[condor]

And another :

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifti...vertaking.html

Mods, pls close / merge thread. Thanks ..

[simplyself]

This turning on the right indicator differs during day and night. Truck drivers, and most of the other users turn on the right indicator during the night to indicate to go on with over taking. But during the day, the same right indicator is used to denote turning right.

I sometimes use the hazard/four way flasher to indicate high speed sudden braking on highways to indicate the emergency of the situation to the users behind me. I dont think there is any rule like that or that I am aware of, but it gives out a sense of emergency to the users behind me. It works everytime.

Note from the Team-BHP Support Staff : Please use the "edit" button if posting within 15 minutes of the first post, instead of creating another back-to-back post

[hvkumar]

What does it mean when you are dimming your headlights at the oncoming vehicle, and the oncoming vehicle puts on his hazard lights (all indicators blazing)? I have seen this signal being used sometimes by truckers in the North. Is it to simultaneously guide me on the layout of the 2-lane road and also caution the guy behind him (the oncoming vehicle) not to overtake?

[greenhorn]

Is this what happens in the north?
Well, here the convention i've followed ( and seen others use is )

Left signal to yield and let the other fellow overtake ( logical, since the same thing happens if you are to make an actual left)

Right signal when I'm preparing to overtake so that The guy behind me doesn't start to overtake me.

I suppose there are different conventions everywhere

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

What does it mean when you are dimming your headlights at the oncoming vehicle, and the oncoming vehicle puts on his hazard lights (all indicators blazing)? I have seen this signal being used sometimes by truckers in the North. Is it to simultaneously guide me on the layout of the 2-lane road and also caution the guy behind him (the oncoming vehicle) not to overtake?

I am not sure what they are trying to convey in this particular context, but one common usage in India for the hazard lights is to indicate that the vehicle is going straight at a cross-road

The more common usage ( worlwide ) for the hazard-lights, while the vehicle is moving, is to indicate sudden braking in low visibility conditions, especially in the roads with higher speed limits. Though the brake lights do their part, the blinking orange hazard lights are supposed to be more effective in warning the vehicles coming behind.

.

[ghodlur]

I am always confused whether the dipper signal shown to the heavy trucks, tanker, trailers or for that matter concrete mixer trucks are ever being understood. I dont know whether they can see the signal at all coz most of them either do not have rear view mirrors of if they have they are at such a height that the dipper signal cannot reach. How do I indicate to them that I want to move ahead of them. I have tried on numerous occasions, but never got any response.
By default these heavy vehicles occupy the fast lanes and never move to other lanes unless continously honked. Some times the size intimidates me so much that I prefer to stay behind tham rather than overtake them. One wrong swing and I would be pulp.
How to deal with such heavy vehicles? Do I have to use the high beam to catch their attention? BHPians pls share.

[aargee]

Trucks & Bus use the left & right mirrors only & if they're awake & driving, yes, they'll be able to notice your dipper for sure. If they don't move from the fast lane, then wait for their signal to overtake or drive behind them.

What I generally do is, capture their attention by dipper & horn to state that I'm going to overtake, I start of gradually with overtaking & catch up till the middle & floor the pedal to quickly complete the overtaking.

[Alter_Ego]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

I am always confused whether the dipper signal shown to the heavy trucks, tanker, trailers or for that matter concrete mixer trucks are ever being understood. I dont know whether they can see the signal at all coz most of them either do not have rear view mirrors of if they have they are at such a height that the dipper signal cannot reach. How do I indicate to them that I want to move ahead of them. I have tried on numerous occasions, but never got any response.
By default these heavy vehicles occupy the fast lanes and never move to other lanes unless continously honked. Some times the size intimidates me so much that I prefer to stay behind tham rather than overtake them. One wrong swing and I would be pulp.
How to deal with such heavy vehicles? Do I have to use the high beam to catch their attention? BHPians pls share.

No use breaking your head hitting a wall.They never respond.The best solution to this is switch to the lane where you wanted the truck to switch when your started using your dipper.Even though its overtaking from the wrong side but truckers find it more convenient for a small car/SUV/sedan to switch lanes and overtake them rather than they moving the one feet diameter steering wheel and push the entire truck on the adjacent lanes.
Trust me I have traveled in trucks a dozen times along with the driver and he will really appreciate if the car/jeep coming from behind switches lanes and overtakes from the other lane.The truck driver's ego is not hurt when you overtake from the wrong side.They rather actually wish you well for helping them out

[bullinb]

Originally Posted by Alter_Ego

The best solution to this is switch to the lane where you wanted the truck to switch when your started using your dipper.Even though its overtaking from the wrong side but truckers find it more convenient for a small car/SUV/sedan to switch lanes and overtake them rather than they moving the one feet diameter steering wheel and push the entire truck on the adjacent lanes.

I disagree. Long distance truckers usually drive on the left lane in the highways and come to right only when overtaking and switch back to left after completing.

Do not try to squeeze in the gap when one truck has just finished overtaking the other. In all likelihood the truck that has finished overtaking would get back on left lane. I have seen innumerable times the inexperienced city drivers doing this and having to break suddenly.

Coming to the first question, even if they don't see you flashing in the RVM, reach of car headlight is usually farther than the truck's and it would be visible on the road and surroundings.

[Alter_Ego]

Originally Posted by bullinb

I disagree. Long distance truckers usually drive on the left lane in the highways and come to right only when overtaking and switch back to left after completing.

Do not try to squeeze in the gap when one truck has just finished overtaking the other.

Lolz sorry I assumed that any sane driver would not overtake a truck which is/has already overtaken/ing another truck from the wrong side.My apologies for not pointing out trivial things

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by bullinb

I disagree. Long distance truckers usually drive on the left lane in the highways and come to right only when overtaking and switch back to left after completing.

Can't agree more on this for having done frequent Bangalore-Pune runs in the recent past here were my observations:

Yes, the long distance truckers do heed to your flashing/honking, sooner in case of night due to lesser private traffic like tractors, 2 wheelers etc. During the day, the effort is a bit more but worth the wait.

For instance, from Bangalore all the way till Haveri, most truckers (Read TN, AP, KL and KA) don't really bother to give way from right unless you stick to the right and constantly flash/honk till you are given way (eventually you will be given way from right). C'mon, as a responsible driver you are doing right when you are overtaking from the right hand side.

The same morons then behave like decent drivers after Hubli-Dharwad bypass and are usually seen occupying the left lane allowing you to overtake without a fuss!

However, the case is different with KSRTC buses (Non Volvos) who "prefer" the fast lane and will never give way. I have seen only 30-40% of them understanding the flashing and giving way by changing lanes. Rest don't even care.

My other observation was that regular long distance truckers have so much patience that if they come out on the fast lane and realise that they cannot overtake in time and may block traffic behind them, they actually get back to the slow lane.

Usually Flashing of lights has worked very well for me especially at night (a horn wont do the same job even during the day) but I am extra careful whenever I am overtaking a brownish TN, AP or a KA truck who suddenly decide to jump onto the fast lane and when they realise that a faster car is right behind them now, they wave their hands asking for a "few minutes"

If one does long distance driving across various sections of the country, the patterns and behaviours change drastically at times. Travelling from Pune to Aurangabad via Ahmadnagar was an uncomfortable experience since overtaking was usually from the left. I blame this on the design of the road since it is a state highway with too many punctures in the median and traffic passing through various towns and villages where the left lane is always occupied by a waiting Trax or a 3 wheeler or even roadside hawkers. Same is the case while travelling from Bangalore to Mysore as well. It is like unlearning the rules.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

I am always confused whether the dipper signal shown to the heavy trucks, tanker, trailers or for that matter concrete mixer trucks are ever being understood. I dont know whether they can see the signal at all coz most of them either do not have rear view mirrors of if they have they are at such a height that the dipper signal cannot reach. How do I indicate to them that I want to move ahead of them. I have tried on numerous occasions, but never got any response.

I used to wonder the same too when i used to drive between Patiala and Delhi. Then one day i realized that the problem was with me only. I was too close to the bus/truck for the driver to see my lights. I was not so close either that my car's nose would be sniffing their bums, mind you, just close enough that the driver wont be able to see my lights. I started flashing my lights from a much further distance and it started working like a charm!! Even Haryana roadways buses started to yield.

And i dont think the bus and truck drivers can hear our honking above the clatter of their engines, at least not with the stock horns.

[condor]

@godhlur :

1. The effect of using your dipper can be seen NOT in the truck's rear-view mirror as much as it is seen on objects in front of the truck. The change in illumination of objects in front of the truck is where the truck driver will see that you are trying to signal to him.

2. Do NOT expect the loaded truck driver to keep changing lanes each time some one comes along to overtake him. He will try - as far as possible - to maintain a steady speed AND a steady line. If you want to overtake him, the simplest way is to wait for sufficient space & move on.

Do not expect "the slow vehicles in left lane" to be applicable at all times.

3. To understand which lane the trucker is going to stick to, just observe the trucks in that part of the country. Adjust your driving accordingly.

4. As mentioned, Do NOT Expect the trucker to even hear your horn. He is not ignoring you, and neither is he deaf. Just that the ambient noise in his cabin is so much that your horn is not loud enough to register on him.

Safe driving.

p.s : these points are already discussed, so pls do a search for more inputs on highway driving.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...vertaking.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ight-left.html

[drifter]

I've had mostly good experience with truckers. Whether on the GQ or even other smaller highways. It's all about be polite and having patience. Trucks are not easy to drive and you should respect those drivers who go at it day in and day out.

Driving a truck in India is all about momentum. They absolutely don't want to lose momentum unnecessarily. So unless there's enough room for you to overtake and yet allow them to maintain their speed, chances are they'll move over to the left.

Honking all the time is quite irritating and rude to be honest. Most of the time I follow them and until they move on their own. A honk or two just to remind them of my presence usually gets me the overtaking signal.

You give them the space on the road, you'll be rewarded. Trust me, it works almost all the time.

But coming to the question of lights, it's different from place to place. You just have to watch what others do and adapt. Flashing some distance before you actually overtake also gets their attention. And yes always be careful.

Drifter

[Rudra Sen]

Mods note: Thread merged.