Why are drivers impatient on roads?

Accidents on road have become a routine now. Daily we can read about them in newspaper or watch them on news channels but have we ever thought of what is the major cause of accidents? No, because we are busy blaming others for the mishap and move on. I feel main cause of most accidents on road today is because of impatience. Wondering how, here are few in my person experiences on road

Today I was stranded in a busy traffic signal there was hardly any place but the biker behind me was honking.  Does honking create additional space for me or force me to move ahead and bang other vehicle? I don’t know. I got space and moved a bit to give ample space for the biker. He moved in but still he has not overtaken me. We were together on that signal till the signal was cleared. Once the signal was cleared he drove at a very high speed, god save him. Bikers are more to accident because their bikes can skid or can bang other vehicle if they lose control. Because one rides bike on balance and the moment you lose, fall on road.

Taxis and bus driver are the one which we should be cautious while driving car. They drive very rashly and at very high speed, if we are not able to give space to them, they don’t mind banging vehicles. Then have good verbal fight on road. There are many L board vehicles on road but neither bus drivers not taxi drivers pay heed to them. Seems like they have forgotten they were also new to road someday and people supported them. Now just because they have become experts doesn’t mean they can make fun of other.  

Taxi drivers often ramp bikes and car, then plead for mercy which they hardly get. Then things are taken to nearest police station to resolve the issue. Why? Had you driver your vehicle properly with the stipulated speed limit these things wouldn’t have come to you? Because you didn’t bother for others then now others don’t care for you. 

Buses are terror, they change lanes without checking if it may hit other vehicles, they just do it. Buses often ramp cars leading to inconvenience to passengers on board and off board.  Why all these suffering?, follow driving rules and avoid it. But who cares for it. Often we can see buses competing with one another on busy roads.  Why? to get more passenger but in doing so if we harm anyone then who will take responsibility of it? No answer. 

The case with individual car owners is no different they also drive at maximum speed to impress people or joy endangering life of innocent people. We have many examples of “hit and run” cases which became newspaper headlines. Hit and run are the best examples of over speeding. Post-accident the driver of the vechile is left to life long suffering depending upon the punishment awarded to him by the court.

When on road we could care for 

1st Safety of people on road

2nd Safety of our vehicle

3rd Safety of our self (Because we have someone waiting for us at home)

It better to be late than being in hospitals, graveyards, police station or lead a miserable life on bed all throughout, which I don’t think anybody will like. So take wise decisions and reap benefits from it.

Power of Unity! Thanks to Bangalore Mirror

A month ago Bangalore Mirror, local daily in Bangalore, launched a campaign for the citizen and the betterment of Bangalore. Bangalore known as the silicon valley of India, was struggling with potholes in different parts of the city. It has become a nuisance for the people to commute from one place to another.

Bangalore Mirror covered this story and requested people to participate in the campaign. Participation was simple, people had to take photo the pothole close to their locality and it to Bangalore Mirror. All photographs were send to an email id created exclusively for this purpose. The response was overwhelming, daily a page was contributed for this section, which contained photograph of pothole along with the locality. Sender name was kept confidential. 

Slowly authorities started reacting to it and potholes in key areas of Bangalore were filled with immediate effect with the assurance that other areas will be covered soon. My locality had close to 6 potholes and one among them was pretty big. With bike one can manage them but cars were a real terror. Due to potholes people stopped commuting by cars and resorted to bikes. But there were few people who used cars and paid for the potholes from their pocket. Bangalore Mirror covered such incident as well apart from images of potholes.

 Today morning was a pleasant delight for me, I saw all the potholes of my locality being filled and roads being tarred, making it convenient for commuters. We wouldn’t have seen this change if Bangalore Mirror had not taken this initiative and urged citizens to participate to betterment of the society and themselves.

Would like to applaud the initiative take by Bangalore Mirror, to make Bangalore roads pothole free. And their constant effort to keep the fire burning. Many times it has happened that people start up a thing but leave it midway when they don’t see any response from it, at the time stipulated by them. They forget the fact constant effort always yield result but one has to wait for it and should have faith in oneself. 

This win had reassured our belief in the power of unity, had citizens not participated in this campaign whole heartedly, results wouldn’t have been evident so soon. Together we can always make a difference but need a reason and constant support to stand for it.

Looking forward to see more examples of “Power of Unity”

Disastrous drive out of Forum parking lot

Forum is one of the most popular mall in Bangalore, since it was the first mall. Anytime you visit forum it is thronged with people. On weekends people struggle to locate a place to park their car or bike. Weekdays are much better.

Forum has mutillevel parking and it is pretty difficult for new driver to park their car in there. 26^th January, me, my wife and my brother-in-law(brother) decided to visit forum. Brother loves forum than any other mall, since he get good deal on CDs and DVDs at crossword there.

A signal before brother asked me will I be able to park the car in forum or needed his help. I asked him to park the car for me. We changed seats and brother drove us to parking. On reaching the mall we dispersed our selves. My and wife went to the food court their while brother went to look out for CDs. 

After spending close 2 hours we decided to head back home since we had to go for work the next day. Brother asked  me take the car out, I told it would be better, if he could do it. But he wanted me to learn it so I took control on driver’s seat.  Exit had slope like structure, with great difficulty I took the car to mid way and stopped for the other car to pass by.

This time when I tried to move the car in upward direction it started going down, I had no idea about what was happening? I tried one more time again the car started going back. Luckily the driver in the car behind us didn’t move his car up, I guess he has seen the L board in the car. Suddenly people gathered around the car offering help to drive it up.

Me and wife were too scared but brother was cool. With option in hand I asked brother to take the car out. I didn’t drive car back home asked brother to do it since the trauma of the incident was haunting me.

Just imagine if the car behind us has placed it just behind us some very big could have happened but his presence of mind saved the situation.   

My first driving experience on driver seat

I was always passionate about driving car, once I learned bike and stated taking it out. Since childhood I had traveled a lot in car but only sitting at the back seat since drivers were there to drive where ever I wanted to go. Usually mom would be there in car and I needed to check with her to go anywhere. I could go in car only if mom was free or she was not going out that time. Work first then leisure.

During graduation days I learned car driving from a driving school for about a month and could drive decently then. Riding on the confidence of driving car tried my hands on ambassador car but it was unsuccessful, that was the last time when I drove car. 

After 10 years again I was compelled to drive car and time with no option in hand. Reason was I was gifted a car by my brother in law as our wedding gift. He wanted me to drive it immediately after our wedding but I was not allowed fearing some mishap. Because it was a big car and people were afraid I might put scratches on it in the process of driving it.

Post wedding we used to visit our relatives in hired auto, taxis and in buses at some cases. When we see any Honda city parked anywhere or people driving it we looked at it with sadness and despair. During all this time my brother in law was too low that we were unable to use his gift and it has become a show piece. 

Finally my brother in law decided to get the car to Bangalore from Kerala. He got it here and with an hours time he took me out for a drive to check my driving skills. He was impressed by it and asked me to take car next time when I go out. Very next day me and my wife took car to a nearyby mall to buy vegetables and other things. We were trembling with fear till we reached home.

Our real test was next when we went together to an office for some official purpose and on way back we decided to visit kempfort. By the time we were out of temple it was 6 pm road was full of cars, buses and bikes. We had to be back home with me on drivers seat and wife at other seat. It took us 2 hours to reach home but both of couldn’t believe it was me who was driving it. It was pretty well.

My focus was only on driving and looking after the objects on my side, while my wife would guide me about the distance to be maintained from other side. We both had to be alert all time to keep going. We didn’t even speak much except the guidance from sides. Though I was driving all throughout but still I asked my wife to pinch me to make me feel its really happening. To save us from any untoward incident we had pasted an L sign both in front as well as back side of the car.

On reaching home we were very happy but more than us my brother in law was happy, that finally I was achieved what he wanted me to achieve? Had he not been there I couldn’t have ever taken the care despite my utmost desire and the fear of scratches. Only place were I face difficulty is to cross humps, car gets stop their, hope to cover it soon as well.

But it fun driving, isn’t it