VEHICLE MAINTENANCE TIPS

Abrupt acceleration leads to greater fuel consumption. Don't floor accelerator immediately after starting. Shift to top gear at about 40-50 km. Maintain a constant speed. Don't keep changing gears. Maintain proper tyre pressure. Use only recommended spark plugs. Check your air cleaner. Dirt restricts air flow and increases fuel consumption. If your clutch is slipping, get it checked immediately. Check electrolyte level, specific gravity and battery terminals periodically.

Guidelines for obtaining Driving license-India

DRIVING LICENSE:-An appropriate driving License is a legal requirement for operating any motor vehicle। A driver's license which is issued by the competent authority of any State/Union territory is valid throughout the Indian Union. CATEGORY AGE NOT LESS THAN REMARKS a) Motor cycles of special category 16 years a) A motorcycle of engine capacity not more than 50cc falls in this category. The application must be signed by a parent or guardian. b) Private cars and motorcycles 18 years b) All light motor vehicles not used for carrying passengers/goods for hire are covered in this category. c) Transport vehicles 20 years c) All buses, lorries, auto rickshaws, etc. fall in this category.

LEARNER'S LICENSE Any person who wishes to drive a motor vehicle has to first obtain a learner's license for the purpose of learning। The person must then be tested before a permanent license is granted. A person should not be less than 20 years of age if he wants to learn to drive a transport vehicle.

REQUIREMENTS
1 Proof of age Documents accepted for proof of age are Birth/School Leaving Certificate, Passport, etc. 2 Proof of residence This can be supported by documents like the passport, ration card, electoral roll , electricity or telephone bill, etc. 3 Medical Certificate It is required only in case of transport vehicles and can be obtained from any registered medical practitioner in the prescribed form. 4 Photograph 3 copies of passport size. 5 Fee A fee of Rs. 15 should be paid.
A learner's license is valid only for a period of six months। If the driving test for a permanent license is not passed during this period, a fresh learner's license needs to be obtained .

RESTRICTIONS
A person who holds a learner's license is permitted to drive only if he is accompanied by a duly licensed driver who is sitting in a position from where he can control the vehicle and bring it to a stop if required. The vehicle must display 'L' painted signs, both in the front and the rear end of the vehicle.A person holding a learner's license for a motorcycle is not permitted to carry any pillion-rider except the person who is required to be present for imparting instructions and ensuring safety (as mentioned above).

PERMANENT LICENSE
A Permanent license of the appropriate class will be granted after the successful completion of a driving test conducted by the R।T.O. The test for the issue of the Permanent license is conducted after a minimum of 30 days from the date of issue of the learner's license. In case of failure, a retest can be requested but not before a period of 7 days.

VALIDITY
Transport vehicles: 3 years All other vehicles: 5 years, or up to the age of 50 years, whichever is more . After the age of 50, the license will be renewed for a period of 5 years at a time.
REQUIREMENTS
Photograph: 3 copies passport size Fee: Rs. 600 for driving test Rs. 250 for लाईसेन्स

RENEWAL
The application for renewal must be accompanied by :
The driving license Medical Certificate in case of transport vehicle 3 copies of photograph Renewal fee of Rs. 150
a) An Expired license is valid for 30 days and can be renewed during this grace period without a penalty। b) A license expired by more than 30 days can be renewed on payment of a penalty, provided the application is made within a period of five years from the date of expiry. The penalty is charged at Rs. 50/- per year or a part thereof. c) The License can be renewed through any RTO in the country, irrespective of the place of its issue. If a driver changes his residence, the new address should be incorporated in the license.

DUPLICATE
If the original is defaced or lost, a duplicate license can be issued on the production of :
The License number 3 copies of photograph Fee of Rs. 250 (for laminated license the fee will be higher as prescribed by the RTO).
a) The application for duplicate license must be made to the same RTO that has issued the original license। b) In case the license number is not available, the application has to be made to any other RTO, the procedure is same as applicable for the fresh license (learner license, driving test, etc.)

INTERNATIONAL LICENSE: International Driving Permit can be issued by the RTO or other motoring associations like BHARAT MOTOR TRAINING SCHOOL which are authorized by the government. Such a license is valid for one year.
REQUIREMENTS
Current Indian Driving License valid for at least another year.
CURRENT PASSPORT
3 copies of a recent photograph Fee of Rs. 1500

Safe Driving

Mr Sundar ,our mechanic shares his views on safety driving.- As a general rule, keep left to the maximum giving the due space on the right to the oncoming vehicles. Failure to do so would cause tension to the driver of the oncoming vehicle. Driving with tension is a pass port to hell.- When it comes to curves, especially the blind curves, it is a must to apply brakes gently and sound the horn in anticipation of the vehicle from the opposite side , if it is daytime and dip and dim the headlights if it is night time. This would greatly help the driver of the oncoming vehicle to avoid accidents;. He would in turn follow suit.- Even if the driver of the vehicle that comes from the opposite side does not reciprocate your signals, there is nothing loss for you. In fact you would be in an advantageous position. Even if he comes at a great speed, as you anticipate it and drive with focused mind, you can rise to the occasion where as he would be bewildered to negotiate left or right and the chances for the vehicle to capsize are not ruled out. Dispassionate driving is the need of the hour.- Before negotiating on the curves one has to mentally calculate whether such curve is a narrow one or a long one. If it is a narrow one the speed of the vehicle has to be gradually reduced noticeably to 30 - 40 km pl. The curves are laid with gradient, i.e., they are sloped down towards the centre of the curves to avoid such accidents due to centrifugal force. Preventive Maintenance When one has to take the vehicle for a long trip the following items have to be taken care of. 1. Oil Check up 2. Brakes check up. If any brake shoes are worn out, replace them by new ones. 3. Air Check up is of utmost important. Tyres without proper air pressure would not give the due mileage. They have to be properly inflated with digital pressure gauges or else they would deflate the purse of the owner. 4. Grease packing is a must as it would enhance the life of the vehicle from the effects of wear and tear. 5. It is a vehicle with power steering one has to be very careful. The driver would find handling the steering effortless . The very term 'power steering' indicates that its function is based on the power supplied by the dynamo which supplies the necessary power to the maneuver the steering. This is possible only when the ignition key is turned on and the engine is running. Suppose the engine is stopped, the power steering would lose its easy handling provision and it would be very difficult to manually handle the steering then. You could not at such times negotiate the curves. This has to be viewed seriously especially when the vehicle moves across the road flooded with water.Author: BMTS

Drunken Driving

Alcohol has been successful in making a distinct niche in daily lives of humans since the centuries of the recorded history. Alcohol has been found to play a major role in social ills in almost all countries across the world, but foremost amongst the ills produced by alcohol is its role in traffic crashes.
Alcohol and driving don't mix, but still, many people love to drink and drive resulting in numerous road mishaps. Drunken driving has been recognized as a world menace, based on the stats which reveal that road accidents cause 1.2 million deaths and 50 million injuries around the world each year. Some 480,000 of these deaths and 20 million of people get injured by drunken driving.
The role of Alcohol in traffic safety has produced more controversies than any other topic. After drinking, the judgment power of the driver gets impaired - a threat to road safety. Due to its effects, driver tends to take more risks, becomes more aggressive and takes a longer reaction time. It has been well established that the relative probability of causing crash increases with the rising blood alcohol levels keeping road safety at stake.
In India, drunken driving is customary in commercial vehicle drivers. Private car owners and youngsters are also major players in the game. Small bars along the Indian highways are of prime concern to control drunken driving. To make the matter worse the gamble of destiny is that Indian traffic officials are not well equipped with the necessary equipments required to introduce checks on driving in India. India has laws to check the drunken driving but its effective implementation is still to be worked upon.
The MV Act, 1939, has a clause which states that "Driving by a drunken person shall be punishable at the first offence with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with a fine which may extend to two thousand rupees or both; and for a second offence, if committed within three years of the previous similar offence, imprisonment for a term which may extend to three thousand rupees, or with both.
According to this law, drinking and driving was not allowed to be mixed up, but after its amendment in 1994, an amount up to 30 mg per 100 ml of blood has been permitted to driver. The above law is very much effective if imposed, but it slips off when the hands of the concerned officials are greased.
A drunken driver is a potential murderer as he cannot perform his tasks without risks and endangers road safety. Drunken driving an illegal act should be governed by stern laws which entail not only levying hefty fines or revocation of license, but also prosecution, same as a criminal offense. Usually, driver escape from the scene as the public gets involved in getting the injured hospitalized rather than snitch the drunken driver and teaching him a lesson.
But, contrary to the practice, if we make a commitment to report the incidence to the officials concerned and take a stand against drunk driving, then we may get successful in curbing the menace which has been since centuries a major contributor to the traffic deaths in every, but, the co-relation between alcohol and road safety still remains a matter of more research.

Driving License - India

NRI’s returning to India for permanent settlement or even for an extended stay will feel the need to get a Indian driving license when they arrive in India. Whether one plans to drive in India or not, a driver license is a form of photo identification that is required on many occasions.