[BoneCollector]

There was an accident on one of the hill station roads, most probably Dehradun-Mussorie between a Baleno and a KTM bike. I got the video as a Whatsapp forward and have seen on YouTube also.

https://youtu.be/GREh2PC-oSA

This is wrong on many counts and these are as per me.

• The KTM was speeding and cutting corners on a zig zag hilly road.
• The Baleno was overtaking on a blind curve on a 2 lane road.

I will not go into a debate regarding the build quality of vehicles involved, rather the driving mistake committed by both the driver and rider.

[Sarvodaya]

Jeep Crash near Kochi. There is a video in the link. Must have been doing some crazy speeds.









https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by Sarvodaya

Jeep Crash near Kochi. There is a video in the link. Must have been doing some crazy speeds.

3 roll overs and all 4 tyres came off. Or was there more severe impact before the jeep came into the frame.

Originally Posted by BoneCollector

[*]The KTM was speeding and cutting corners on a zig zag hilly road.[*]The Baleno was overtaking on a blind curve on a 2 lane road.[/list]

What about the Bolero pick up neatly parked on the wrong side of the road on a curve.

[BenjiRoss]

Another accident near Dindigul. This junction has the barricades placed to make vehicles slow at such highway junctions, but looks ineffective.

https://youtu.be/Wy8-4xy1LnY

The school bus driver does not check carefully enough before he crosses the road. The car tries to brake but cannot stop in time.
Two people in the car were injured.
Both these news articles are in tamil and only talk about the overspeeding car. While the car should have slowed down before this junction, the bus driver too could have exhibited more caution when turning. The curve of the road and the barricade itself may have obstructed the drivers visions and ability to see each other.

https://m.etvbharat.com/tamil/tamil-...00127183238180

https://tamil.samayam.com/latest-new...w/73670099.cms

[GladRagu]

They both had ample visibility according to this video. The school bus driver as usual didn't bother about checking the surroundings for the safe crossing. Though the car driver braked well in advance, he couldn't bring the car to a halt. Weak brakes and not applying engine braking could be the reason.

In that speed, I could stop my Linea comfortably.

[shubhodeepdas@g]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Really?

It's true. Many places they teach to depress the clutch to slow the vehicle down. They also teach you to drive at the highest possible gear to get better mileage. There is no concept of a power-band and lugging the engine.

Originally Posted by BoneCollector

There was an accident on one of the hill station roads, most probably Dehradun-Mussorie between a Baleno and a KTM bike...

The road should have an unbroken line there. The bike should be a lot slower and the Baleno chap should overtake when he can see what's coming at him.

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

Another accident near Dindigul...

What we do not hear in these videos are the blaring horns of both vehicles. There is a tendency to honk first and brake later.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by BoneCollector

There was an accident on one of the hill station roads, most probably Dehradun-Mussorie between a Baleno and a KTM bike. I got the video as a Whatsapp forward and have seen on YouTube also.
.

I saw this video on my own whatsapp groups too.

My take on this:

1. 99% baleno fault. He is overtaking on a completely blind turn and driving squarely in the lane of oncoming traffic.

2. The randomly parked white jeep on far right doesnt help matters by reducing road width on a dicey curve.

3. The bike is not technically at fault at all. Merely because he has the slight impression of leaning into the turn does not mean he is being rash. He is completely on its own side of the road, not going wide at all. However given the idiots (like the baleno in this case, it may have had a marginally better chance of it it was more defensive on such a turn in anticipation of such idiots. If it was leaning less sharply it might have been able to evade but honestly that is also unlikely. I am sure given the baleno was overtaking it would have been quite fast itself to render it difficult to even avoid if the bike was slower.

Imagine yourself in the riders shoes but in a car instead. Do you think there was anything you could have done in this situation to avoid a head on collision? I doubt it.

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by Axe77

2. The randomly parked white jeep on far right doesnt help matters by reducing road width on a dicey curve.

Apart from this white pickup truck, I also see a scooter parked there in a seemingly legal manner. I can only imagine why they are parked there. Perhaps a store or a restaurant. If yes, why does it not have enough room to load/unload from a vehicle? If there is no room to park one vehicle, should that store even exist? Or, is the scooter blocking the one and only parking spot for that white jeep?


When they allow stores to exist with no room to load/unload, they will block traffic. When they do, it is only matter of time such accidents would occur.

[ariesonu]

Originally Posted by chaturgaurav

Report from TOI yesterday reads: Mumbai-Pune Expressway mishaps dipped 43 per cent over 4 years.
So, how far we can rely on the data used for this analysis?
Have drivers really resorted to safe driving practices now or its just plain fluke that number of accidents have reduced?

70% of the traffic on this E-way are commercial vehicles, who now strictly drive at max-speed of 80KM, barring STATE TRANSPORT buses/Volvos.

Some due to fear of challans & other duly regularised by speed governors.

Traffic police has also been very ACTIVE in last few years.

However people still do stupids things & most common is STOPPING on shoulder of the E-way.

In fact just yday I was on Eway & noted about 5 trucks with NO WORKING LIGHTS when in tunnels. Others, of course being extra wise were using hazard lights, which has become a norm in tunnels. In fact my own rental car did it. Herd mentality.

Regards-SS

[BoneCollector]

Nashik, Maharashtra - Atleast 26 people were killed and many injured after a speeding bus rammed into an auto and dragged it into a well.

Accident

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by chaturgaurav

Report from TOI yesterday reads: Mumbai-Pune Expressway mishaps dipped 43 per cent over 4 years

So, how far we can rely on the data used for this analysis?

The report mentions on the reduction in fatalities as the talking point. The 43% figure is just the fall in number of people dying, not total mishaps.

But, I have seen a much better improvement in infra, traffic management and roadside assistance / response to incidents on the highway. I do frequent trips to Pune and I have seen the changes. Cops manage trucks on ghat section, the twisties have proper lane markings (reflectors) and so do the road edges, patrol vehicles are seen regularly moving about and ambulances, cranes and other accident response units are stationed at multiple places.

A while back, I first hand experienced the quick response of these chaps:

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Told him the situation and I remembered seeing the km marker and said that to him as well (17km marker towards Mumbai). This was at 9.49 Pm. At 9.58 Pm I got a call that help had arrived and fortunately only the cars were damaged. There were no major injuries. I was really surprised with this follow-up call more than the first call.

Have drivers really resorted to safe driving practices now or its just plain fluke that number of accidents have reduced?

I won't call it fluke. It's a combination of things like more awareness, improved management, cars being safer + alert systems (80 / 120 km/h beeps) and so on. But one things for sure, the traffic volume has gone up multifold for sure. These days, it takes much longer to traverse the 90 km highway. Only early morning or late nights is the traffic lesser now.

[Vik0728]

Nashik, Maharashtra - Atleast 26 people were killed and many injured after a speeding bus rammed into an auto and dragged it into a well.

Man, that is one of the freakiest mishaps I have read...sends chills down my spine to even imagine the final moments of the occupants, especially the ones in Auto!!

Unless the bus was zipping through some by-lanes, why would an open well be near a roadway is just beyond me

[svsantosh]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Man, that is one of the freakiest mishaps I have read...sends chills down my spine to even imagine the final moments of the occupants, especially the ones in Auto!!

Unless the bus was zipping through some by-lanes, why would an open well be near a roadway is just beyond me

The hinterlands of our largely agrarian Nation is dotted with open wells, that too unmarked (without the parapet wall) right next to a road. There are countless incidents in TBhp and other parts of the net which have records of such freak mindless mishaps.

Ps - Applicable to boundry-less canals and lakes/ponds too.

[rajendra2278]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

What about the Bolero pick up neatly parked on the wrong side of the road on a curve.

I agree that one of the cause of the accident is this. But, that could be the reason the Scorpio has slowed down, before taking the turn (to check for traffic at the turn). But, without knowing what could be coming in the opposite lane, Baleno decided to overtake the scorpio.
On the other hand, I agree that the biker is over speeding, but, he is well within his lane. If we divide the percentage of mistake, my opinion is this- Bolero (10%), Baleno (80%) and biker (10%). Biker learned the hard way that there will be morons, (who will be overtaking in the blind turns) even in hilly roads.

[rajendra2278]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

When they allow stores to exist with no room to load/unload, they will block traffic. When they do, it is only matter of time such accidents would occur.

Well, those stores exist because, anything is possible in our country. So, the least we can hope is, the opposite drivers drive sensibly. If not, these type of accidents happen.

Now, after the accident, can the Baleno blame the Bolero (for parking on the road)? Or, can he blame the authorities for allowing a shop to be set up there? He only has himself to blame.