Listed here are six important points you ought to remember while driving your car on city roads or rural areas. Listening to your favorite music tracks over the mp3 player is fine, but letting your mind slip into dreamland is suicidal. Remember that road safety stands in front of everything else.
Ambulance vans and Fire Brigades are not drag race contestants.
There might be someone in that ambulance who needs help desperately. To him, a minute’s time is vital. Move out of the way if you see the Ambulance with its sirens on in your wing mirrors.
To prevent troubling additional ambulances, use your indicators and move cautiously to the side of the road without harming other motorists. Pull out of the way safely and accelerate back to normal speed once you are clear of the van. The same goes for fire brigades as well.
High beam usage is at times dangerous.
Why use high beam in the city roads at night? How irritated are you when someone in the opposite lane comes flashing with bright light? This is the exact same thing other drivers go through if you switch into high beam. Use it wisely.
Overtaking on two-lane roads is a different ball game
Overtaking maneuvers in narrow lanes is the last thing I want to do in my car. If it is an empty stretch of road, I use my horn and flasher once and go for it. But if it is a busy patch, it needs a more careful approach. Don’t try and play chicken and end up as flesh. You drive sensibly and go home.
Obey rules and laws to be our hero
Common sense is the catch word for this topic. The traffic signs are put in place to keep you safe on the roads. If you don’t know what they are, ask the traffic police about it. Once an accident is caused, things cannot be reversed. Advise friends and family to take traffic lights and signs seriously. This is the best possible way forward.
Talking over the phone while driving is a lump’s act and highly uncool
How many times have you read this? Using your mobile phone while driving is dangerous. You might look cool with your brand new pda or blackberry behind the steering wheel, but again, it’s disobeying the rules. Magnitude of punishments and penalties differ across the globe, some are very serious. If you do receive a phone call and cannot avoid it, pull over safely away from the road and answer to the phone.
We’ve not touched all the points, so if you have an advise or two of your own, why not share it with us? Sushil, Edward, Fasi, Riqwan, Dean and Kiran- we’re waiting for your comments!
Since you guys mentioned me by name I have to comment
. Thanks ! You have covered most of the points that are the usual irritants on Indian roads and highways. High beam drivers, ambulance chasers, mobile talkers and crazy overtakers – hope they all reach their destinations in one piece and not many pieces !
I would only request additional emphasis on following the Indian Road Rules as far as possible. Hope you read my recent blog posts on 30 Basic Rules for India and the official rules of the road and how people actually drive. Do encourage people you know to get familiar of the rules as a start.
Being aware of the rules itself makes a difference – it is not easy to change overnight but maybe if atleast the few of us who know how to read and write and have some minimal quantities of brains follow a few rules to start and be the example it will make a difference. Team BHP one of my favourite Auto forums has been issuing stickers on driving safely to improve awareness. But putting a sticker alone is not enough – we have to practise them. It is very difficult in reality. We have to stay optimistic that in some time (I dont know how long) but things will improve. Hopefully things do not become like the roads depicted in Mad Max
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@Dean- Dangerous..follow speed limits mate
@Kiran – Happens at times. Ambulance drivers need to be given special training to handle situations which I don’t think happens in India
@Car blog – that is amazing. But risky and dumb too.
Awesome tips there IAB. You touched all the points which are very often missed. However the last point needs to be edited. Its not only about talking on the phone but you shouldn’t read books either. Checkout http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8c3_1242137873
yeah, but i hate ambulances. Ambulance drives have no sense while driving!! I no very well that they have to save a life. but they put others life in danger to save one.! I have seen many time that they come suddenly behind you and shock you. Especially on bike, it is very dangerous!! You will get no time to think whats going on and you turn your vehicle one side of the road!! Irrespective to other people!
We have so many over bridges here in surat (Gujarat). Only two days ago, one lady was goin on her way on one of these over bridges. Suddenly ambulance come in the way and she was hardly able to control her scooter! She was near to felt down on the mid of Ringroad!! It was really so horrible!!
Not cool to race the emergency cars.. But sometimes fun to follow.. If you can keep up, of course!