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My experiments with lane driving

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Written By Bheema.Upadhyaya - 10 November, 2010

Traffic Bangalore Road Safety Driving lanes Analysis Transportation Enforcement Honking

After we saw good inputs on this post , I was really interested how would it really look like if some one practised lane driving. So I have given a try in my own way in Hosur Road, which has now clearly marked 3 lanes from Silk Board to Electronic City. So my experience may not be relevant to other roads or any other contexts. 

Preparations:

1) Made sure that I have enough time to make this experiments. Usually I used to take 25 mins during offpeak hours to travel. I have made sure that I have 1 hour for this experiment on daily basis for a week and now continuing.

2) Made sure that experiment is done during off-peak hours only, so that I dont create chaos in road, just because of one person.

3) I made double sure that all my lights work correctly.

4) Prepared myself to subject to face harsh/bad words from public, still to maintain peace, or loose out if any arguement happens.

5) Took the experiment  when signals where on. (Say 11am to 6pm)

6) Made sure that avoided *really* rash auto/cab/bmtc/van which might be scary.

Preparation were to be more than real experiment due to risk involved :-). And it may not be called experiment in a sense, may be called as learning best practice at risk

Method and observation:

1) Took middle(leaving 1 foot from lane marking) of middle lane and drove at almost constant speed of 60-65KM. I presumed that speed was justified for middle lane of Hosur Road during that time and condition. 

Observed:

- Drivers honked me to give way to them when the right lane was blocked due slow moving vehicle. I respected and gave way. But reaction was not good, drivers used to stare at me and continue. Some drivers honked me even if right lane was free to overtake me. They wanted me to give way, just not overtake me for whatever reason. Some drivers even got angry, overtook me just keeping a very short distance to "teach"(threaten???) me, how to "behave" in road.

-Some autos thought it was really "safe" to in middle lane, kept going in 40kmph in middle road. Got really tempted to honk at them, but sustained for a while and overtook from rightlane. Once I overtook, I made sure that I when went back to middle lane and reduced my speed to 35kmph and kept position at just safe distance from them just to "teach" them. Out of 3 instances, 2 auto drivers sensed the logic and took left lane promptly, the third one happily kept same lane, might have thought I am sane:) 

- Some motor bikers, kept speed of almost 60kmph and kept their position at left of middle lane. For most of them when I approached, I was at their blind spot. I was not sure if they want to really keep the position or to change lanes. Got really confused, this time I briefly honked at least when I am 5 meters away from them. Out of 2 instance, one guy changed lane to left and continue,another guy followed "auto" patterns, means they reverted once I passed.

2) When nearing signal continued to keep same lane, as I dont need to turn to any other road. Situation is very bad there.

- As I followed middle lane most of the times I was last in que. So most of drivers overtook me from both side to advance.

- When I stopped keeping a safe distance from vehicle in front: A heavy vehicle driver from back felt, I am wasting "space". So kept honking consistently to move me out of his way , but in vain.

- When I stopped keeping a safe distance from vehicle(Lorry) in front: A small car driver felt so happy . Overtook me from left slowly using his full driving "skills" and just managed to keep his/her "nose" in front of my car, so that he "reserved" lane to him. Why not right side? Another instance, same "skill" was shown from right side. Urgency mattered. I was prompted to honk to show my gesture, but sustained and gave way. But see , there were que of small cars and cabs and who aligned and made a new row :). So just manged to "break" row by moving my "nose" "skillfully". You know the result? Their que merged in my (middle) lane. 

- When I stopped in front as first vehicle in waiting and kept my position in middle of middle lane: I had a *real* impact, specially when my left vehicle and right vehicle also kept them middle position of their lanes. Most of following vehicles followed lanes, nicely, though I didnt get full view of back positions. Interestingly, all two wheelers happily managed to come forward and postion themselves in racing positions in "zeebra crossing" in front. But when green signal was on, they went ahead immediately without causing any blockage. 

- When I stopped in front as first vehicle in waiting and kept my position in middle of middle lane: second scene. I kept my vehicle 2 meters away from signal. You guessed right, driver behind me honked wild. But for a short life, two wheelers covered space, then happy happy. 

 

- To be continued as experiment continues (not intending to extend much)

Update: I have posted picture of my car which is pasted with plain paper banners.Pardon me for simple implementation, its not a sticker. Planning to get a colour printed sticker after sometime. I thought its enough for time being. Is there a better way to implement?

 

 

 

COMMENTS

Congratulations!

xs400 - 24 April, 2014 - 07:28

And not to leave out the professional behaviour modifiers, thank you for creating all the monsters on the road, hats off to you and your kind!

HI Bheema,

Good to see you do a little DIY driver education, your response to the 'uneducated' drivers is most heartening.

What would you suggest on a straight road with no oncoming traffic and no cross traffic and two lanes? I see problems almost everyday (most of the accidents here are not reported, I think). I am talking of the BETL; any sane  person would think that driving here would be simple and without incident.

Two lanes: one for 2 wheelers and those driving below 60 and the other for driving between 60 to 80. Any solutions?

(thank you again spin doctors, Modi is bound to give you guys a good reward, just create an Africa like situation here and blame it on him)

 

One more banner type

Bheema.Upadhyaya - 27 November, 2010 - 03:55

 

 Update: I realized there is spelling mistake for "disclipline". So just take above as illustration, not a real sticker.

 

Good try

afalak - 10 November, 2010 - 13:53

I normally drove like this when I returned back from US. I still drive like this, change lanes when needing to turn. Have become deaf to honks and do not make eye contact and also fake dumbness. Earlier I had issue, even had argument inside EGL but nowadays have become defensive, give way to drivers with suicidal tendencies (am sane/intelligent enough to save their lives without them being aware of it) and if they still want God to drive their vehicle I keep myself in the right place to at least be a witness so that insurance companies do not pay out for them needlessly for their fault. I have driven in Odissa/Mumbai too and people are more disciplined there and overtake properly on highways. Not sure why even on NH4/Mysore road people overtook from left even when you are at max speed posted there. Maybe enforcement is not enough here. At least BTP has started posting posters about lanes and turns in many places that will make some people realize that discipline make travel faster. Mumbai speeds really scared me once I move to Bangalore and then went to meet my bro. Its a lot faster there and that is because of more compliance and enforcement to lane discipline I guess. In Pune I once saw a cop penalizing a driving for turning right from the left most lane. She made sure that the driver did not turn (even threatened to put a dent with baton) and at the end he had to turn left as he was blocking the whole left turn lane. But then Pune has its own problems due to two wheelers. Here I saw the same and the Meru just drove off, cop did take down his number. As a rule of survival do not try to enforce lane discipline with BMTC/BUSes, Any company cabs, Autos to some extent and two wheelers. Also keep note/careful of people talking on cell phones while driving, not wearing or strapping their helmets or not strapping seat belts (difficult to see), not fixing break lights or headlights/indicators. Remember He/She who breaks 1 rule can break another and he/she who does not care of his/her life does not care about yours too.

Good Experiment - I tried on Bangalore - Mysore Highway

Vasanth - 11 November, 2010 - 05:48

 I tried a similar thing on Bangalore - Mysore highway. I kept at constant 70 and was on the left lane throughout. It is 4 lane road, 2 on either sides.

Centre lane / Fast lane was really crazy when I used to drive early. Even if we are at 100, some crazy guy will come from back at 120 and honk to change the lane for allowing him to go. How I can change lane at high speed just to 'patronize' back coming car. He has to change lane and overtake me. But people do not understand and everything is murphy's law.  Also, there are 'U' turns from where people approach suddenly. Visibility at Centre lane is very minimum and I have seen plenty of accidents taking place. Also keeping pace at 100 kph needs too much concentration on the road. With whole Family in the car, it is always totally unsafe.

So I thought of experimenting to  try constantly at 70kph on left lane. It was safe, can relax and drive without have to concentrate hard on road. All the bikers were sticking to left lane. Few were 'educated' travelling towards Bangalore (I was also travelling towards Bangalore) and were sticking constantly to left most path of the lane. Few local rural guys travelling nearby (usually triple ride without anybody wearing helmet) were the problems. Their path and pace was totally unpredictable. 

Road width is not good enough. To overtake bikes, you have to take a small portion of the car to fast lane. This is the problem area. Although I had put indicator and shown hand also, none of the drivers coming on the fast lane oblige. They will try to squeeze in almost touching my car. But felt much safer than on the fast lane.

Overall, people do not oblige or respect other driver on the road and that is the problem in entire India whatever road infrastructure we might get.

 

No, its not dead...live and kicking

Bheema.Upadhyaya - 23 April, 2014 - 02:26

I presume, people are are thinking this experiment of mine is dead and failure !

 

But behold !!!  "sorry" to say that this ***WAS/ IS /WILLCONTINUE TO BE A*** success and changed many things in my life habbits. The date of first post is 10-11-10. But missed on 10-10-10 (wov, a nice sequence). Coming November, its going to be solid 4 years of the practice of lane driving...

For those who forgot this thread, time to re-boot :) For those who have not read this , time to glance (a long thread)...

So why this sudden "enlightening" to me? Good question !

Its simple: After four years of hard driving with strict descipline and bad roads, I am thrilled to drive(rather ride in my  electric bike) the newly asphalted roads almost everywhere(where I do ride electric bike) in the city. And now having developed so called ugly hobby to talk to strangers in city drivers, I share the joy of every fellow driver/rider/cyclist whom I have "pinged" regarding road condition.

Lane driving is far easy now, specially when extreme left side of road is in good conditions.

Cheers...

 

 

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