[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Under nomal circumstance a person would have given the contact of his own family members instead of a friend, especially someone with a grown up son.

May not be everyone's choice. In my riding circles, and for the Bangalore BHPian's quick rides we regularly have - I keep my two trusted friends (Both BHPians in fact) as emergency contact.

Incase of the worst case scenario - better to have a known person call the wife /parents with the best details rather than a complete stranger calling and giving some sort of information.

Just my opinion. Others may prefer to give closest family relation itself, and nothing wrong with that logic either.

[SmartCat]

These days, smartphones are locked with passcode or fingerprint scanner. In case of medical emergency on the road, there is no way others can contact family members using the victim's smartphone.

My relatives had a road accident (in a cab) couple of years ago on the highway. Hospital folks managed to contact family members only because one of victims had an old non-touchscreen feature phone.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

These days, smartphones are locked with passcode or fingerprint scanner. In case of medical emergency on the road, there is no way others can contact family members using the victim's smartphone.

Not really. Both android and iOS has an emergency calling feature. Speaking of android (as I use one) - there are two ways I've set.

1. Displays emergency contact name and number on lock screen.
2. Emergency call button below unlock keypad gives the option of calling my preferred contact person without unlocking the phone.
3. If someone tries this - the phone also automatically sends an SOS SMS to the emergency contact.

Urge other bikers (all two wheeler users) to set this as well.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

These days, smartphones are locked with passcode or fingerprint scanner.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Urge other bikers (all two wheeler users) to set this as well.

Depending on your cellphone to get the job done is plain silly guys, especially in a country where the first thing bystanders would rob you of is your valuables, the cellphone included.

For close to a decade I've been wearing dog-tag's when I go on extended rides, this is more or less a standard practice among motorcyclists here, my assumption was that it was the same elsewhere as well.



If not I'd urge you to get them made.

[ani_meher]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

For close to a decade I've been wearing dog-tag's when I go on extended rides, this is more or less a standard practice among motorcyclists here, my assumption was that it was the same elsewhere as well.

If not I'd urge you to get them made.

Where is it made? Any online service for getting such a dog tag made?

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

...
1. Displays emergency contact name and number on lock screen.

I use this too, lock-screen scrolling text. Better half's phone fell out of her pocket, and a good Samaritan called my number listed on the lock-screen.

2. Emergency call button below unlock keypad gives the option of calling my preferred contact person without unlocking the phone.

Is setting preferred emergency contact(s) universally available on Android now?

I had it on Touchwiz-enabled Sansung phones, but not on stock Android Motorola devices upto Android Marshmallow. Very useful, no doubt.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Depending on your cellphone to get the job done is plain silly guys

In addition to whatever else you may have, buddy!

You may not wear the tag to office / nearby shops, but will definitely carry the phone with you. Or in a cab, like the scenario Ashwin mentioned.

Secondly, a stranger may not realize your tag as well, if he isn't aware of biker habits and the tag goes under the riding jacket. But most people are used to searching for a phone whenever an emergency. So use both - anyways no harm done in setting on the phone as well.

I have also recently kept the blood group printed on a helmet sticker. Haven't kept emergency contact printed on bike / helmet as I've heard cases where saddist people make joke calls informing them about accidents/deaths. Tag as you mentioned or jacket patch is better.

[ethanhunt123]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Is setting preferred emergency contact(s) universally available on Android now?

I had it on Touchwiz-enabled Sansung phones, but not on stock Android Motorola devices upto Android Marshmallow. Very useful, no doubt.

Yes - should be there on all android phones now.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

In addition to whatever else you may have, buddy!

Yes Indeed, better to be prepared than sorry, and when push comes to shove anything and everything matters, so it simply makes sense to use all resources available to us.

I have my emergency contact information stickered to the back of my phone since I use a feature phone. The folks at Nokia care were quite surprised when I handed it over for repairs.

Secondly, a stranger may not realize your tag as well, if he isn't aware of biker habits and the tag goes under the riding jacket.

The tag is intentionally worn under the riding jacket so that the same only comes to the medical professionals attention when prying off the riding gear.

I have also recently have kept the blood group printed on a helmet sticker.

This is something I'm a bit skeptical about, might be my paranoia but I'm a little too attached to my internal organs. Nonetheless a practice that has helped many riders in the past.

Originally Posted by ani_meher

Where is it made? Any online service for getting such a dog tag made?

Any military gear provider would do.

I got mine from Olive Planet, most of the riders I know got them from there as well;

SET OF 2 PERSONALISED DOG TAGS - MEDIC ALERT

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

I have also recently kept the blood group printed on a helmet sticker. Haven't kept emergency contact printed on bike / helmet as I've heard cases where saddist people make joke calls informing them about accidents/deaths. Tag as you mentioned or jacket patch is better.

Attachment 1888326

Where can i get this done according to my blood group? I could not find the appropriate link on 100kmph website

[marcussantiago]

1. No amount of "oversight" or whatever will ever guarantee that a trip to the mountains can be 100% risk-free. It's inherently dangerous, there's always a small risk involved. That's why it's called "adventure" and not "vacation" or whatever. Skydiving, mountain climbing, hiking, mountain biking, skin diving, you name it - there's always a non-zero chance you can get hurt or even killed. Not just in India, but anywhere you go in the world. Not saying people shouldn't try, but then see my next points.

2. In our beloved India, people don't even drive on paved roads and highways with anything resembling common sense. How can anyone make sure that remote mountain roads stay idiot-free?

3. Finally, even if we DID assemble some kind of governing body to oversee tour operators and travel guides and all that, corruption would simply set in and take over, just like it has every other time we've ever tried to enforce rules in our society. We can't even get people to take a red light at a busy intersection seriously, good luck telling tour guide operators that they should make less money by refusing to take people on dangerous roads when the same people are demanding it and offering large sums of money for the experience.

4. Finally, riding a motorcycle is a risk, period. We all accept this and make our own peace with the worst-case what-if scenarios, and decide accordingly. You can get killed on a Himalayan mountain range just like you can get killed crossing the road outside your house. So you prepare for the worst and hope it won't happen.

tl;dr there is no real solution to this issue. It's very sad and I feel for the grieving family, but regulation and oversight simply will not work here for the same reason it doesn't work in so many other areas of typical Indian life.

[sukiwa]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

I could not find the appropriate link on 100kmph website

Use this link.

Blood group selection

[Tejas@perioimpl]

I have these on my offroading boots. Procured from Aliexpress.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by marcussantiago

Skydiving, mountain climbing, hiking, mountain biking, skin diving, you name it - there's always a non-zero chance you can get hurt or even killed. Not just in India, but anywhere you go in the world.

This is a great point and very true. Most adventure sports are inherently risky, many would say that's the whole point. Then there are situations like sudden bad weather, a freak concatenation of circumstances or just plain bad luck that can imperil even the most well-prepared and experienced practitioners of a sport. Those situations are truly in the hands of the spirit/god/randomchance above and nothing can be done.

BUT, outside of those 'acts of god', there are ways to minimize risk and there is a whole lot that can be done by all involved- the participants, the facilitating agencies and the government.

Participants will need to have a good awareness of their own limits and the amount of preparation that they need to put in to achieve a certain goal. Passion is no substitute for physical preparedness or learning the required skills.

Sometimes you just need to accept that a particular thing is not for you. I've always desperately wanted to scuba dive. Tried it a couple of times, but I just couldn't equalize, no matter what I tried. One attempt, I almost blacked out when I was descending. But immediately after that, my ego would have pushed me to try again. My friends were also trying to 'motivate' me to try again using inspiring words, insults, encouragement. But the dive master was a very experienced guy and forbade me to try again that day. Back on the boat, much later, I realized that what I was doing was very stupid, risking dying for a hobby and I don't even live near the sea! Went to an ENT doctor back home and found that I had even damaged my inner ear slightly. I was just physically unsuited for diving. So I gave up trying. Have found another sport that I enjoy and all is well.

What the dive master did is the responsibility of a good facilitator, leader, a professional. To use their experience to assess the risk and take hard decisions on behalf of the group. To have the skills and to take the trouble to have the prep in place to mitigate/rescue if things do go wrong. Not to take on as many paying clients as possible, assure them that all will go as planned, have some jugaad in place, and then hope that everything works.

Finally, there is the government. Ideally it is the government that should set the standards for facilitating agencies that provide such services. They should be licensing, regulating and punishing those who deviate. But you know how these things work. Even in the couple of adventure sports where the government has defined a standard, they are laughable. I've successfully completed one such certification that supposedly equips you to work in an establishment that provides such services, but I can tell you that while the course was fun and fulfilling, it falls way, way short of what is required. And yet there are several operators running with employees who have just completed just that certification! And of course numerous others without even that!

That's the true state of things here. Not to discourage, but hopefully to make aware so that the right and safe choices are made.

[yd_gli]

This is sad! Riding a bike is inherently dangerous. Just yesterday I read about a gang of bikers who got mowed down by a pick-up truck in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. 7 riders died on the spot. In India this risk is multiplied manifold by the lack of discipline and value for human life especially on isolated and rural highways. There are no means of emergency rescue or services and the apathy of the locals to outsiders creates a very unsafe environment. I love bikes but would never buy one. It is just not worth the risk.



That said, adventure activities (bungee jumping, parasailing, rock climbing, trekking, amusement parks etc) are mostly run by fly by night operators in India with no regulations or laws governing these activities. Neither is the equipment used by experienced personnel nor is it maintained. Reports of snapped ropes, stranded people are very common. Point being, India is not the country for the such adventures. I'd rather spend the money, buy a ticket to the States and do all the mountain biking, hiking, parasailing I want.