Team-BHP - Accidents in India

Quote:

Originally Posted by pratyush6 (Post 4090281)

I find it slightly disturbing that in a similar scenario if there was a cabbie, most of us would have immediately found fault with him, but in this case we don't.

I don't agree. Irrespective of if it was a cabbie or a private car or a truck, i am pretty sure that the stand would have been the same.
Infact there was a case where a team-bhpian (i forgot who) posted the video of a cabbie hitting a bike. It was primarily the fault of the bike and i believe the bhpian went out of his way to find the cabbie and even went to the registered address so as to share the dash-cam video which would have helped his case. I also remember that most of the bhpians were sympathetic to the cabbie (not because he was a cabbie or otherwise) but because he was, mostly, not to be blamed.

Please, don't get me wrong, i appreciate your humane approach and i believe we should do all that is possible and go beyond what the law stipulates (as far as practically possible) to avoid accidents and especially hitting living beings (animals or humans) but sometimes it just is not possible and the worst happens. When it happens, it is not fair to blame the innocent party.

Quote:

Originally Posted by khoj (Post 4089251)

That's because traffic rules/safety on road is built in to their education system. My nephews ever since they were small kids would raise a storm if anyone sitting in the car would even delay to buckle up.

Not just their education system. Even their news & media are very vigilant and active on road safety matters. Every life counts there and precautions are taken to save lives before hand taking into account what may happen, not after something has happened.
News channels do not shy away from blood and gore, they show videos of the accidents uncensored, only giving a warning before showing such footage that it might be disturbing for some.
Here people risk their lives and 'try' to do acts they know they shouldn't be doing maybe because they have never came across any images or videos of such accidents and it's aftermath.
They are just not afraid. They are not scared because they have not seen the pain and suffering they might have to endure for pulling of a stupid act on the road. News channels & newspapers would simply say 'someone got hit, was hit by this or that, and died and the fault was definitely was of the 'vehicle involved'.
If they actually show the real footage with the severity of what actually has happened, some might loose their appetite but a lot of lives will be saved.
Just put it on the TV show them what will happen to them if they are involved in an accident.
I remember I never used to wear a helmet while riding my bike, fast forward to the age of whatsapp, I came across a video where a biker slips, his head slams on a pole and the brain pops out. I was in a state of shock and have never ridden without a helmet after that. Period.
Show the video with those 2 ladies trying to pull off a stunt by crossing a 6 lane highway admits high traffic and rightly blame them for it, because it is their fault. Show it across news channels and maybe tomorrow there will be a few souls who will be scared to perform a similar stunt and hence we will save lives eventually. No amount of road safety lessons or pedestrian road crossing bridgers will put the sense in the Indian masses you need to tell them and show them the real consequences of what can happen to them if they are not cautious on the road.

Last month I was driving on a state highway near Manipal. And this is how a biker merged into the highway from the side road.

https://youtu.be/seA49vp6Y8U

I had noticed him merging blindly (very common here), so I slowed down without much trouble. But I honked long to wake him up. But the car in front of me had no way to avoid him. After the incident, the driver of the car was so shaken up, he parked on the side to get over it. The biker was not at all shaken by it, and continued to ride.

But the car driver behind me got very wild, he quickly passed me and drove along side the biker to abuse him royally. After he moved on, I got next to the biker and looked at him. His face was like... "Go ahead, abuse me". I just gave him a dirty look and drove ahead.

I am not sure what driving school it is that is teaching people to do this, but there's a lane leading to my apartment that merges into a larger road. When I'm turning into that lane, quite often I come across people in either two wheelers or cars that drive towards the road on the wrong side of the lane and turn right - so they're more or less just in front of my car and turning broadside on to me when I'm trying to turn into my lane.

Funny, I haven't ever heard a response to the "who the $@$@%$@ gave you your license" question that I sometimes ask them :(

Had a near miss from one such nitwit just today.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 4091107)

Last month I was driving on a state highway near Manipal. And this is how a biker merged into the highway from the side road.

I got next to the biker and looked at him. His face was like... "Go ahead, abuse me". I just gave him a stern look and drove ahead.

My God, your post made me chuckle uncontrollably for a long time. Thanx. And poor biker. The guy could not have known better. It's common to have
rock-bottom iq level riders in the small towns. It was obviously scary but hilarious at the same time time. Tell you what, this post should have made it to the 'Jokes' thread too. :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by hserus (Post 4091121)

I find these specimens around too. There's just one word to describe most of the driving sense you can find around in India these days; Alarming. The ways things are going on, its truly so pathetic. No standard at all. Check out Samurai's post just above. I'm still laughing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 4091230)

Especially common behaviour by two-wheelers when it is blind corner. ...

Is it common behaviour by two wheelers only or is it common behaviour of all of us. Either on the city roads or on the highway most of us irrespective of the number of wheels tend to take the racing line to take curves/turns. I find that it is more of our attitude than the vehicle one drives. One thinks that he/she has every right to use every inch of the road to his/her advantage without any regard to safety(of self and others) or basic road manners. I ride a bike and a car to work and also cycle. My attitude shifts based on what I ride or drive. When I walk I think the rest will have to give me way. When I ride a cycle I think I am putting my physical effort and why can't the powered guys slow down for me.When I ride a bike I don't care a hoot about the four wheelers and when I ride a car I am arrogant enough to think that the rest are menace on the road.

I think our riding or driving is a reflection of what we are as a society. We have become selfish and don't care about others without realising that all of us lose in the end. We don't even believe in a queue, we don't believe in letting the elderly get into the bus before us or give up our seats to an old man or a lady. Today no one teaches or inculcates values. When it comes to safety we have the worst attitude and will blame it on destiny.

So unless our value system changes I don't foresee any change in our driving habits. Will I see it in my lifetime? I am not sure, but I hope for it

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 4091107)

Last month I was driving on a state highway near Manipal. And this is how a biker merged into the highway from the side road.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 4091230)

Especially common behaviour by two-wheelers when it is blind corner. ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixantz (Post 4091234)

I guess I can share my first brush with the TTW (terror on two wheels) now, it was a hot afternoon about a decade back when I was about 2 years new to driving, I was ambling along at a reasonable speed of 60 kmph in the left-most lane.. I was positioned as such because I was to take the left turn ahead and the rest of the lanes were free. Enter the TTW from the right-side via an open median.. he proceeded to cross the median, the right lane, the middle lane, the left lane and allll the way such that he straightened out sticking 1 inch away from the sidewalk in the left and humbly buzzed away in his TVS 50.

I honked the minute the front wheels of the TVS 50 entered parallel into the rightmost lane - no reaction from him, still honking when he entered the middle lane parallel - again no reaction and I had slammed the brakes fully by then, the honking continued as he cool-ly entered the left most lane and straightened out only to proceed in a straight line in the top speed of a TVS 50 - 5 kmph. Here I was parked by the left side, heart in mouth, gotten out of the car in abject exasperation, shock, numbness and cluelessness. A couple of other two wheel motorists stopped by to say that it wasn't my fault and to say that the rider won't be so lucky at this rate, I'm not sure if they'd do the same thing to another car a few meters down but I just got in and carried on.

This incident taught me a good lesson - forget expecting logic, common-sense, law, good behaviour or any modicum of decency on the roads. I can very well have all of them but I shouldn't expect them externally. Thus the defensive driver in me was born, I drive more efficiently and lawfully than ever before because I expect the worst in people and it works damn well.

Thursday, Kanakpura Road to NICE entry towards Mysore road. There is a steady stream of traffic from the opposite side coming into the city, so I put my indicator and come to a near standstill to take the right turn on to the entry ramp, definitely very much on the left half of the road with room to spare. Traffic going out of the city continues to go off the road slightly and overtake me from the left.

I see a bus coming from the opposite side starts to overtake a truck that is at about 45-50 kph with full view and knowledge of my car trying to take the right and having no place to go. He can see the car clearly. Meanwhile the truck driver is trying to take the same turn to his left that I am. With no place to go I sit there like a duck while the bus driver continues on with his overtaking manoeuvre missing my car by a few inches at the same time hurling abuses.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hserus (Post 4091121)

When I'm turning into that lane, quite often I come across people in either two wheelers or cars that drive towards the road on the wrong side of the lane and turn right - so they're more or less just in front of my car and turning broadside on to me when I'm trying to turn into my lane.

Could not agree more. People taking a right come completely to the right into opposing lane. Maybe if I did the same bullying the cars and bikers in the above scenario, could have avoided the near collision experience!