How to Drive a Car in which Bonnet is Not Visible from Inside?

[dharmesh]

I drove dzire and swift with adjustable seats and I could make out most of my road ahead
maybe punto is too low of adjustable seat not good enough
dharmesh you did get what i meant by adjustable seats
ones which go up and down

I know. I am also talking about the same.

 

[threeace777]

dharmesh sorry buddy about your expierence with punto then
have you tried any other car with same feature and faced same problem so far

 

[dharmesh]

I have not driven any other car. But this have not caused any inconvinience to me, it's just that I keep safe distance while driving on road.

 

[carfreak]

In most of the modern day cars (except Fords), bonnet isnt easily visible. Its jus matter of practice and getting used to. But trust me, till date havent faced difficulty in driving cars where in bonnet is not visible. One should know the dimensions of the car well. Thats it. As a golden rule, if the rear tire (rear tire contacting the road surface) of the vehicle in front is visible, then the distance is safe.

 

[Sam Dinkar]

Having a clear view of the bonnet is not strictly necessary but I must say that it does give a fantastic feeling of being in control of the car. Those who have driven cars like the Ambassaor,Premier Padmini, Maruti 800, Tata Sierra/Safari/Sumo, the first generation Honda City, and at a pinch, the Santro would agree with me on this. However, it all becomes a matter of practice as one slowly learns to calculate the space needed to manoeuvre his car, irrespective of whether its bonnet is visible or not.

 

[mukesh]

Well, it's all about the experience. Anyone can spend money on front sensors/camera but when they get used to drive the vehicle then these gagets are of no / limited use. Every driver face this issue when they start driving but after some time everything gets fine.

 

[threeace777]

good practise makes a man perfect
i hope punto brings out the perfection in you dharmesh

 

[sandy_fluidic]

As all have said experience is the best solution to drive such cars. When i started learning driving, i always asked fellow driver how he adjust/manage safe distance. One simple formula i use, stop the car at a distance from where you can see complete rear bumper of the car in front of you. In my verna i follow this rule nad never faced any problem. This distance is enough to change the lane.

 

[drkeshav]

Dear Friends. Very interesting and useful discussion. Let me add my share. Whatever has been said in all these posts is quite valid and pragmatic. When I drive any car, I try to make the car my body's extension. And after a few minutes, there is no problem. I hope my friends follow what I mean. It is a matter of our perception. Any comments?

 

[freakdude]

For new drivers and for those who find driving a bit tough when bonnet is not visible, always stop at the distance from the car ahead for where you can see the rear tires of the car. This is also followed in a lot of countries including US. I too found it a damn good way to judge when to stop. Though in India you get bikers to fill that gap immediately at a signal.

freakdude.

 

[threeace777]

yes thats absolutely right
bikers get in and make it a may day
tyres of the car should be visible from where you sit
thats the best way to start and go about it
after that it's matter of perception as dr said

 

[AppU]

I started to learn in Amby and I practiced in 118NE. So I can able to judge the bonnet distance in other cars also.

As we all know in Indica we can't see where is the Bonnet. The experience with my 118NE helped me to judge the Bonnet distance in my Black Indica from the very first day. I have not faced any issues in any traffic condition.

In my Vista I can see little bit of Bonnet, but still I'm using same assumption while driving Vista.

 

[Gurrala74]

+ 100 to all for your valuable suggestions !!

I have one from my side which always follow in addition to the things you told. It works well in night in a bumper to bumper traffic. Try to see your car's lighting on other car/truck/bus and with that and some practice of getting used to this light effect distance you will be safe during nights

 

[vishnunarayanan]

As far as I have experienced most of the hatchbacks are made in such a way that the bonnets can't be visible from inside.
I would say its most in Honda Jazz where we have a long dashboard and a small bonnet. Its quite a scary as well as a nice experience to be on Jazz driving seat.
My theory is to assume the portion of the end of the dash that is near to the bonnet to be the end of the vehicle and keep a safe distance from the front vehicle/ wall. It was after scratching many times the front bumpers of my swift into walls/pavements of streets that I have learned to keep a safe distance unless I am fully confident.

 

[threeace777]

I drove an indica into a pothole few years ago
I couldn't analyze the bonnet lenght and it was night time
so analysis comes from driving expierence