[Midas]

Originally Posted by LoneRidder

The report suggests that the Benz car was moving towards Chennai. If the pileup was on the road towards Chennai possible this would be the correct information!

That seems unlikely. It's the left side & front of Benz which got damaged. This implies that Benz took right while trying to avoid bike and the scorpio hit it on the side. Btw, is this an undivided road?

Considering that the benz driver is a bike racer, it's very likely that it was driven very fast.

[Ice]

Originally Posted by Midas

That seems unlikely. It's the left side & front of Benz which got damaged. This implies that Benz took right while trying to avoid bike and the scorpio hit it on the side. Btw, is this an undivided road?

Considering that the benz driver is a bike racer, it's very likely that it was driven very fast.

This happened right by an opening in the divider. The merc must have tried avoiding the bike and turned right, through the gap and onto the wrong side of the road.

[Yieldway17]

The local news reports in TN pretty much say the same - the local two wheeler rider tried to gun from the side of the road to median making Benz on the fast lane to swerve right, cross the opening in the divider and hit the Scorpio and Indica traveling on the other side.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by honeybee

Maybe the driver should have been driving at lesser speeds?

.

One of the correct answers, the other one would be to ensure appropriate distance between all other vehicles and allow for margin of error. we know bikes swing out at random.

Every overtaking action in India is not an automated task, it needs to be a planned action. - Check, plan, check, signal, overtake

[samaspire]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Every overtaking action in India is not an automated task, it needs to be a planned action. - Check, plan, check, signal, overtake

EDIT: Every overtaking action in India is not an automated task, it needs to be a planned action - Check, plan, check, signal, check again, overtake (and check the mirrors mirrors again while overtaking)

There are idiots who will try to squeeze through even after you have signalled your intent.

[knightrider_7]

Another accident in Kerala. This time on SH69, at Naduvattam, near Edappal. Two killed in the accident involving a truck and a Wagon R.
Source: Manaorama online.

[Midas]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Every overtaking action in India is not an automated task, it needs to be a planned action. - Check, plan, check, signal, overtake

I think this was not an overtaking gone wrong. Biker might have tried to take a right when the Merc was already speeding on right lane. Both are at fault.

I see some resemblance to the dog situation which was being discussed in this thread over the past week. To save the biker, Merc ended up swerving killing more people. These types of news is very common nowadays where much bigger accident happen by trying to save a biker/jaywalker/dog. I'm not suggesting to continue straight ang hit them, a life lost is unfortunate in any case. But a little bit more carefulness from the biker & Merc driver could've avoided this tragedy :(

[airbus]

Originally Posted by Midas

But a little bit more carefulness from the biker & Merc driver could've avoided this tragedy :(

Agreed, if there was a median opening, it may be an intersection or for taking U-turn. Even if someone is on a fast lane, better to slow down and prepare to apply brake. Just remove the feet from the accelerator pedal and slightly press the brake pedal to indicate drivers behind that you may apply brake. It may help in preventing a read-ending accident in the event one needs to actually apply the brake.

Preparing for unknown on Indian roads is also part of defensive driving practices. Extremely painful to see loss of life in this kind of avoidable accidents

[androdev]

Hard to believe the guys in the Benz made it ok. I don't know this location but one must always slow down while passing through a town/village area even if the road looks empty or barriers are in place, etc. Someone or something is always waiting to pop in front you. You get no time or distance for evasive action. Recently I hit a dog, I had no opportunity to do anything due to the plants cover in the median out of which the dog just popped out. I am still running this scenario in my head to see what I could have done to prevent it.

This thread is the most useful one on this forum for me. Like cancer warning on a cigarette box. It always reminds me accidents are not that rare in our country. No matter how good you get, you will have no answer if something just pops in front of you. The only thing that will save you is maintaining low/safe speed which is a hard thing to manage in cars like Mercedes, etc.

I think the toll gates should slap penalty for above 80kmph avg speed. It is not perfect but can definitely deter lot of drivers from over speeding.

[sparky@home]

On these highways there are so many who drive in the wrong side, these include regular state transport buses also, to avoid making long detours, and a fast moving vehicle sights these wrong doers at the nth moment and invariably it could have disastrous effect. I make it a point to slow down whenever crossing a small township on the highway since I have seen the results.
Safety is paramount.

[amrutmhatre90]

Accident on Freeway Northbound just before Wadala exit in Mumbai. Looks like sudden breaking by Merc

[sajo]

Originally Posted by amrutmhatre90

Looks like sudden breaking by Merc

Rather, Looks like tailgating by the City/Alto/2*Swift.

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by sajo

Rather, Looks like tailgating by the City/Alto/2*Swift.

Good luck explaining the concept of tailgating to the masses

There is a gap, therefore i must fill it. You see it in queues, in trains and on road. It just makes for some crazy situations

[Rohan24]

Originally Posted by amrutmhatre90

Accident on Freeway Northbound just before Wadala exit in Mumbai. Looks like sudden breaking by Merc
.
.

Noticed a similar accident yesterday on the Airoli bridge, involving a Linea and an i20. i20 had rear-ended the Linea.
This brings me to a peculiar thing I noticed while driving in Mumbai, after driving in Bangalore. I noticed that most drivers brake late and hard, rather than slow and early. I generally maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front but not being used to this kind of braking put me in a couple of hairy situations the other day. I tend to brake early and gradually, and had to brake hard in both situations as the car ahead braked hard.
Has anyone else noticed this?
Apart from that, I have to admit, traffic is much smoother in Mumbai than Bangalore.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Rohan24

This brings me to a peculiar thing I noticed while driving in Mumbai, after driving in Bangalore. I noticed that most drivers brake late and hard, rather than slow and early. I generally maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front but not being used to this kind of braking put me in a couple of hairy situations the other day. I tend to brake early and gradually, and had to brake hard in both situations as the car ahead braked hard.
Has anyone else noticed this?

I haven't really driven in Mumbai ever, but I have noticed that people drive in an excruciatingly laid back manner in Bangalore; they brake unnecessarily a lot of times, begin slowing down way too early and way too much IMO, and they just lose it as soon as it starts to rain, they crawl at snails pace. I think it is because people over-use the clutch or they stay in higher gears that they brake so much. I make it a point to always be in the right gear and if I'm following someone, I drop a gear and maintain the same speed. Sure it may be more noisy being in a higher rpm, but as long as you have good control over the throttle, you get the same mileage and the advantage is that whenever someone ahead brakes, all you need to do is let off the throttle and you already have more engine braking and if need be, you can dab the brakes for good measure. So much can be solved if everyone were mandated to go for a couple of track-days before getting their license