Honk... Honk... (Conclusion)

Having looked at certain aspects of road safety aka driving safe on roads we shall look at the details regarding the night driving. We have seen how driving in day time is a tedious job when we are dealing with co-travelers who have scant respect for driving rules and this becomes more cumbersome when it involves driving in the night.

According to a statistics a total of 94,009 road accidents were reported between 6 pm and 9 pm last year, accounting for over 20 per cent of the total mishaps in the country, according to a report by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). (Source: https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/in-2022-most-accidents-reported-from-6pm-9pm-20-of-total-mishaps-morth-123110200742_1.html)

There are certain tips to follow for a safe night time driving and they are as below:

1. Light Up Your Path – Use Your Headlights Wisely

Dipped and Full Beam: When it gets dark, it’s time to bring out the headlights, but how you use them matters. In town, keep your lights on dipped beam to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers. Switch to full beam on rural or unlit roads but dip them again as soon as another vehicle is in sight.

Check Your Bulbs Regularly: Don’t wait for a dark night to find out a headlight’s gone! Check all your lights (yes, including indicators and brake lights) regularly to ensure you’re both safe and legally compliant for driving at night.

 2. Avoid Staring into the Abyss (or Oncoming Headlights)

Looking straight at the headlights of oncoming cars can temporarily blind you, so shift your gaze to the left edge of the road and follow the white line. Trust us, your eyes will thank you, and you’ll keep that night vision intact.

Bonus Tip: If a driver behind you has dazzling headlights, flip your rearview mirror to its anti-dazzle setting (that little tab at the bottom of the mirror). Modern cars often have automatic dimming mirrors — lucky you!

3. Stay Alert for Nighttime Surprises

Animals and Potholes: Country roads are prime territory for nocturnal animals darting across the road. Slow down and keep a sharp eye out for movement. And beware of potholes lurking in the shadows — they’re not just a daylight hazard!

Pedestrians and Cyclists: Pedestrians can be almost invisible whilst driving at night, especially in poorly lit areas. Take it easy near schools and residential areas, and be cautious of cyclists who might not have reflective gear.

4. Keep Your Car Clean for Clear Visibility

Clean Windows and Mirrors: Dirty windows can amplify glare from other headlights, so keep them spotless. Inside and out! Also, make sure your mirrors are clear — that buildup of dust and fingerprints isn’t helping.

Headlight Hygiene: Grime-covered headlights reduce visibility, so give them a clean every once in a while. It’ll improve your lighting and make you easier to spot.

5. Get Your Eyes Tested – And Maybe Skip Those “Night Glasses”

If you’re struggling to see whilst driving at night time, it might be time for an eye test. Avoid wearing tinted or polarized glasses, as these can actually make it harder to see in low light. Instead, ask your optician about lenses with an anti-glare coating if headlights are a bother.

Those “night driving glasses”? Often just a gimmick, so be cautious about claims that they’ll improve night vision, plus, it’ll stop you being mistaken for U2’s Bono.

6. Avoid Fatigue – Rest is Best

Have you ever tried keeping your eyes open for Netflix and woke up 4 hours later? Well imagine that, but well, not waking up?

Driving at night can be draining, and fatigue is no joke. Schedule regular breaks if you’re in for a long drive. Even a quick stretch or a strong coffee can keep you alert and focused. Remember, tired driving can be as risky as driving under the influence.

Pro Tip: Avoid heavy meals before a long nighttime drive — that food coma can sneak up on you! Keeping the temperature cooler helps too.

7. Be Prepared – Pack Some Nighttime Essentials

Torch and High-Vis Gear: If you break down whilst driving at night, a torch (or headlamp) is invaluable, and high-vis gear can make you more visible to other drivers. Cold nights call for a blanket in the boot, too, in case you’re stranded waiting for help.

Charged Phone: It’s also smart to keep your phone fully charged. An emergency kit with a breakdown triangle, high-visibility vest, and jump leads is ideal for those unexpected moments.

8. Know the Road – Adjust Speed for Low Visibility

With limited sight, it’s tempting to go slower than usual — and rightly so. Always drive within your field of vision; if you can’t see past your headlights, slow down. This gives you extra time to react to sudden obstacles, be it a deer, pothole, or curve in the road.

Avoid Overtaking: Night overtakes are trickier because bends or dips can hide oncoming cars. Be absolutely sure the road is clear before attempting it.

9. Dim Your Dashboard Lights

Bright dashboard lights can create reflections on the windshield and reduce your night vision. Adjust your dashboard brightness to a lower setting, which can help you focus better on the road ahead without distractions.

10. Know When to Call It a Night

Sometimes, the smartest move is knowing when to pull over. Heavy rain, fatigue, or overwhelming glare can make night driving too risky. Don’t hesitate to stop at a safe spot and wait until conditions improve. Your destination will still be there in the morning!

Source: https://shiftdrivingschool.co.uk/resources/learning-to-drive/driving-at-night/

Concluding the three part series of road safety let me shed some light on role of ADAS (Advanced driving assistant system) for improved road safety.

ADAS and Its Impact on Road Safety

Human error remains a significant factor in road accidents, with distractions, fatigue, and delayed reactions leading to tragic outcomes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.3 million people die each year in traffic accidents globally, with millions more suffering non-fatal injuries. Many of these accidents could be prevented or minimized with the assistance of ADAS technologies.

ADAS introduces automation and decision-making algorithms into vehicles, helping drivers avoid collisions and improve overall road awareness. These systems use a combination of sensors, cameras, radar, and machine learning to detect potential hazards and assist the driver in making safer decisions. From alerting drivers to imminent dangers to taking control of the vehicle to prevent a crash, ADAS has the potential to significantly improve road safety across a variety of environments.

Key ADAS Features Contributing to Safer Driving

Several core ADAS features are specifically designed to improve road safety by preventing accidents or minimizing their severity. The most effective ADAS systems focus on collision avoidance, lane discipline, and maintaining safe distances between vehicles. Below are some of the key features that have a direct impact on road safety:

Collision Avoidance Systems (CAS): These systems are among the most vital ADAS features, designed to prevent or reduce the severity of accidents by detecting potential collisions and applying corrective measures. This includes Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), which uses sensors and cameras to detect obstacles and apply the brakes if a collision seems imminent. AEB is especially effective in reducing rear-end collisions, which are among the most common types of crashes.

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Lane-Keeping Assist (LKA): Lane departure warning systems alert drivers when their vehicle begins to drift out of its lane without signaling, a common cause of accidents due to driver inattention or drowsiness. Lane-keeping assist takes this a step further by automatically correcting the vehicle’s course to keep it within its lane, helping prevent accidents caused by unintentional lane changes or veering off the road.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC): Unlike traditional cruise control, which maintains a constant speed, ACC adjusts the vehicle’s speed to maintain a safe distance from the car ahead. By using radar and sensors to detect traffic conditions, ACC automatically slows down or accelerates the vehicle based on real-time data, reducing the risk of rear-end collisions, especially on highways and during traffic congestion.

Blind-Spot Detection (BSD): Blind spots are a leading cause of side-swipe accidents. BSD systems use sensors and cameras to monitor the vehicle’s blind spots and alert the driver if another vehicle is detected in those areas. This feature is particularly useful during lane changes and helps drivers make safer maneuvers on busy roads.

Pedestrian Detection: ADAS systems are not only designed to protect vehicle occupants but also vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. Pedestrian detection systems use cameras and sensors to identify pedestrians in or near the road and issue warnings to the driver or automatically apply the brakes if necessary. This feature is especially important in urban areas where pedestrian traffic is high.

Statistics Demonstrating ADAS Effectiveness

The effectiveness of ADAS in reducing road accidents has been widely studied, with several reports demonstrating the significant benefits these technologies offer. According to the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), vehicles equipped with ADAS features like AEB and lane-keeping assist systems show a dramatic reduction in accident rates. In fact, a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that automatic emergency braking reduced rear-end collisions by 50%, while lane departure warning systems reduced crashes caused by lane departure by up to 20%.

Moreover, a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) highlights that ADAS features, when fully adopted across vehicle fleets, could prevent over 2 million crashes annually in the U.S. alone. Similarly, a 2020 study conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) revealed that vehicles equipped with forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking saw a 25% reduction in injury claims.

(Source:  https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/blog/the-role-of-adas-in-improving-road-safety/)

Happy Safe driving :)

75 years of Constitution of India

Nov 26 is celebrated as Constitution day across the country and this constitution day is something special as it is the 75th year of celebration. To a country which is plagued by many impediments like cross border terrorism, communal violence, caste-ism, corruption and many more it is still a secret how constitution continues to wield its power and has lived up-to the expectation of its citizens.

And it takes my immense pleasure in sharing my happy moments to see my constitution thriving and crossing its 75th year of empowering the country to achieve new heights of civility. And year 2024 was a tumultuous year as many forces that were against the concept of equity and diversity guaranteed by constitution trying to rob its value through treachery. But things were set straight and forces were shown their limits through a political reset.

Constitution may have guaranteed you many written rights like right to justice, right to education, right to information but framers of constitution have passed on an most important unwritten right to its citizens through the constitution and it is the Right to Reset. It is because of this right that you see your constitution lively and thriving which otherwise would have pushed the entire world to medieval ages.

It is this right to reset which keeps the archaic and fascists forces at bay from harming the tenets of the constitution. With powers comes the responsibility, having seen our forefathers of freedom struggle passed on the power to reset to its next generation it is the responsibility to the Gen X to preserve the sanctity of the power from falling into the hands of megalomaniacs who believe in monotonous future.

#HAPPY_CONSTITUTION_DAY

Honk... Honk... (Part 2)

As mentioned in my previous blog post expressways may have made the travel time shortened due its exaggerated speed limits so becomes the responsibility of the road users to become responsible drivers and making the roads safer for everyone using the same.

Another annoying thing about road safety is overtaking on the wrong side. There are some rules prescribed while overtaking the vehicle in front of you and they are as listed below:

• Don't overtake when you can't see the road ahead, at a corner, or around a bend
• Only overtake when there's no oncoming vehicle and enough space ahead
• Be extra careful when overtaking at night 
• Don't overtake if you're likely to impede oncoming traffic
• Use your indicator to signal when you're about to turn

Driving through wildlife protected area is another area of interest. A sample statistics says that a total of 31 spotted deer and one elephant were among the 34 wild animals killed in road crashes on the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway near Berandapalli in Hosur forest range in five years from 2019 to 2024. (Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2024/Jul/29/34-animals-of-hosur-forest-range-die-in-roadkill-in-five-years )

There are some do's and don't for driving through the wildlife protected area and they are listed as below:

• Get a permit: You need a valid permit and ID to enter a protected area
• Take a guide: You need to take an authorized park guide with your vehicle.
• Drive slowly: Drive slowly and easily in the forest.
• Be quiet: Make as little noise as possible, especially when watching wildlife
• Don't disturb wildlife: Don't tease, feed, or chase wild animals.
• Don't litter: Littering is prohibited and heavily fined
•  Don't use your phone: Use of mobile phones is prohibited.
•  Don't take forest produce: Lifting of any forest produce plants or animal articles is prohibited. 
• Don't drive off-road: Off-road and fast driving is illegal in the parks. 
• Look for signboards: Look for signboards that indicate animal movement
• Be aware of underpasses: Underpasses can be used by animals to cross roads and bridges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honk Honk... (Part -1)

There has been abrupt improvement in national road infrastructure across the country under the leadership of honorable central Minister Shri. Nithin Gadkari. With new expressways being planned across all the cross sections of the region the travel time between the destinations has been drastically reduced. The difference between expressway and highway is that expressways are designed for high-speed traffic and have controlled access, while highways are designed to connect cities and towns.

In India, the speed limit on expressways is 120 kilometers per hour, which is the highest speed limit for vehicles in the country. The speed limit on national highways is 100 kilometers per hour.

With greater speed comes greater dangers associated with the accelerated speeds. South India's first expressway between Bengaluru and Mysore was notoriously called "accident den" as 296 accidents and 132 fatalities were reported within six months of its inauguration according to report published in Indian Express ( https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/296-accidents-132-fatalities-recorded-on-bengaluru-mysuru-expressway-since-january-official-report/ ) 

But these figures were drastically reduced due to efforts of Karnataka Police, wherein Karnataka Police in collaboration with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has ramped up surveillance efforts on the expressway. AI-driven cameras have been installed along the route to identify and penalise traffic violators, particularly those involved in speeding or other unsafe practises.

To further curb accidents, a dedicated team of police officers were reported to be stationed at the Kanimanike Toll Gate in Mysuru to catch speeding vehicles in real-time. Despite fines being issued through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, many violators have not paid the penalties online. As a result, the police plan to collect fines manually from those caught speeding on the expressway.

Myth that to win a country you need to win its countrymen

Of late there has been amplified noise within the country on who constitute nationalists and who are to be identified as its traitors. Officially whosoever adheres allegiance to constitution of the country are indeed eligible to identify themselves as nationalists. But entire spin is about unofficial domain.

Informally a rule is being setup on ways to segregate the population as friends and foes of the establishment based on allegiance to local dominance. And who forms the local dominance, it is yet another complex permutation and combination of caste, religion, politics, money and so on. This local dominance brag about its influence both political and monetary that they dictate their own diktats on recognizing newcomers as a nationalist.

 

They are so emboldened that they openly challenge whosoever tries to override local dominance and label them as the traitors. Their only logic for being so emboldened is the fact they have been a localite for generations guarding the land and culture since ages and hence expect newcomers to be obliged to them. 

Speaking in their own language, assuming the locality as women, is it enough to just guard the body of the women in order to appropriate her self ? More than guarding the minerals of the locality guarding the values represented by the locality gives more impetus to the argument of feeling ownership of the locality. If a newcomer intakes values and enshrines them in his contribution he becomes more localite than the one who simply guards the material aspect of place.

Tips to take care of bedridden family member at home

Dear friends, most of us are going to step into our forty's in a couple of years. And so are our parents and grand parents aging gracefully. There are chances that they be getting bedridden due to age factor. A bedridden patient's physical mobility gets restricted affecting them both physically and mentally.

Let us concentrate on certain tips to manage bedridden patients at home.

1. First and foremost bedridden patient needs a fair amount of dignity. The dignity gets reflected in each and every service we do for them. Be it in feeding them food and medicines, regular checkup of vitals i.e. blood sugar level, blood pressure level, daily bathing, changing diapers and keeping the bed neat and clean.

2. Spend some quality time with them. Just like a new born baby enters this world with lots of dreams to be fulfilled into reality, so does an aged bedridden person prepare themselves to leave this world with quality memories and it is the duty of the family to help them achieve the same.

3. Keep them involved in the current affairs of the family. They might not be of any immediate contributors to the happenings of the family but still keeping them in loop shall make them feel wanted and valued.

4. More than women, a male bedridden member needs more care and attention as they get easily offended to slightest mishandling since they had spent most of their life respected and cared by their female counterparts.

5. You may appoint third party personalized care-taker for your bedridden family  member, but such arrangements shall not replace the personalized attention that you provide for your bedridden family member.