[mayankk]

Originally Posted by hrsraghav

I think there are many aspects to it. But basically if both surfaces are similar they provide maximum friction. Thats why F1 tires are bald, Road tires have somewhat more treads and off-road tires has deepest treads.

Further more the tire gets bald it reaches towards the area which is most hardest, or say the rubber is more hard on inner layers of tire.

Regards
Harish

F1 tyres are slicks, not bald, dependent on temperature to become sticky, so to say.

[pixantz]

The scrunched up ball we see here doesn't seem to be caused totally by the accident. This state is more likely to have been caused by the process of extraction of the bodies where several rough and big cuts have to be made. Either that or a bomb blast can cause this sorry picture. It's not just scrunched up, it's torn apart to pieces. Just saying.

[vinayrathore]

Originally Posted by vinit.merchant

What is that on the right rear of the car? I hope it is not what it appears to be. Very Scary.

Its the tail light hanging upside down.

Too scary to even look at. Maruti was out of my list. Started to like the design of the Baleno but god this is just another paper thin "kitna deti hai" Maruti.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by vinayrathore

... ... ... Too scary to even look at. Maruti was out of my list. Started to like the design of the Baleno but god this is just another paper thin "kitna deti hai" Maruti.

OK, so what would a Mercedes look like if it had been through this particular accident?

You don't know, and you can't compare. Some may be better than others, but all cars are just think metal boxes.

Maruti may have known issues, but that doesn't make this sort of conclusion fair.

[kiku007]

Well, I don't remember reading someone come and post how their Maruti saved their life from a horrific crash. So the conclusion may very well be fair.

[vashisth]

How come airbags didn't deploy ? This is sx Verna and supposed to have 6 airbags. Being a Verna owner I am worried

[Aniruddha_Ch]

Originally Posted by vashisth

How come airbags didn't deploy ? This is sx Verna and supposed to have 6 airbags. Being a Verna owner I am worried:Shocked:

Hi vashishth, from body coloured door handles looks like its not SX(O), which has 6 airbags, that's just SX, which is equipped with 2 airbags. And sometimes airbags might not deploy if passengers haven't fastened the seatbelts.

[vashisth]

Originally Posted by Aniruddha_Ch

Hi vashishth, from body coloured door handles looks like its not SX(O), which has 6 airbags, that's just SX, which is equipped with 2 airbags. And sometimes airbags might not deploy if passengers haven't fastened the seatbelts.

Are airbags linked with seatbelt mechanism anyhow ?? I am unaware of it..

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by vinayrathore

Its the tail light hanging upside down.

Too scary to even look at. Maruti was out of my list. Started to like the design of the Baleno but god this is just another paper thin "kitna deti hai" Maruti.

Strike out Ford, Tata and Audi from your list too. One Ford Ikon in three pieces in Mumbai, a Safari in two pieces in Lucknow and an Audi in 2 pieces in Punjab are the cars I remember seeing in this thread earlier. There may be more but have to search for them.

@ Vashisht, Yes, Airbags deploy only if the occupant is belted. Check your car's manual if it is equipped with airbags and you will find the answer.

[AkMar]

Originally Posted by ankan.m.blr

A question to Verna owners: From the screeching noise I heard, the car tires seemed to have locked under hard braking. Doesn't Verna come with ABS?

From the pics, it looks like this was an SX variant which should be having ABS.

[pixantz]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

....You don't know, and you can't compare. Some may be better than others, but all cars are just think metal boxes.

Maruti may have known issues, but that doesn't make this sort of conclusion fair.

All cars are metal boxes but it's not the tin metal on top which provides the safety. It's what's underneath. Steel beam reinforcements, rods etc which can't be seen on top which exist(or don't) in various forms and amounts are the real safety providers. I think we all know that. How effective they are differs from car to car. I think we can only gauge an idea of how much each car is safer from another only by their safety ratings.
For example, if we look at just the thin body panels, then the latest Honda city is virtually a very thin tin can. But it has a five star safety rating. That comes from underneath the tin stuff. I think even less weight which these safe tin cans have contribute to being a bit more safer. Lesser weight seems to negate the fatal forces of momentum is what I feel. Imagine a 10 wheeler fully loaded lorry hitting you at 10-15 kph and a sedan hitting you at the same speed. I saw the lorry scenario. The etios literally was flung onto the other side of the divider and looked completely beat up. A lighter vehicle would have had you only a bit shaken up with lesser damage.

Originally Posted by kiku007

Well, I don't remember reading someone come and post how their Maruti saved their life from a horrific crash. So the conclusion may very well be fair.

It's never going to happen with a Maruti because this manufacturer has a non-existent safety rating on almost all of its vehicles except maybe the costlier ones.

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

Strike out Ford, Tata and Audi from your list too. One Ford Ikon in three pieces in Mumbai, a Safari in two pieces in Lucknow and an Audi in 2 pieces in Punjab are the cars I remember seeing in this thread earlier. There may be more but have to search for them.

@ Vashisht, Yes, Airbags deploy only if the occupant is belted. Check your car's manual if it is equipped with airbags and you will find the answer.

Most of the three or four pieces are mostly post accident procedures. Or may happen due to the superior speed capabilities of the cars too. It's simple physics that above certain levels of high speeds no amount of safety ratings/arrangements in a car can continue to hold promise. No matter which brand. But some brands we have here are so pathetic, safety wise, that you don't need much speed to get scrunched up.

[D'Artagnan]

Being a Verna owner myself I do agree with what the forum says. A verna is not a handler, it is not a car you can throw into corners, its not a car that is meant for high speed maneuvers. It is a good safe car and has a lot of goodies to keep you safe.
I vehemently disagree though that it is a lousy handler it is a good handling car provided you know its limits with 128BHP under its hood one can have ample fun provided they understand their car well. Given good suspension it will provide serious competition to good handlers.

ABS does engage and you can feel its bite under hard braking. You feel the engine note change from a whoosh to a loud wind buffeting noise, the brake starts to feel heavy and it pulsates. You're pushed front from your seat, the steering becomes tight (verna standards) lastly but most importantly you will feel the bite of ABS. The negative retardation is heavy and the bite is felt as a judder throughout the car.

I have been on high speeds and tried to engage long turns in my Verna but I have always backed off. The car felt lofty the suspension on the back couldn't keep up with uneven road. The steering is also not tight enough that one can turn and keep it fixed in that position. Listen to your car as you would when your girl friend when she proposes you and while driving your concentration must be towards fending of bumbling idiots who want to cross your path.

[Fiddler]

In airline flying it is considered particularly stressfull to fly between 00:00 to 05:00 hrs. Any flying during this time requires an additional rest period so as to normalize the circadian rhythm of the body.

I have followed the same rule during my drives as well.

Don't drive after 11:00 pm
Don't start before 05:00 am

The combination of lack of sleep, tired body, distractions, high speed and unfamiliar road conditions is potentially fatal.

The time required to recognize a probable accident and then to correctly analyze and respond to the situation at high speed is in split seconds. This is a tall order in day time leave alone at night.

The drivers who drive every night, the body clock is not driven by the 24hr day/night cycle and may not be affected in a similar manner.

I don't know if what I am trying to convey makes sense, the Human Factors behind accidents are never quoted in road accidents.

The newer machines which can be pushed to such high speeds are becoming death traps but it is always a man/woman behind the machine.

The newly laid highways have become so seductive in inducing one to open the throttle. Ignorance is bliss.



Any one more interested in body clock can google for Circadian rhythm.

[LordSharan]

Disclaimer: I'm not a Maruti Fan boy.

To someone who wrote a post that Maruti is out of his list, here are few points:

1. All cars, for that matter all vehicles are basically Metal boxes, irrespective of the rods and beams enforcing their chassis. Which car/vehicle do you consider the safest? I'm sure an accident pic for the same car can be found which would trash your concept of safety.

2. It all depends on how careful while you are at driving. If one plans to drive at high speed without getting acquainted with car and without taking into account the driving environment, I'm sure its an invitation for accident, could be lethal. All the technologies like ABS, Traction Control, Airbags etc would account for zilch if basic safety measures were not taken. There are still many drivers/users, who would not know that airbags would not deploy if the seat belts are not fastened. Please strike off all the cars from your list.

3. Even if you are supremely careful, you can never account for bad luck, which could be the case here- a speeding truck hitting a car, which has reduced the car to a mangle of metal. Please strike off travelling on road from your list.

4. Going forward, I hope you have seen train and air plane accidents. Going by your logic, you could also strike them off your list as medium of travels.

Sorry to sound caustic, but an accident should not be used as a method to damage the credibility of the brand. In this thread, I've seen worse pics for other brands.

My condolences are for the departed and may their souls rest in peace.

[Jeevith]

Originally Posted by car_da_mum

You can't miss the event of the ABS kicking in ─ there is a very pronounced vibration of the brake pedal, almost scary, as if it has suddenly come alive, and in my Tata Vista it even makes a noise loud enough to drown all other noises (including engine noise, music, or wind noise with window rolled down). And, on tarmac, there is this unmistakable noise of the tyres beginning to lock and then regaining grip in quick, short, staccato bursts.

A sure shot way of checking if your ABS works or not is to find an empty stretch of reasonably flat ground, speed up to about 45 Km/h, and slam your brakes with all your might. If the wheels lock, then you know the ABS is dysfunctional.

Still curious. Assuming in course of driving the ABS has kicked in say about 5 times (I only just realized that the metallic crank is the ABS kicking in. I too let go of the pedal on hearing it, but it was relatively low speeds of about 30 kmph), is the ABS is still in working condition?

How many such instances (of the ABS kicking in) is the ABS designed to last for?