Driving Through Bangalore Traffic

[Vishwas]

Can we as conscious drivers/riders/citizens do something to make city driving a more pleasurable, safe and peaceful experience???

Just drive on your own and don't care for anybody that's enough to survive on our roads.

 

[Eyedocsri]

hi all,
this is a very pertinent question.
but there is no single fool proof solution.
I commute a small distance only to get to work ( vijaynagar to chamrajpet or to rajajinagar) this stretch is less crowded compared to other areas.
here are my few cents.

1. start for work atleast 15 mins prior to what time you intended to leave because every one intendes to start it the same time to work and it makes things a lot easier if you are ahead of the traffic.
   
2. i dont let enough space on left side for two wheelers to overtake you as they will get ahead of you and make you miss the green signal.
3. dont compete with BMTC buses as they dont care for you! if you or your car gets hurt you end up paying for it not BMTC
4. dont bother about people honking behind you trying to force you to jump the queue or overtake from left side.
5. i always roll up my windows have the AC play music talk on hands free phone. It helps you arrive in lot more peace than otherwise.
6. dont fight with riskhaw guys esp late night as they gang up and pick up fight with you. but dont let them be holligans during the day.
7. if you arrive at a pedestrian crossing or a school junction let the elderly or kids cross no matter how many people are honking behind you restlessly.some one else might do the same for your kids or your parents!

 

[hamster]

Nicely put Dr. Sri !! I dont budge in for people honking behind me while I am waiting at a signal. I dont care about them.

BTW, yesterday it took a good 1 hr 15 mins to office in the morning and in return it took 5 mins more.
The timings are for a distance of around 14km from Hoody to Domlur.

Have decided to take the public transport for a few days. The driving stress is totally taking toll on me.

 

[rekharam]

hi all,
[*]if you arrive at a pedestrian crossing or a school junction let the elderly or kids cross no matter how many people are honking behind you restlessly.some one else might do the same for your kids or your parents!
[/LIST]

Well said friend. We need to promote this awareness among us.
Drive Safe!

 

[krish_go]

Very well said Dr Sri.
Just few from me.
Need to be relaxed while driving this makes a lot of difference in our driving skills.
Stop trying to overtake the vechile just because its in front of you.

 

[ramG]

Rightly said Dr. Sri & Krish. Adding a few points from my side:

* Never ever use the phone while driving. If required get a hands-free kit and limit calls only to the most important ones
* Never cross the "yellow line" at signals
* Never drive if you feel sleepy or very tired

 

[Figoian]

Nowadays, I just dont react. Just give them a glance/stare. No point, screwing up your happiness, not worth it yaar.

Very true Hamster. I too started doing that after I paid some hefty bills and infinite tensions everyday. Yesterday, I spent "Just 45 Minutes" in "Just One Signal" and that's Graphite India, Whitefield! What more worse could it be? I just didn't loose my patience, and was listening to Music. Luckily, as the weather is little cooler these days, was able to survive with intermittent A/C, yet it guzzled well.

After yesterday's pleasant experience, lost all hopes and made a bold decision to take the alternative route which I have been thinking for months. Banaswadi - Ramamurthy Nagar - ITI - KR Puram - Old Madras Road (Towards Tirupathi/Chennai) - Kattanallur Gate - Kadugodi - Whitefield (EPIP)... Ah! Head Spinning? It's 27 KMs and covered in flat 50 mins, which is otherwise just 12 KMs in regular Tin Factory - Whitefield Road and will take min. 1 Hr to no max. limit. Moreover, better roads, nil to moderate traffic, lesser fuel consumption, minimal labor to both car and myself and most importantly, Peace of Mind!

Sometimes I wish I was driving a bulldozer.

Hahahaha! I had thought of it numerous times too. Yes, it makes you to feel even worse.

 

[csdeka]

My problem is wrt the speed breakers. There are ToI reports of bikers killed due to these killer speed breakers. I tell my friends that Bangalore is city of speed breakers. There is absolutely no design for the city speed breakers. All types of speed breakers an insane man can think are there in Bangalore. Speed breakers are required, however there must be a standard (may be 3 - 4 types of speed breakers).
In any case, why should the public service dept think about common people.
There is no sign board, Paint or any indicators showing that there is a speed breaker ahead. Most speed breakers are so steep that even a car of 165 mm can't go over.

 

[vijay_968]

On 25th Jan 2016, BBMP blocked the major road to my residential area and dug up entire stretch of road for relaying same. Hell broke loose. As this happened after 11AM, I was caught off guard while returning from Office. It took 55 minutes to cover the 3km to my home thro' Alternate Roads. After a few days of nightmare, I decided to use the Bike.

After 4 years, I am looking at Bangalore Traffic from a Biker's view point. Few incidents I have noticed are :

1. In the alternate road, a Dad with two school going girl children was in such a hurry, he was overtaking everyone. A small road joins from left. This fellow approached the spot, overtaking an Auto from left and hit an Auto coming from the side road. All three of them fell down to their right and luckily, the Auto he overtook stopped. This happened some three weeks back, but, the crying faces of children in pain are still in my memory. What the idiot Dad achieved ?
   
2. In the alternate road, a biker kept overtaking everyone from left. Suddenly an aged person steps out of a roadside shop and got hit. Minor injuries. We put him in an Auto and asked the biker to accompany him to the Hospital. Was the biker's agenda of going somewhere QUICK met with ?
   
3. One of the alternate roads 'forks to right', at more than 90 degrees. No one can see what is coming from there. There is a speed braker just before the fork. Ahead of me two cars with all three of us slowing down. Just as the 1st car went over the bump, a Bike overtook me from right. A 2nd bike came up to my right and started overtaking the 2nd car. Now the car and this biker have reached the fork and biker comes in front of a Swift. I appreciated the Swift driver for approaching the fork with caution. As he cannot move ahead, he gave a cold stare at the biker. Biker should have touched the Swift driver's feet, but he came to the side of the Swift and was staring back at the Swift driver. Educated man working in an IT Co (from the balck bag he was carrying). And ours is the best Culture in the universe
   
4. In the above Alt road, there are a few places where one can overtake a 4W without any drama. I lined up behind a Sumo waiting for such a sopt. A Pulsar guy came blaring his horns, went past me in a jiffy and bang ... he hit another biker coming in the opposite direction. There were three in THAT bike, and all four fell down. What was the need to inflict damage to others. This was pure Rakshasa behavior.
   
5. One day I took the partially opened road (no Buses allowed yet). Across half the road, at three places BBMP has dug up for "Oil Well finding Activity". Exact spot is to be tread cautiously. With loose stones everywhere, iron rods poking out of on-going work area and with vehicles travelling in both directions, everyone is cautious and speeds are sub 20 kph. Just as I was to enter the danger zone, a 20+ man (helmet on left hand) overtook me from left, cut in sharply (I almost lost balance) and was instantly hit by a biker on my right. Idiot hit another scooter to his left; the scooter fellow pushed idiot away and idiot fell onto the fender of a Tempo coming from other side. What was the need to endanger others and self ? For those interested, I do not have the habit of helping someone who put my Life / Body in danger.
   
6. A Lady on her scooter joined the main road (if you can call that main road) from my right, JUST LIKE THAT. She came smack in my line. Had I not kept my eyes on the traffic, I would have T-boned her scooter. Did she know of the Danger ? No way.

The road is not yet fully opened. But, this period has helped me understand
Problems of 2W drivers in Bangalore; these are "Noise, Pollution, Rising Summer Temperature, Lack of Safe Roads, Lack of inherent Safety in bike etc".

Bigger problems for 2W drivers in Bangalore are "don't care attitude for OWN safety, and Lack of Driving Sense / Ethics" that many educated & employed exhibit. Buddies, let us show the difference between us and 'law breakers'. Let us drive safe and sensible

 

[wildsdi]

@vijay_968, Assume you're from Vidyaranyapura. Traffic in south Bangalore is said to be much more disciplined.
What I find unique in Bangalore is the reluctance of cops to take action on taxis and autos. A taxi driver in an OLA cab with expired papers hit my car causing damage to the tune of 90k, but cops refuse to register a complaint as mine is the bigger vehicle. Never seen a taxi driver not on a important call, except while stopping for chai.

 

[vijay_968]

@vijay_968, Assume you're from Vidyaranyapura. Traffic in south Bangalore is said to be much more disciplined.
What I find unique in Bangalore is the reluctance of cops to take action on taxis and autos. A taxi driver in an OLA cab with expired papers hit my car causing damage to the tune of 90k, but cops refuse to register a complaint as mine is the bigger vehicle. Never seen a taxi driver not on a important call, except while stopping for chai.

My my, Vidyaranyapura road condition is THAT much known to the world or what Yes, I am from V'pura. As the name suggests, once it could have been Aranya (jungle) and the driving conditions on the road going thro' DoddaBommasandra matches the name of neighbour V'Pura.

Sorry to know of your incidence. THAT is atrocious on Cops part.

@ Mods
Is there a generic thread in TAI on what to do in case of accidents ? If it is there already, I am sorry for my negligence. It is better we know what to do and how to demand an FIR (without any high level connections) when an unpleasant scene is created.

 

[incarnation]

you need not have connections to register a FIR, if the cop in the station doesnt register a FIR, you can take a lawyer along with you and the same task will be and should be done in minutes. remember Cop is a public servant he is there to help you, not trouble you. he is supposed to file a complaint after the complaint is lodged, they investigate and then they write a report on thier finding and that is called FIR, Else if you want to book somebody you give a complaint and if the case reaches the courts then the police are asked to submit thier FIR ( First Investigation Report) to the court.

 

[vijay_968]

More than 2 months now, and the Dodda Bommasandra road to Vidyaranyapura has still some work pending. Today morning I found that the road was fully closed and by default took the alternate route. Half way thro, I had to stop as an Autorickshaw was blocking my path like this:


Auto was empty, none was getting in nor alighting. Gave a gentle horn, Auto Uncle (road side mama) looked at me, but was not interested in giving way. Did I give 2nd horn ? No. Waited for the traffic in opposite lane to clear and moved around the Auto and finished overtaking it. As I was easing into my lane (to my left), road side mama went little forward and straightened. Then started to move to his right, ... accelerating towards me. I sounded horn bit looong, but with a smile and looking at him. When he saw me, he smiled and stopped. Still smiling, I waved at him and moved on. Believe me friends, as I kept smiling, my irritation vanished.

Wife asked "why were you smiling at that idiot". I told her how the Society left Dr. Narang to die at the hands of a mob in West Delhi (http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/road-safety-driving-sense/12934-worst-road-rage-scenario-4.html#post493412).

I reminded my wife, "never wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it". Now, I HAVE to remember THIS.