Team-BHP - Accidents in India

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Originally Posted by Ice (Post 5463600)

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The auto driver, and no one else. was at fault. A suggestion is not to say that someone was wrong; just that something (in cold, 20/20 hindsight) could have been done to prevent the incident itself.

On our roads, when you are about to turn right or left (say into a mall) or do a U-turn (with indicators) in traffic, there are always a couple of two wheelers or Autos especially who will try to squeeze through cutting into your path.

The general mindset on our roads is me-first behavior, most drivers are in an eternal hurry and will try to squeeze in through every available gap, no matter the rules. Hopefully this behavior will correct over time.

Although the folks cutting in are clearly in the wrong, the only way to prevent them from bumping or swiping your vehicle is to anticipate such actions and watch out before turning.

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Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 5463526)

There's no substitute for a glance over the shoulder in those situations. Of course, the auto driver was still in the wrong.

Something I read somewhere - "Graveyards and emergency rooms are filled people who were right". I think it was more to do with motorcycle drivers, but the spirit of being cautious applies to all.

There was absolutely NOTHING that could have been done on the Fortuner's part to prevent it.
The auto driver could have just passed him on the left like every other normal person which was wide open.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

He was trying to blame it all on my dad but every witness called his BS and defended my dad since usually in these situations the blame always goes to the person driving the "badi gaadi".

Even though it's his car, I have driven it through more tight, tricky, risky situations and saved it from countless morons going extreme right from extreme left and I admit that even I couldn't have save it, simply because what the auto driver did was so incomprehensibly stupid.

From the dashcam footage, no way to tell if the auto suddenly came from behind swerving around and banged or was on the Fortuner's right looking for the golden opportunity to overtake the vehicle in front ( which all of us are experts in lol:).

In the case of the former, he has to pay from his pocket for all the collateral damage he caused. But if it was the later case, a 360 degree awareness, full on defensive mode, and reading the mind of the driver behind before committing to the u- turn or right turn can prevent these kind of incidents.

Prima facie, Auto driver's mistake, but if you need to dig deeper then CCTV footage, if available is the only solution here.

My take on Auto Drivers is they drive very close to the Vehicles. Initially, I thought, it's my perception of being closer than the actual, since our vision on the left side is limited. But you can observe the same when you actually sit in a Auto rickshaw. It's more scary, the way they drive with hardly 6 inches on either side of whether it is 2 wheeler or 4 wheeler or even a bigger vehicle.

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Originally Posted by tjsi (Post 5463893)

There was absolutely NOTHING that could have been done on the Fortuner's part to prevent it.

I am not sure if I can agree with this. Certainly if a quick glance on the ORVM at the last second before turning the wheel, he might have spotted the auto. Just putting the indicator by no means will safe guard you in Indian road conditions, as we all know.

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Originally Posted by jkrishnakj (Post 5463512)

That’s a ‘double yellow line’ on the road? The Auto technically should have never crossed that line...

The autos in our country do not care for any line on the road, forget about a double yellow line. :)

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Originally Posted by balenoed_ (Post 5463977)

... Certainly if a quick glance on the ORVM at the last second before turning the wheel, he might have spotted the auto.

By definition, the auto in the blind spot would not be seen --- until it is too late.

The glance might have helped. But I say that tentatively, and indeed, in the spirit of being wise after the event. Someone else's event too.

There are also many times that while I's struggling (old, stiff neck) to take that glance to the rear, a biker might be cutting across from the left! :confused:

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Originally Posted by tjsi (Post 5463893)

There was absolutely NOTHING that could have been done on the Fortuner's part to prevent it.

No doubt it was the auto fellow's fault 100% but I doubt that there was absolutely "NOTHING" that could be done. I for one perpetually look into my rear view mirrors to spot vehicles and when they are in my blind spot I tend to know that they are there since if I were taking a right turn on an undivided street, I would want to know what every vehicle behind me is tending towards doing or which direction they are headed in, whether they have acknowledged my indicator and intent to make a turn etc. So in a sense it might be prudent to track all these buffoons and their movements around your vehicle so to speak. Don't get me wrong I am not saying that your father could have done better or that he ought to have known just saying that hindsight is always 20/20 thus more often than not one will find that there definitely is something that may have lead to a different outcome.

That said, I do dream whether I would one day be able to use a bulky body on frame suv with 360 degree video monitoring (to defend my actions) to drive as I ought to be able to with full faith in the rules of the road. You know, brush up against someone heading the wrong way with the audacity to turn on their brights, turn left into someone who I know has had ample opportunity to distinguish that I am soon going to turn left but still can't escape their need to try to squeeze past even though they've been travelling slower the whole time. I don't know I've always fantasized about it since there ideally ought to be nothing wrong in doing that and if anything at these low speeds it ought to serve a good lesson to such ignorant folk who think the sun shines out of their you know what and that it is their birth right to drive/ride and not a privilege.

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Originally Posted by venkyhere (Post 5463589)

I don't understand the purpose of this statement - "glance over the shoulder" is to spot vehicles in the next lane that are in the blind spot. The auto was right behind, coming fast, and jinked right at the last minute. There was simply was no way to prevent it, by the car driver. There is no "defensive driving tip" in the world, that could have avoided the accident that we saw in the video.
So why are we BHP-ians always compelled to dish out some sort of "advice" all the time ?

This situation, as are most driving situations in India due to lack of obedience of rules, is very nuanced.
1. Legally, the auto driver was in the wrong and the Toyota driver was faultness
2. A quick glance over the shoulder could have possibly avoided the impact, regardless of who is at fault

Both these statements are accurate at the same time. There's no cause for debate for one situation over another.

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Originally Posted by old_cayuse (Post 5463160)

Indian roads cause due to the poorly qualified (I would say not qualified at all) users of it an immense loss of lives and limbs. Terrible state of affairs that the GoI is struggling to deal with.

An example of this happened to me about 5 days ago though I got away with some minor scratch to the air dam of my car. There's a uncontrolled crossing near my residence. A 'main' road (smaller) passes across an 'avenue' (broader). I call this junction of 2 roads a Russian roulette. No rider or driver follows the basic rule of 'give way to traffic on the right' rule at all. Neither does anyone stop, look and then proceed. Everybody looks for gaps in the flow of traffic to cross or turn. Cutting corners is not consider a wrong at all these days. Since it is uncontrolled.

I was at this crossing on the 'avenue' road intending to turn right on to the 'main' road. I had my right turn signal on and was looking for a gap in the chaotic flow of vehicles, saw an opening released my clutch and turned my head to straight ahead when I saw a motorcyclist stopped inches away directly in front of my vehicle. I quickly slammed my brakes on but he was so close that my vehicle pushed him over. I got out of my vehicle to confront the lunatic. He of course argued about me not looking where I was going. I countered by saying I have to have eyes all around my head to watch out for lunatics like him. He realised he had screwed up bad and quickly picked up his bike and left the scene.

All I can say is that driving on Indian roads needs extreme caution and patience. It stresses me out terribly though I've learnt to cope with it. I avoid driving in the city and use a two wheeler, which also is becoming increasingly painful as the days go by.

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Originally Posted by venkyhere (Post 5463589)

I don't understand the purpose of this statement - "glance over the shoulder" is to spot vehicles in the next lane that are in the blind spot.
So why are we BHP-ians always compelled to dish out some sort of "advice" all the time ?

It is the Auto driver's mistake all the way & in a perfect world, where traffic discipline is followed, a glance is not required. But sadly, we are not there yet. Even when, crossing a one-way route on a designated "zebra cross", one has to make sure that no overspeeding morons on either side.

Here the only traffic rule to save you is "expect the unexpected". Based on that rule, when taking a right turn, not just a glace, I suggest you roll down windows, pull your head out and check your surroundings to make sure the coast is clear!:crying

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Originally Posted by for_cars1 (Post 5463741)

I agree, not only defensive driving in such a case, we need to make doubly sure that we can avoid such morons. A close friend lives in an area where out of the 2 lanes of road on each side of divider, one lane is always blocked by illegally parked cars and I need to take a u-turn, because of the turning radius I need to go to extreme left beore taking the u-turn towards the right. Even if I have indicators on still there will always be bikes and autos who would like to squeeze through and it becomes very dangerous, so I open the driver side window, slow down on the left watch for them and in some cases even show my hand for them to stop before the u-turn. Its a sad reality we need to live with to prevent the dent scratch, even if we are right from rules point of view. Sometimes I miss the roundabouts that we get to see often in the UK.

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Originally Posted by tjsi (Post 5463479)

The auto ended up in his blind spot and ran into his right fender. ]

Its inherently embedded in the DNA, despite putting on your indicators, there is always some nincompoop who increases his speed to cut you off before you execute your turn. I have a good mind to install a nice sturdy off roading bumper on my Gurkha, but…:Frustrati!

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Originally Posted by rakesh_r (Post 5464411)

Its inherently embedded in the DNA, despite putting on your indicators, there is always some nincompoop who increases his speed to cut you off before you execute your turn.

Most of them actually slow down after doing that! Which is even more weird :Frustrati

"Ha! I did not let him turn before me, I am all that is all in the world and none should pass in front of me!"

The indicator, I swear it's like waving a red flag to a bull to some people.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaaz (Post 5463961)

... observe the same when you actually sit in a Auto rickshaw. It's more scary, the way they drive with hardly 6 inches on either side of whether it is 2 wheeler or 4 wheeler or even a bigger vehicle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rakesh_r (Post 5464411)

Its inherently embedded in the DNA, despite putting on your indicators, ..

Have wondered what drives this squeeze through behaviour in Auto drivers and realized that by doing so, they can make faster sorties/more rides through our thick traffic conditions and are able to earn higher than they otherwise would, at higher risk to all road users.
Generally, let them pass and watch out for them cutting into your lane.