhu]

Originally Posted by trek

Thanks for putting up the video. The crash was chilling and I wonder if the occupants survived!

This is a horrific reminder of the consequences of bad driving habits. I will admit, I am one of those guys who gets impatient behind a slowly driven vehicle. I need to be patient and this video will be a reminder.

Thanks again.

From the Jalopnik Report , the driver was severely injured & in a coma, but survived.

If the post & the video help remind one of us of the possible consequences and prevents us from taking that risk just once, I would consider it worth posting.

[paragsachania]

Dangerous! Totally uncalled maneuver but that's when accidents happen everywhere.

Over confidence - That you can easily manage cutting across fast moving traffic safely along with further assurance that there will always be green carpet on the lane that you are blindly going to jump into.

Forget hitting the parked truck, even a slight sweep during such criss-crossing manoeuvre can make your car spin in circles and make it topple creating havoc on an expressway kind of a road resulting in serial accidents.

I have been telling this multiple times and have had fights with friends and family whenever we are driving and we have missed an exit either due to lack of signage or a last moment direction from your close friend helping you navigate – It is OK to drive 20 kms ahead and take the next exit but never indulge in such dangerous circus please.

Be aware where the next exit is. If you are not, look at the maps or the signage and start changing lanes gradually and start hinting tailgaters by slowing down. This usually ensures they don’t have to brake for you and create a slow grid behind them. If you know that it is getting too risky and you may not be able to exit in time, exercise patience and decide the next course of action – Ideally, decide about the next exit or the detour to reach your destination but NEVER STOP!

Never brake abruptly in the center of the road thinking your Hazard lights will save you from a collision behind and you can now use hand gestures (let’s not refer these as hand signals)will pass hints to a relatively faster traffic about your intent to take the exit

Never try to reverse in the middle (or even the shoulder) . Mind you, most of the drivers would always be under the impression that the vehicle ahead is moving and not stationary. In this case, they only have to be extremely cautious to judge that you are reversing. Your reverse lights and Hazards may become visible and send signals way too late for them to react too.

A classic example in Bangalore is the stretch from Hebbal to Windsor Manor where I have witnessed 100s of morons who miss an exit and try all these stunts instead of just driving ahead and taking the next exit. The other section is the Mumbai-Vadodara highway where we have too many missing agents.

As they say – Time is Money, But Life is precious and we all Live to Drive!!