Saturday, June 2, 2001 |
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THE heat is on, literally. And that is the best excuse to drive to the hills. For Chandigarhians, this usually means the beautiful, smooth drive on the Kalka-Shimla road, the National Highway No 22 in Himachal Pradesh.
They are the most
basic of the road rules. They are meant for your safety. They also
ensure the smooth flow of traffic, which is what a drive up to the
hills is all about. |
One point of safe motoring that the Solan police has not mentioned: do not overtake on a blind corner. It’s common sense that you should not speed ahead if you can’t see what is in front.
There are two bypasses on NH 22 — Solan and Shimla. A bypass is supposed to help you bypass the city and its crowded bazaars and bus stops. But here there seems to be some confusion about what purpose a bypass serves. Building material agents have been treating the Solan bypass as a warehouse. Iron girders, steel rods, G.I. pipes and other hazardous material have been laid on the berms, narrowing the road considerably and defeating the very purpose of a bypass. Though both the Shimla and Solan bypass roads are wide, you must exercise extreme caution while driving on them. These stretches are extremely dangerous. Apart from driving carefully and safely, parking must also be done with as much care. The parking space is scarce in the hills, so use as little place as possible. Usually, two or three cars are parked in an area where about six cars could be parked. Please show consideration for other drivers.
A very dangerous move that two-wheeler riders make is that they free-wheel downhill. Avoid this. The money you save is not worth the risk. While free-wheeling, you use your brakes constantly. The friction will heat the drums or discs and pads. This constant friction can lead to serious consequences — the brakes may fail. Motoring is always fun. More so, when, it is a beautiful cool drive in the hills. Drive carefully. Obey rules and regulations and have a good time. Happy motoring! |