[GTO]

Always maintain a safe distance, especially if the vehicle in front is a commercial vehicle.

What to do when the car's rolling back toward you? Well, HONK...usually works in 99% of the cases. You can also try flashing your headlights to get the drivers attention.

Originally Posted by mooza

A car (Wagon R, in this case) which had stopped ahead of me at a traffic signal, started rolling back towards my Scorpio

And you were worried? I mean, what could a WagonR possibly do to your Scorpio at that speed

a. Start reversing your car too.

d. Carry small pebbles in your car to throw at his car to alert him!

[mooza]

Dear All, Thanks a lot for the suggestions. Flashing lights was something which never flashed across my mind in such situations . I will do this (alongwith the honking & yelling) the next time. Also, I think I will maintain more distance. Cheers, Mohit

[anainar]

I have had my share of heart in mouth situations as well. The vehicle ahead of me was not a car but a truck. It was on a high way and luckily no one behind me, so I backed up a few feet in a frenzy, honking like mad because if the truck gains momentum rolling back, it is tough to stop in inches. So, then on, when stopped behind trucks on inclines, I leave a large gap. Abandon ship is the last option though...

Inside the city, we dont have that luxury to leave space. I have faced such situations in the road opposite to Forum mall where it is an incline and a signal. There I am always extra careful and see who is ahead of me. If the guy is staying on the incline without his brake lights on, that means either he is in parking brakes or managing with clutch. Either case, an alert driver and no need to worry. If the dude/dudette stays with their brake lights on, be extra careful as there is a possibility of rolling back.

Nainar

[watashi75]

A person won't roll back his car on purpose. Some might roll back if the car stalls so that the power brake turns off. Some might roll back if they are slow at releasing the clutch. In both cases they would try to recover and not continue rolling back. Blasting your horns behind them would probably just add to his nervousness, especially in case of a newbie driver.

The best approach would be to roll back a little looking at the traffic behind. This is of course difficult to do if you have been tailgating. In most scenarios a 3-4 metre gap with the front car is sufficient to move out of the way

I had the experience of a truck rolling back on me on a ghat road. I rolled back and avoided a possible collision. Somehow the truck stopped while one helper got off and put stones behind.

[clevermax]

I have had such minor hits from other cars, but I usually don't care about it because mostly I don't get any damage at all. Reason being this happens mostly from newbie drivers who drive an alto or the likes.

If you drive a Maruti, its a cause of concern as the bumper will tend to get misaligned or dented on a slightest hit.

What I do? I honk & take reverse if there is no one at the back. Taking the car forward to stop the other car from rolling is a bad idea as you will end up being the culprit.

Originally Posted by watashi75

A person won't roll back his car on purpose. Some might roll back if the car stalls so that the power brake turns off.

Even though engine stalls, there will be enough power left for two or three taps on the brake pedal in most of the cars, so it can be a very unlikely cause of rolling back.

The very likely cause of car rolling back is lack of expertise in driving.

[contactme27]

Practically, there is no solution for this situation. Just pray yourself, for less damage.

By honking at wild will only make the front driver more panic. we hit these situations when the other driver do not know how to roll forward his car on slopes.

The solution is to make aware of the technique to drive on slopes.

[DieselFan]

90% of cases of rollbacks are newbies to driving on a slope. While stopping at a signal on a slope beware and leave sufficient gap between your car and the vehicle in front of it and just pray that there is no rollback. If there is a rollback all you can do is honk with shout (If possible).

[watashi75]

I fail to understand how honking and shouting would help if it is a newbie driver rolling back due to lack of expertise.

[gajadonga]

I had a hit by the sand lorry about 4yrs back.I was tailing the lorry when suddenly he braked I slowed down and stopped about 50 meters from the lorry but the driver of the lorry seeing a Rto official in front of him just backed his lorry without even thinking breaking my front glass and a lot of bumps on my bonnet luckily hearing the breaking of glass he stopped and fled from the lorry.I had the experience of driving the car with broken front glass.

[vasudeva]

I take these actions (with success entirely uncertain)
1. honk loud initially.
2. if this fails, honk again, provided there is till margin.
3. reverse if possible.
4. if nothing works, wait for a crunch; and take it.
5. no physical altercations at all, no matter what.

Fortunately, I have suffered very little damage in more than 2 lakh km of driving.
The best precaution on a slope is to keep a larger distance than is usual on an even road.

[phamilyman]

Yaar, you have a scorpio and you worry so much?

If the guy ahead is a total loser, or is busy chatting up his girlfriend or busy doing her nails (no this has actually happened!!) then you will get a broken number plate. Get used to it and get over it.

PS: The broken number plate was courtesy a lazy ambassador cab - so unless someone deliberately reverses, I'd think that/lost paint is the max one needs to worry about!

[myavu]

what about a bumper bag (something like airbag) but which can be activated through a switch in dash? Kidding

Honking and flashing head lamps will do the needful 99.99%.

I remember something now. Around 10 years back in Kakkanad, Kochi, we friends where traveling in a Mini-bus owned/driven by my friend. Suddenly a female driven Omni start rolling back near a traffic intersection (which was bit slope and not crowded). My friend honked, flashed lights, we few sitting along the front few seats start yelling, hitting the metal body no use. The Omni came slowly hit the front of the Mini-bus with a low thud, rest there few seconds started and driven away. We got so agitated and irritated (age factor) chased her down and yelling "don't you have ears, eyes, bla-bla-bla. To the shock, she roll down the window and politely with a lame smiley face " I don't know to start and dive a vehicle on slop. My engine stalled and this was the only way to start and move" We have no answer!!!

Cheers!

[aargee]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Here's what you can do.
To prevent it from happening, leave a big gap between you and the guy ahead at all signals. Make it a habit. It should be big but not enough for a scooterist to get in between you two or else the car ahead will hit the scooter and then the scooter will hit you.

Well in my opinion, when the two wheelers see the roll, they squeze their way out or come back & hit our car & argue with us - "what can I do? You ask him"

This is an incident that happened 3 years back when me & my wife were celeberating our second honeymoon. We started off from Pondi at 07:15 towards Chidambaram & were waiting at a signal to turn right. I was shocked to see a college bus (deliberately not mentioning the name) was reversing (yes reversing at a signal at early morning hours) & banged my WagonR's bonnet despite honking for several seconds (the twin roots spider did good job but failed).

Rest is left to you to imagine on our spoiled mood, but a mere waste on the insurance for 7500 for the bonnet including the labour. The best we could do was to argue & take 3000 Rs from the bus owner in 5 hours.

Pondicherry is the place where one can see people walking in left most lane & bike riders sometimes on footpath & people cross over the median as U turns are not allowed. They follow traffic rules. Someone walks upto the middle of the road & then think why he had come here & where he needs to go next. One needs to be like lord Indra (with 1000 eyes) to drive in Pondicherry.

[mooza]

Originally Posted by aargee

Rest is left to you to imagine on our spoiled mood, but a mere waste on the insurance for 7500 for the bonnet including the labour. The best we could do was to argue & take 3000 Rs from the bus owner in 5 hours.

Lot of damage and heartbreak there indeed! Hope your ride got back into shape soon.
This discussion has also set me thinking afresh on the problem.
Maybe on all vehicles, we could have an audible sensor based system (similar to the reversing sensor), which should give a loud alarm when the vehicle rolls back to say within 1 metre of another vehicle. Of course, there could be unwanted alarms in bumper to bumper traffic, for which some further thinking is required. Hope R & D gurus could do something on this!

[Fornax]

Had a similiar experience - an auto was stationary on an incline. I stopped a foot or two behind him, but then he started rolling down, and ultimately rested against my car. Zero damage to both, but I still went ahead and shouted at him Dont you have hand-brakes? He coolly shook his head and said no. I couldn't help but smile back and return to my incredible Indica.