 |
|
| |
| Deadly
Highways |
|
More than 75000 people get killed every year on
Indian roads. Although the National Highways make hardly 2% of the
total road network they account for more than 25% of the total number
of fatalities on roads.
|
| Tough
Manoeuvers! |
Road
mishap statistics:
Most accidents that occur on Indian roads involve
the following dangerous manoeuvers |
Cornering
roads (30%)
Head-on Crash (30%)
Loss of control while
driving down a straight road (15%)
Pedestrian, crossing the
road (8%)
Overtaking or lane changes
(7%)
Not managing to turn correctly
at an intersection (3 to 4 %) |
Roads Signs |
| Road signs of different shapes connote different
meanings |
Mandatory
road signs are circular.
Every driver must drive in conformity with any indication
given by the mandatory road signs.
Cautionary signs are triangular.
They are meant for cautioning the driver
about hazards lying ahead on the road.
Informatory signs are square
They provide information
about, direction,
destination, facilities, etc. to the road user.
|
| OFFENSES
AND FINES |
 The Traffic Police Dept.
officers are the guardians of law and order on the roads and can
penalise road users for certain offences.
The fines (compounding cash) for some of the common offences are
given below: |
No Parking (Except for Auto and Motor Taxi) - (SEC.177 MVA )
Compounding Cash - Rs.100/- |
Driving
without M.D.L (3-181 MVA) -
Compounding Cash - Rs.300/- |
Permitting
to drive without M.D.L - (5-180 MVA) -
Compounding Cash - Rs.300/- |
Driver
failing to produce M.D.L
(130(i)-177 MVA)
Compounding Cash -Rs 100/- |
Driven
against Police Signal Directions -(119-177 MVA)
Compounding Cash -Rs 100/- |
Overtaking
Dangerously
(6(A)R.R.R.177 177 MVA )
Compounding Cash -Rs 100/- |
Driving
on Footpath
(136 M.M.V.R 177 MVA )
Compounding Cash -Rs 100/- |
Disobeying
Traffic Signal
(239 M.M.V.R 177 MVA )
Compounding Cash -Rs 100/- |
Driving
Recklessly or Dangerously
(184 MVA)
Compounding Cash -Rs 500/- |
Exceeding
Speed Limit
(112-183 MVA)
Compounding Cash -Rs 100/- |
Taxi
Drivers demanding Excess Fare
(21(12)M.M.V.R 177 MVA )
Compounding Cash -Rs 100/- |
Driving
on uninsured vehicles
(146-196 M.V.A )
Compounding Cash -Rs 300/- |
Driver
of P.S.V not displaying badge
(20(ix) M.M.V.R 177 M.V.A)
Compounding Cash -Rs 100/- |
Failing
to keep left or Driving at center of road
(7 R.R.R 177 MVA)
Compounding Cash -Rs 100/- |
Driving
against One-way
(17(i) R.R.R 177 MVA )
Compounding Cash - Rs.100/- |
Fixing
Multi-Toned or Shrilled horn
119 C M V R 190(ii) M V A
Compounding Cash - Rs.100/- |
Spilling
Water
202 M.M.V.R 177 M .V. A
Compounding Cash - Rs.100/- |
| Safe Driving |
The precise
nature of the thrill of driving is difficult to define. While few
people can describe in words the varied emotions they experience while
driving, the effect, for some, is so psychologically intense that
no other experience can match it.
As a human body accelerates, certain things happen to it. Nerves in
muscles all over the body reacts instantly. Signals are sent through
the spinal cord, which in turn increase muscle tone - particularly
in areas such as the neck, which are most affected by the acceleration
forces. The result of this vastly increased state of arousal throughout
the body, which when detected by the central nervous system, is translated
into a number of emotional experiences. For some people, the physiological
effects are experienced as pure fear. For others, however, this basic
emotional state is modified to give a sharply tingling experience,
which is perceived as intensely pleasurable.
For the entire thrill that you may get out of driving, you are actually
handling a machine, which if not controlled properly can be destructive
both for you and others on the road.
When it comes to driving a car, you could either be a good driver
or you are someone who can't drive. There is no in-between status
for a driver.
Safe Driving Tips
Starting - Be careful while pulling out a parked car, on to
the road.
The driver's seat is an important place in the car and has to be adjusted
for correct driving posture. The rear view mirror is adjusted to a
position, which enables the driver to obtain the best possible rear
view.
The dashboard panel has indicators which show you oil, fuel and battery
power status. Most drivers who drive newer cars take these for granted,
but it is a good habit to take a look at these indicators every time
you start driving.
You should take a lesson from the BEST bus drivers who go around the
bus, checking all the tyres before they start driving the bus. (but
not for driving.)
Move your car slowly after you start it. Speedy starts are not only
dangerous, but they also burn your tyres and waste a lot of fuel.
Turning - Use correct indications while turning.
While turning left or right use the turning indicator lights. You
must ensure that you are in the correct lane so that you don't have
to cut across lanes. Something as simple as turning a car causes several
accidents in metropolitan cities. You have to be particularly careful
and lookout for pedestrians and two wheelers. You should indicate
your intention to turn or change lanes at least 30 meters before you
do so.
While turning left keep as close to the left as possible - before,
during and after the turn.
Right turns are more dangerous than turning to left, as you
have to cross through on coming traffic on the other side of the road.
While turning right keep your car just left of the middle of the road.
Wait till you find a safe gap in the oncoming traffic and then make
the turn.
While taking a U-turn you need to stop and watch for traffic from
the left while giving way to the other vehicles behind you. When you
find a safe gap in the oncoming traffic, take the turn swiftly, get
into the correct lane and accelerate.
Reversing
While reversing watch out for pedestrians and other obstructions that
may be on the road. You should reverse your car slowly and only as
long a distance, as absolutely necessary.
Changing Lanes -
Indicate your intention to the driver of the vehicle following you,
a reasonable distance before you attempt to change your lane. Swerving
between vehicles in different lanes causes many accidents on city
roads.
Overtaking - Overtake only when absolutely sure about safety.  You can overtake a car ahead of
you only when you are absolutely sure about safety. When you are driving
at higher speed, perception of distances and speed can be distorted.
Maximum numbers of road accidents occur while vehicles are trying
to overtake.
Always overtake from the right on straight roads. Signal your intentions
of overtaking by blowing the horn or by flashing the headlights and
start overtaking only on being signaled to do so by the vehicle being
overtaking.
Be particularly cautious while overtaking a bus that has stopped at
a bus stop as a lot of people try to cross the road from the front
side of the waiting bus.
Once you start overtaking a vehicle, move quickly past the vehicle
keeping enough distance in between the two for manoeuvring comfortably.
While being overtaken by another vehicle, do not decrease your speed.
If the overtaking vehicle needs more room, slow down and give it a
clear signal to overtake safely.
Parking - Don't obstruct or cause inconvenience to others when
you park your car.
 You can park your car only in places
where it is permitted to park. Before parking make sure that you cannot
see the 'no parking' sign, which restricts you from doing so. While
parking your car, ensure that your car does not cause danger, obstruction
or undue inconvenience to other road users.
Park your car parallel to the kerb line unless otherwise indicated.
You are not allowed to park your car at the following places:
- On the footpath, the zebra crossing, over a bridge or inside
a tunnel.
- In front of an entrance to a street or a highway
- In front of the entrance to a hotel, theatre, auditorium, office
building, hospital or loading / unloading locations, fire hydrant.
- Within a distance of 15 meters of a bus stop
- 50 meters of a signalized junction or 10 meters of a non-signalized
intersection or corner of a street.
- Parking spaces, which are designated and reserved for different
class of vehicle from yours.
- Alongside another parked vehicle (Double parking)
You cannot leave your parked car unattended on a public road for over
10 hours. Thus overnight parking on a public road outside your own
home is not your right or a privilege you can enjoy.
Use your parking brake and shift your cars gear into first, reverse
or parking position.
Speeding - Drive at a comfortable speed.
Cruising at higher speeds produces a satisfying sense of getting somewhere
fast. As acceleration leads to speed, some peculiar perceptual distortions
occur.
Normally we take in signals from an arc of about 160 degrees,
but at high speeds the effective arc is very much reduced. This is
because the brain cannot cope with some rapidly changing signals coming
from the eyes. What it does is to ignore the information coming from
the edges of the visual field where the world is changing most quickly.
Side vision distorts to just a meaningless blur as the brain concentrates
on what it really needs to know. The direct consequence of these perceptual
changes is a kind of tunnel vision. The road in front is clear. Everything
else is effectively lost. In this state it is difficult to anticipate
any hazards.
The impact force of a collision at 50 km/h is the equivalent
to the vehicle falling from a 3 storey building, but at double
the speed, 100 km/h, it is as if the vehicle dropped from a 12 storey building. Tests have shown that in a 60 km/h collision,
a 15 kilogram child (the approximate weight of a 3 year old)
produces the equivalent force of 550 kilograms.
Stopping distance increases proportionally with your car speed.
It is best to avoid driving at higher speeds. You should drive at
safer speed, suitable to the road conditions. Optimum fuel efficiency
is achieved at 50 - 60 km/h speeds. At 80 km/h your car is consuming
an avoidable 30% extra fuel.
At slower speeds you get substantial time to react to unexpected actions
of other drivers and pedestrians and to ever-changing factors like
light, weather, road and traffic conditions.
Stopping - Indicate your intention to stop. First slow down
and then stop.
Don't stop your car by applying brakes abruptly unless it is absolutely
necessary to do so. Most people fail the driving test because they
do not know how to stop.
While stopping your car, you need to indicate your intention to stop.
Slow down your car and pull over as close to the left of the road
as possible, before stopping.
You can endanger pedestrians and other vehicles by abruptly opening
the doors of a stopped car.
Several accidents happen when a vehicle in front suddenly slows down
or stops. While moving behind another vehicle you are required to
maintain a safe distance from that vehicle.
Drivers mostly tend to underestimate the minimum distance required
to stop their cars. This is because of the lag experienced in between
the time you see danger, and the time at which you react or respond.
A good driver is always alert and measuring risks even when
there are none. The driver does not indulge in day dreaming or distracting
conversations. Even a momentary lapse in concentration can result
in an accident.
Wear a seat belt and ask your co-passengers to use them too.
Driving on wet roads - Make sure your tyres, brakes & wipers
are in good condition.
 Driving on wet roads require
extra caution.
Drivers are cautioned to be extra careful when the first rains
fall. The road at this time is covered with dust and mud, which
along with rain water forms a film that reduces the grip of the
tyre on the road. You car can easily skid under such conditions.
While driving through water logged areas, it is best to drive in
lower gears controlling the speed with the clutch. When water enters
the exhaust pipe the cars engine can stop. Keeping the accelerator
pressed can prevent water from entering the exhaust. Do not change
gears while driving in water logged area. Do not drive along
the side of the road as you can get stuck in an open or damaged
manhole, which may be submerged and not visible.
While driving on a rainy day, the brakes get wet and have reduced
braking ability. Pump the brakes frequently to dry the brake drum
and the shoe, this will restore the braking ability.
Driving on Hills - Check your brakes before you start the
journey.
 Your driving skills are surely
tested while driving on hills. You require to engage the correct
gear before climbing up or descending a steep road. Complete the
gradient section without changing the gear. Make way for bigger
vehicle like trucks or buses and never attempt to overtake near
bends or at the crest of the hill, as you cannot see the oncoming
traffic. Sound the horn and use the dipper lamp at blind corners
and sharp turnings.
You need to follow road traffic signs more carefully.
When driving down hill, try not to apply brakes, but use the engine
brake (lower gear). Overuse of footbrake may result in total brake
failure.
Vehicles going uphill should be given precedence.
While parking your car on a positive (uphill) gradient, use the
parking brake and shift the lever into the first gear position.
On a negative gradient (downhill) shift the lever to the reverse
position.
Never turn off the engine or put the gear in neutral position while
going downhill as it is very difficult to control a vehicle.
Night driving - Check that your headlights are properly
adjusted for high and low beam.Keep you windshield and windows clean.
At night it is more difficult to judge speeds and distances as the
visibility is poor. The glare of oncoming traffic can also blind
you, making you lose concentration. Driving at a controlled speed
can help you stop in time to avoid an accident.
Difficulty in perceiving potential hazards begins at dusk as the
eye has to make the extra effort to adapt to a changing level of
brightness.
Satisfactory adaptation is frustrated by a sky that is still light,
a darker road, deep shadows, less contrast in colours and lights
from oncoming vehicles and roadside signs.
With full darkness many of the "cues" a driver would normally depend
on in daylight, are not available. Vision is limited to a relatively
small area illuminated by the headlights. Because of this it is
more difficult to use the eyes properly due to the shortened seeing
distance ahead.
The problem of driver fatigue is increased by darkness because greater
effort is used in attempting to gain the necessary visual information
and a higher degree of alertness is required to interpret this information.
Give yourself time to perceive and react by reducing speed during
the hours of darkness so that you do not drive beyond the area illuminated
by the headlights.
Dip your headlights to avoid dazzling the driver of an oncoming
vehicle.
If a vehicle with only one light is approaching you, be cautious. It could be a truck with one light conked off instead of a two
or three-wheeler.
When parking your car in poorly lit places, always leave the parking
lights on.
Driving long distance 'Rest-Revive-Survive'
 Take breaks and get refreshed at
intervals.
Long distance driving can tire you very much and fatigue can dull
your reflexes and judgement. When you feel sleepy, don't attempt
driving further. Driving at night draws more energy as you have
to be more alert.
Planning your route and the break intervals in advance can make
your journey more fun. |
Back |
|
|
