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-   -   Accidents in India | Pics & Videos (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-safety/109249-accidents-india-pics-videos-1212.html)

There are lot of misconceptions about airbags and other car safety features in our country.

One example of knowledge level is that few of the news articles mentioned the front airbags in the S-Class deployed which saved Hema Malini's life. My god, she was sitting at rear, how the front airbag will contribute into safety of a rear passenger? Instead they should have mentioned that Hema malini could have come out unhurt if she was wearing seatbelts.

Most important thing is car's engineering, design, rigidity of the structure and crumple zones. Then its the seatbelts which play most crucial role in life saving. Airbags are not primarily life savers, they just provide little bit of extra protection from more injuries which may turn out fatal.

The awareness level on road and vehicle safety is just frustrating in our country. People know only two things about road accidents:

(1) The accident can never happen with us. If happens then its fault of other party so let's blame them and start fighting if possible. Even concept of insurance doesn't exist in the way its supposed to be, rather its the other party who will have to compensate for the damages.

(2) If accident has happened and it claimed lives then its destiny, let's accept it, it was unavoidable, people get killed in accidents.

Errr, you mean All Water Drive ? :uncontrol

Talking about the Mercedes - Alto accident, I remembered about this video, being circulated few months back.

A very good example of how accidents happen at village - highway intersections.

Very much possible that the Merc - Alto accident happened in a similar way.


https://youtu.be/gKodsIw0R4Y


Those saying the Merc driver was driving "rash", "high-speed", "careless" etc, need to refrain from saying so because if the Merc was going sraight, it had the right of way.
If one sees the accidents in the video above, the fault mostly lies with people taking the turns.

You are cent percent right sir!! Majority of accidents on the highway are caused by villagers driving/riding as they please. Looking left/right, slowing down is for morons, not for over smart people such as these!! If they manage to get away, they are eager with abuses at the car/truck driving straight on the highway, you see the villager can never be wrong, he/she is too smart for that.:Frustrati

Does right of way include right to ram into anything in the path? Aren't you supposed to be driving under the speed limit all the time, right or way or not? Aren't you supposed to slow down at intersections or when passing towns and villages en route?
The news reports say after hitting the Alto, the Merc spun around and jumped the divider. How many think the Merc was being driven under the speed limits?

Thank you for sharing this video Soumyajit9, this is really an eye opener. I think this is a "must watch" video for each one of us hitting the roads everyday.

A majority of the accidents in this video clip are the result of a blind spot created by a bigger vehicle and over speeding at an intersection. If people involved in these accidents would have followed a few of the below mentioned golden rules a majority of these accidents could have been easily avoided:

1. Overtaking a vehicle itself is risky and overtaking a vehicle at an intersection is a sure shot recipe for disaster, reason being the vehicle in front on you creates a very huge blind spot, which prevents you from seeing other vehicles crossing the intersection.
2. Slow down at an intersection (even if you are on highway). Remove the foot from the accelerator and let it hang over the brake pedal, so you are prepared to slam the brakes in case of an emergency.
3. Always try to read the mind of other drivers/ road users. A jaywalker, biker or other car driver nearing a junction, will he stop, see and then cross or would he blindly get into the main road.
4. Make use of indicators, hand signals when you are turning or changing lanes. When crossing an intersection flash your headlights. Warn other road users and make them aware of your intentions.
5. When you are nearing an intersection/ junction, raise all your antennas, be extra vigilant. Don't just look straight, but look sideways, over the shoulder, all three rear view mirrors. Your alertness at a junction should be at least 3 times more than on a plain, straight road.

TOI 6th July Pg.8
Another DUI.
Since when was the Honda City started being categorized as a SUV? Or did they believe that it was a Honda CRV which got truncated to a City after being crashed.

Is that not a Honda city, the previous gen? Can't be called a SUV. Probably dramatized reporting at it's best.

However doesn't condone the fact that they were DUI.

Spinning around could also be a result of panic breaking and hard steering, to avoid what could be a blind crossing by the alto. Could happen at sane speeds too. Can we judge the speed of the merc by this?

Please take a look at the video regarding the accidents at intersections, majority of them are due fault of blind crossing by slow moving bikes. When one crosses or joins an intersection, he is supposed to stop, look, see and then proceed, how can one ask highway traffic to crawl to a stop to accommodate a joining traffic?

Wow! , This video seems so surreal but the reality of actual people getting mowed down, cars getting bashed up. etc is horrifying. to say the least.

Man, look at the audacity of the bikers, the bus drivers who make a dash through the intersection just to make a quick *right* turn.

People do not care about their own safety, forget the consideration for fellow travellers. All everyone wants to do is save 2,10,20 seconds and cut across without taking a moment to assess the situation from a safety perspective.

All it takes is a stop, look, go especially when you turn right on a busy intersection.


These Morons come in all shapes and sizes and are to be found across all states and a good many of them literate and well educated too. So there isnt much you can do but ease up on the throttle and be mightly well attentive, spot the moron and out think him for your own safety.

Best option, ease the throttle, slow down enjoy the scenery and be ready to brake at *all* intersections. Anything above 80/90 kmph is simply not worth it on our regular roads.

Hi Gannu,

What happens in the case of side and curtain airbags, with children in the back seat, are those as dangerous like the front airbags?

Regards,
Trojan

I have always wondered as to what the first 2 images on the sun visor sticker denote.stupid:

can someone please tell me

In that video, over 90% of the accidents could have been prevented if the motorists were made aware of the concept of "right of way"

It is sheer ignorance among drivers in the video and lack of clarity about what exactly should be done at an intersection that is causing so many accidents at intersections.

Atleast going forward, the government has to ensure that licenses are issued only after all applicants get the right of way concept clear. I've seen this implemented effectively in the UK. People don't just jump in from a side road into the main road without stopping and giving way, people on the main roads usually drive without slowing down knowing that they have the right of way.

"right of way" simply defined:
1. Traffic travelling straight ahead in either direction along a major road has right of way at all times.

2. If you are at a junction where the roads are of equal importance, the traffic on your right has right of way. You must let that traffic pass before moving on. It is important to understand that the right of way is not an absolute right. You must proceed with caution while showing regard for other users of the road.

3. If you are approaching a T junction, the traffic already on the road you are joining has right of way. This means any traffic on the road ending at the junction must wait for the other traffic to pass before turning left or right.

4. If you are turning right at a junction, the traffic coming straight through the junction from the opposite direction has right of way.

5. If you plan to turn right at a junction and a vehicle from the opposite direction wants to turn into the same road, the vehicle that is turning left has right of way. If yours is the vehicle turning right, you must wait for the other vehicle to turn first.

If you are approaching a junction with a major road, you must yield to other traffic. This means giving right of way or letting them pass before you enter the road you are joining.
Vehicles do not have an automatic right of way on the road. The overriding rule is, in all circumstances, proceed with caution.

You are somewhat right in mentioning speed limits and slowing down on intersections but it is the flawed highway design that results in such accidents. Majority of intersections do not have blinkers installed nor they have warning signs in reflective paints that can make a driver bit more attentive.

However, if I am driving a smaller vehicle I will always give the right of way to the larger vehicle no matter where I am driving. That is how I can be marginally safer than those who do not follow this rule.

The man driving the tractor is so dumb.Look closely and see how he fled the scene. He actually ditched the tractor into a ditch.stupid:
He could have used the parking brake or at least engage the gear. There would have been another accident if it turned to the left.

Aren't there boards for approaching intersections. Even if there is right of way, it would be more safe to pass intersections slowly and anticipating the worst from others.