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13th January 2013, 19:20 | #1 |
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Things they don’t teach you at an Indian driving school
Background:
I learnt driving through a neighborhood driving-school in 1997 – 20-21 sessions – 15-20 minutes of actual driving each session. About 15 minutes spent on day-1 for explaining basics of a car, basics of driving and traffic rules. Learnt some gems like – “Never mind the guys honking from behind. Stay in your lane”. Finally after a month, the driving school took us to the RTO office and I drove the car for about 2 minutes with the RTO-inspector seating beside me and that’s how I got my license to drive a light-motor-vehicle (aka car). The family did not own a car that time and I did not had access to any other car. Went to US for an assignment 6 months later and got a US driving license after a month.The experience of getting a US driving license was really “eye-opening”. The first thing was the vision screening, you need at least 20/40 vision. So, in a way, the first thing that they ensure is that you can see really well. I had to study a driver’s manual (a 100 page booklet) thoroughly and pass a written-test before even getting a learner’s permit. That driver’s manual was beautiful. It explained a lot of basics in simple English and with the help of nice diagrams. The standard technique of learn-by-heart was not very useful as the questions in the test would check the understanding rather than memory. There are cases when people fail the exam and need to reappear after a week of additional study to qualify for the learner’s permit. Before applying for the permanent license, I did a lot of driving-practice. Since I had practically not driven in India, there was very little to un-learn and I was able to absorb fast. A few friends who had driven in India, found it quite difficult to come out of the Indian driving habits. Cutting long story short, fortunately what I learnt during those days and the driving habits that formed during the first year are still with me. Recently a cousin upgraded from a bike to a car and I am currently helping him with his driving skills. Now this guy has driven a bike for almost 10 years and is generally considered a decent driver – no accident record, no rash driving. Just like me, even he had got a 4-wheeler license the normal way. What surprised me was that he was not aware of some of the things that I take for granted. Eg. How to adjust the outer rear view mirrors? how much distance should one leave from the curb when parking? Then I thought, its not his fault. He was never told those things. I downloaded the driver’s manual for Tennessee state and read it again. Downloaded manuals for 2 more states just to make the study more comprehensive. This thread is an attempt to share some of the things that they don’t teach you at the typical Indian driving school (, but every driver must know). I have skipped most of the “obvious” stuff that the Driver’s Manual would list for completeness. So from that perspective, this thread is not comprehensive. It just lists the delta that is not commonly taught. A lot of these topics have been discussed elsewhere on the forum – one topic at a time. My attempt is to collate that information, summarize it and present in an easy-to-understand fashion in a single thread. Disclaimer: Many images are from the internet. Copyright obviously remains with original creators/publishers. Although I have shared and elaborated my understanding in my own words at places, some paragraphs and lines are directly picked up from the driver’s manual PDFs and from many sites on the internet. Again copyright remains with original author/publisher of the content. Last edited by SDP : 21st January 2013 at 10:44. |
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13th January 2013, 19:26 | #2 |
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Structure
The information is presented using the following structure: 1. Minimum requirements for the vehicle 2. Basics of being a safe driver
3. How to handle emergencies 4.0 Miscellaneous Last edited by SDP : 20th January 2013 at 03:45. |
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13th January 2013, 19:36 | #3 |
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Minimum requirements for the vehicle
1.0 Minimum requirements for the vehicle This section is NOT about engine, drive train, suspension, wheels etc. Instead we look at what are the MINIMUM things that you as a driver should check for and insist before you step behind the wheel. These are: 1. Safety belts 2. Brakes Does your parking-brake work? It comes in handy if your main brakes fail. 3. Headlights (high and low beam) 4. Tail and brake lights 5. Wipers 6. Defroster and fan control 7. Rear-view mirrors 8. Horn Last edited by SDP : 14th January 2013 at 14:21. |
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13th January 2013, 20:34 | #4 |
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Basics of being a safe driver
2.0 Basics of being a safe driver In India, the Inspector is mostly concerned about checking if you can operate the clutch-brake-accelerator, gear and steering without stalling the car or hitting something/someone. In most cases, he is concerned much more about “something else”, but let’s not go there. In US, the driving test is really thorough and the inspector’s job is to ensure that he is granting license only to a person with very sound basic driving skills. So, what does the inspector look for during a test? Please note that you should NOT understand and do “what gets checked during the test” just to clear the test. The whole point is that these are very basic but extremely critical aspects of how to drive and you should follow them EVERYTIME you drive. Last edited by SDP : 16th January 2013 at 08:43. |
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13th January 2013, 20:53 | #5 |
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2.1 How to prepare to drive. (Mirrors, belt, lights, wiper)
2.1 How to prepare to drive 2.1.1 Vehicle condition 3. (For an unfamiliar vehicle), Know the location of following controls even if there is no need to use them at the moment:
Most common layout But other layouts exist. Last edited by SDP : 20th January 2013 at 03:46. |
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13th January 2013, 22:50 | #6 |
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2.1.2 Seat and Steering Adjustments
2.1.2 Seat and Steering Adjustments 1. Proper driving posture
2. Do not drive with seat in reclined/semi-reclined position. Reclined seat means poor lower back support and straight-arm driving. It does not make you look cool. In fact, its quite dangerous as it impairs your control. 3. What is proper distance from steering wheel and pedals?
Last edited by SDP : 14th January 2013 at 22:25. |
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14th January 2013, 00:09 | #7 |
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2.1.3 Mirror Adjustments
2.1.3 Mirror Adjustments
1. Adjust all 3 mirrors AFTER adjusting the seat 2. Adjust mirrors to get widest possible view and to minimize blind spotsStandard way of adjusting mirrors: 1. Your car’s side should be visible in less than 10% of the mirror’s width. 2. Its important to adjust the mirror vertically as well. If it shows too much of sky or too much of tarmac, its no use. The horizon line should pass approximately at the vertical center of the mirror. What are blind spots? Being aware of blind-spots is extremely important as a blind-spot can hide a entire bike or a car. When you are not aware of that car/bike in your blind-spot and you try changing a lane, most likely you would end up crashing into that same bike/car. Bigger vehicles have significantly bigger blind-spots. Can something be done about the blind-spots? So, always turn your head and check for any vehicles in your blind-spot BEFORE changing lanes or taking turns. Please note, this blind-spot checking action should be swift. Another video on how to adjust mirrors to reduce/eliminate blind-spots. Good attempt at humour as well! NEW way of adjusting mirrors to reduce the blind spot. Please note that although this is recommended in US (where cars follow keeping a safe distance and bikes stop behind you), this is NOT recommended in Indian driving conditions where there are large number of people using 2-wheelers. In this NEW method, there is a distinct possibility of not seeing a bike hidden just behind your C or D pillar. Last edited by SDP : 17th January 2013 at 21:37. |
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14th January 2013, 00:39 | #8 |
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2.1.4 How to wear the seatbelt?
2.1.4 How to wear the seatbelt? Correct -> Incorrect -> One more incorrect way -> Sitting on the lap portion of the seat-belt. Could not find a image on the net. I guess, this is unique to Indian tourist UV drivers. How should a pregnant women wear a seatbelt? How should kids wear seatbelt? When is it ok for the child to wear the seatelt directly? Common misperceptions: These are urban legends. None of them are really true. There is a quite a lot of discussion about seatbelts on TBHP and broader internet. If there are still people who believe that it is unnecessary/inconvenient and most of the “safety ads” exaggerate what happens during a crash, just watch the following video: Last edited by SDP : 14th January 2013 at 16:08. |
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14th January 2013, 23:05 | #9 |
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2.2 How to start your vehicle
2.2 How to start your vehicle Before you say “Are you kidding me? Everybody is aware of how to start a car! Just turn the damn key!”, let’s look at some important things that quite a few people are unaware of (or possibly forgotten over time). 1. Put your car in Neutral BEFORE firing the engine. OK, you have fired the engine and want to start moving. But before moving, look around, give signal and wait for the right opportunity to merge into the traffic. This Look-Signal-Wait method is also called as MSM (Mirrors-Signal-Manoeuvre). This method is used in multiple situations while driving and the following video illustrates it really nicely. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/546469…and_manoeuvre/ The point about, keeping the left indicator blinking even after stopping to indicate that its a temporary/short stop, is also noteworthy. Another good video about how to start off and how to stop: Last edited by SDP : 20th January 2013 at 03:48. |
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14th January 2013, 23:34 | #10 |
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2.3 How to control your vehicle
2.3 How to control your vehicle. (accelerate smoothly, operate controls, curves) 2.3.1 How to steer the vehicle?
Last edited by SDP : 20th January 2013 at 03:51. |
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15th January 2013, 00:24 | #11 |
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2.3.2 How to Back-up (reverse), move forward and stop
2.3.2 How to Back-up (reverse), move forward and stop Correct way of Backing-up 2. Place your Left hand at the back of passenger seat and look over the shoulder. WHY? The hand-at-the-back-of-passenger-seat lends stability to you during the manoeuvre. 3. Do NOT use rear-view mirror for reversing. WHY? When you turn around and look, you get a much broader field of view (through rear-windows/rear-quarter glasses and any last row windows) as compared to your rear view mirror. 4. Use ONLY the clutch and NOT the accelerator (as far as possible). WHY? You don’t want to reverse too fast and lose control. Please note that our Indian driving schools DO teach this (without explaining the WHY), but most drivers do NOT follow it. Here’s a video where a smart teenager explains reversing step-by-step. Do note that the young fellow is driving a left-hand-drive vehicle and therefore he uses the opposite hand. What about small children and pets hidden just below the car’s belt-line level?
Common reversing mistakes -> moving too fast, providing too much steering input, turning the steering in wrong direction Moving forward – Check for safe, clear path. Check for traffic to the sides and behind. Signal if pulling away from a curb. Accelerate smoothly. Press the accelerator gently. How much gently? Imagine a raw egg between your foot and the accelerator. Apply force by your foot so that the accelerator gets pressed, but the egg does not break. Great tip for fuel efficiency. Stopping – Rear-end collisions are most common accidents. Plan ahead for a smooth stop, so that you don’t surprise the car behind you. If stopping at a curb for parking, the distance from the curb should be less than 18 inches (1.5 ft). Ideally it should be about 6 inches (half a ft). Last edited by SDP : 20th January 2013 at 02:56. |
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16th January 2013, 08:48 | #12 |
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2.4 How to handle intersections and make left and right turns
2.4 How to handle intersections and make left and right turns. (right-of-way, yield) Fact -> More crashes happen at intersections than at any other place. What is a “Traffic Check” or “Scanning”? This is extremely important part of driving. I have seen most newbie drivers in India focused only on what is ahead. 2.4.1 How to cross an intersection? 2. Look both ways as you near an intersection. Left–Right-Left. 3. Before you enter an intersection, continue checking traffic from both the left and right for approaching vehicles and/or crossing pedestrians. 4. You should slow down before reaching the intersection. Think, if the light changes or you encounter a vehicle violating the right-of-way that causes you to stop suddenly, will the vehicle behind be able to stop? 5. Drive at your slowest speed just before entering the intersection and gradually increase your speed as you cross the intersection. 6. You should be in the proper lane for the direction you intend to travel before you reach the intersection. Do NOT make last minute lane changes as you start through an intersection. 7. Do NOT pass a vehicle in an intersection. 8. Do NOT move into an intersection and block it after the traffic lights have changed. Last edited by SDP : 20th January 2013 at 03:52. |
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16th January 2013, 14:29 | #13 |
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Right Of Way
2.4.2 RIGHT OF WAY Vehicles or pedestrians are likely to meet one another where there are no signs or lights to control traffic. In that case who should go first or have the right-of-way? There are rules on who must yield (i.e. give or grant) the right-of-way. These rules tell who goes first and who must wait in different traffic situations. Think of the right-of-way as something to be given, NOT taken. You must NOT Insist on “your” Right-of-Way. The traffic mess that we see at intersections is precisely because of the lack of understanding of Right-of-Way and common courtesy. Here are the rules for Right-Of-Way: 1.Yield to pedestrians crossing the road or your path of travel 2. Yield to Oncoming Traffic • When turning right, you must wait for oncoming traffic going straight ahead or turning left. • When entering a main road from a driveway, alley, parking lot or roadside, you must yield to all vehicles already on the main road. (The blue car in the graphic below must yield the right-of-way.) • When entering a roundabout, traffic circle or rotary, you must yield to traffic already in the roundabout. • When approaching a MERGE onto a busy highway or interstate, you must increase or decrease speed as needed to avoid an accident and yield the right-of-way, if necessary, to the oncoming traffic. 3.Yielding at Intersections You must yield the right-of-way to any vehicles already in the intersection, even if you have the green traffic light. e.g. The red vehicle in the diagram below must wait for the green vehicle to cross the intersection EVEN IF the red vehicle has a green signal. At “T” intersections where one road dead-ends into another main crossing roadway, the vehicles on the road ending must yield to oncoming traffic from both directions on the main road. Do not enter an intersection unless you can get through it without having to stop. You should wait until traffic in front of you clears so that you are not blocking the intersection. Here’s a quick recap. 4. Yield to Emergency Vehicles IMMEDIATELY (Police, Fire, ambulance) 5. Yield to your city’s public transport buses 6. Slowing and Yielding to Stationary Vehicles on the Roadside Last edited by SDP : 19th January 2013 at 00:04. |
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17th January 2013, 20:51 | #14 |
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2.4.3 How to Turn
2.4.3 How to Turn The first rule of turning is to turn from the closest lane in the direction you are traveling to the closest legal lane in the direction you want to go. 1. Signaling a Turn
2. Making turns DO: DON’T: • Don’t start moving (or inching ahead) in anticipation of you getting a green signal. 3. RIGHT Turns Look out of your left window for pedestrians and other traffic in your turn path. Yield to any oncoming cars or pedestrians. Don’t turn wide. Why not? -> You are inconveniencing a driver who might be going straight as you encroach in his/her lane. Don’t cut the corner. Why not? -> You are inconveniencing a driver who might be turning left in that same corner. You might even bump into him or side-swipe him. If there are multiple lanes turning, keep your vehicle in the lane you start from THROUGHOUT the turn. If the light turns yellow while you are waiting for oncoming vehicles to clear the intersection, DO NOT proceed into the intersection. Turn Warning: Trucks and Buses Turning Right Large trucks and buses MUST make wide turns. Sometimes they must leave an open space to the right just before the turn. To avoid an accident, do not pass a truck on the right if there is a possibility that it might make a right turn. 4. LEFT turns Is a Left turn Permitted on Red? 5. Special Turns: Roundabouts and U-Turns Please take a special note of how to take right-turn and how to take a U-turn at a round-about. Don’t get tempted to take a short-cut and turn right. The most common faults when making turns are Last edited by SDP : 20th January 2013 at 03:55. |
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18th January 2013, 08:54 | #15 |
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2.5 How to use the traffic signals and posted signs
2.5 How to use the traffic signals and posted signs
Last edited by SDP : 20th January 2013 at 04:00. |
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