[BrakHorseBarhat]

Originally Posted by chaitanyakrish

A high speed Marazzo entered a curve on the highway fast and over corrected after spotting a biker, hit the kerb and violently rolled over, killing 6 people.

Such incidents are a reminder that accidents don't always happen by one's own fault but also by other's mistakes.

Additionally, with such reckless drivers around, we should definitely not compromise our vehicle's safety rating, especially if we plan on driving on the highway. (which most of us do at one time or another)

We often opt for convenience over safety in India which is a mindset we must try to change, practices like the removal of rear-view mirrors on bikes and not wearing helmets should be avoided even if it is a short journey. Also since the Indian market is so focused on value for money, many automotive companies forgo safety in favor of features and we must not support such strategies.

Please take proper rest in long journeys and stop the car when fatigued. Wishing everyone safe travels.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by directinjection

The fitness certificate of this particular bus had expired 6 years ago which is why instructions had to be given by the Transport Minister to check the fitness of all school buses in the state. This drive has resulted in the discovery of a lot more unfit school buses in the state.

They have fined 606 buses of late after checking 2100 buses. Only if this drive to check fitness was done on a regular basis! Those RTO officials were on the SLEEP MODE during the past so many years, waking up "rudely shocked" after this gruesome accident.

The fitness tests must have generated bribes too, into the pockets of the corrupt to issue fitness certificates.

And the drunk driving still goes unchecked. The second offence results in suspension of the driving licence. Even with the first offence the driving licence can be suspended by the authorities (traffic police writing to licence issuing authority).

After the accident in Haryana’s Mahendragarh that claimed the lives of six children, 2,100 school buses in Gurgaon went through a three-day inspection.

A total of 606 buses were fined and impounded as per the orders of Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav. The authorities have clarified that no faulty school bus will be allowed to operate in the area.

The newslink:-

https://indianexpress.com/article/ci...ident-9270897/

[svsantosh]

Originally Posted by saubi2299

In MT cars, we use both feet to press clutch and brake simultaneously to stop the car.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Actually stopping, yes. Slowing, no.
...
MT and AT: accelerator pedal is in much the same place.
MT and AT: brake pedal is actually in much the same place.

Slightly OT for this thread but relevant :

In my Dubai driving licence test, the Emergency Stop is a measured test parameter. Inside a controlled environment there is a ramp which you drive down and after you hear the beep sound you have to stop the car by stomping on the brakes within a second or two. During your practice sessions, your instructor repeatedly gives you the training and I felt what is the big deal in stopping a car.

When you start driving on a 140kmph expressway in a 200bhp 2.5ltr car on the 1st track, you know why those classes were needed.

PS - In a few years I am hoping to apply for MT licence. 98% of the people fail to get it because they fail to adhere to the instructions for slowing down and downshifting and not press clutch + brake simultaneously while braking. Brake + Clutch is only for the final 10-12~ feet when the car is coming to ZERO Kmph. Else the Clutch is to be pressed only for a quick gearshift.

2% fail up stop&go on a up ramp.

[saubi2299]

Originally Posted by svsantosh

98% of the people fail to get it because they fail to adhere to the instructions for slowing down and downshifting and not press clutch + brake simultaneously while braking. Brake + Clutch is only for the final 10-12~ feet when the car is coming to ZERO Kmph. Else the Clutch is to be pressed only for a quick gearshift.

2% fail up stop&go on a up ramp.

As I had mentioned, we press clutch and brake to STOP the car, such as when stopping at a signal or having to reduce the speed enough that it needs downshifting at the same time (when approaching a huge speed bump which needs you shift to 2nd or 1st gear).
If there is anything wrong in pressing both pedals in such situations, I am open to correct the driving style.

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by saubi2299

As I had mentioned, we press clutch and brake to STOP the car, such as when stopping at a signal or having to reduce the speed enough that it needs downshifting at the same time (when approaching a huge speed bump which needs you shift to 2nd or 1st gear).
If there is anything wrong in pressing both pedals in such situations, I am open to correct the driving style.

There are 2 different things, slowing down a vehicle and stopping a vehicle.

Slowing down a vehicle - You slow down with the brake and then when the needs arise for downshifting step on to the clutch briefly till shift is done and release the clutch, as you mentioned for the speed breaker.

Stopping a vehicle - When you have to stop the car completely, press the brakes normally (without clutch), As the vehicle reaches a slow rolling stop, step onto the clutch during that time, like stopping at a traffic light.

Don't ever ever stomp on both clutch and brakes together during emergency stops, learned it hard way. If your car isn't loaded with ABS, you will go on a free slide.

[chaitanyakrish]

A high speed car crash is reported from Thamarassery, Kerala.
The car overtook a truck on a curve at speed.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=cl15_dnq4_s?feature=share

https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/...marassery.html

[Rodie09]

Originally Posted by chaitanyakrish

A high speed car crash is reported from Thamarassery, Kerala.
The car overtook a truck on a curve at speed.

Every time I see such incidents, it sends a chill down the spine by just thinking how many times in the day our lives is perhaps put at risk due to others on the road. I frequently commute on such 2 lane undivided twisties and everytime I approach a blind turn I just can't help recall all such incidents and can only pray that a maniac is not hurtling down on my side on the blind turn. The poor guy in the victim car must have suffered heavily for no fault of his.

[IamNikhil]

This video came up on my Facebook feed. Not sure about the turn of events exactly, but the truck appears to drag the bike for quite some time. The biker appears to stand on the footboard of the truck. Whatever is happening looks quite nasty.

https://youtu.be/mUb1T96shhs

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by Rodie09

Every time I see such incidents, it sends a chill down the spine by just thinking how many times in the day our lives is perhaps put at risk due to others on the road. I frequently commute on such 2 lane undivided twisties and everytime I approach a blind turn I just can't help recall all such incidents and can only pray that a maniac is not hurtling down on my side on the blind turn. The poor guy in the victim car must have suffered heavily for no fault of his.

True. I, too, fear driving on 2-lane undivided road. Lest a moron step out from behind a truck to overtake it. He will be completely hidden behind a truck/bus until he steps out from behind the truck. And, they do it in a blink of an eye. Without checking. When I am behind a truck/bus and I have to overtake, I slow down behind the truck till truck has moved forward a bit and I have some room to steer right slowly, to see if it's all clear. If not, I step right back in.

[cheeku]

Originally Posted by chaitanyakrish

A high speed car crash is reported from Thamarassery, Kerala.
The car overtook a truck on a curve at speed.

https://Youtube.com/watch?v=cl15_dnq4_s?feature=share

https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/...marassery.html

Absolutely horrific! Being on a curve, the driver on the opposite lane wouldn't even have time to perform a maneuver to go towards the left. Just hoping that the injured recover at the earliest as this sort of video sends chills down a spine even for the most defensive of drivers

Slightly off-topic but relevant seeing the above video, on our recent drive between Kannur and Kozhikode, we had a very similar experience but that time it was a private bus and on a flyover. We were going downhill on a single lane bridge and were at 25-30 kmph, a private bus starts an overtaking move seeing the large gap in front. I knew this would end bad if I kept at my speed and immediately braked to a complete halt and moved as much to the left as possible.

There was hardly any space on the left or right as the bridge was narrow and there was decent paced traffic on the opposite lane.

He was a good 100 meters away when he started the overtake and when he merged onto his lane, he probably did that 2-3 inches from the front of my bumper and overtook a minimum of 5-6 vehicles travelling at 30-40 kmph.

In a situation like this, be it any kind of defensive driving, I couldn't fathom what else could have been done, maybe maintain lesser distance with the car in front so that the bus doesn't even get a chance to perform that overtake by moving to our lane, but we all know that hardly can stop the famed bus drivers

[GeneralJazz]

Originally Posted by cheeku

Slightly off-topic but relevant seeing the above video, on our recent drive between Kannur and Kozhikode, we had a very similar experience but that time it was a private bus and on a flyover.

We, the locals of the area, have seen it all. Sideswipes, head ons, being pushed off the road, hit from behind, and any other combination you can think of. My friend was once sideswiped by a private bus on the left side, that too coming in the opposite direction in the wrong side.

Nothing can be done. Cops wont do anything. When they end up killing some innocent person, the cop may arrest the driver only for him to be out in a few days. Pray to your favourite gods before leaving the home.

[binand]

Originally Posted by cheeku

In a situation like this, be it any kind of defensive driving, I couldn't fathom what else could have been done...

Only the baby-bathwater method has any possibility of working for you all the time, if Kerala is among the states where you have to drive.

These drivers are taking such dangerous behaviour to neighbouring states as well. The NH 766 till Mysore (which is wider than the same road inside Kerala, and much straighter) has any number of such maniacs driving everything from M-800s to Bolero pickups to Travellers to KSRTC-Swift buses.

[electric_eel]

Originally Posted by cheeku

Absolutely horrific! Being on a curve, the driver on the opposite lane wouldn't even have time to perform a maneuver to go towards the left. Just hoping that the injured recover at the earliest as this sort of video sends chills down a spine even for the most defensive of drivers

Slightly off-topic but relevant seeing the above video, on our recent drive between Kannur and Kozhikode, we had a very similar experience but that time it was a private bus and on a flyover. We were going downhill on a single lane bridge and were at 25-30 kmph, a private bus starts an overtaking move seeing the large gap in front. I knew this would end bad if I kept at my speed and immediately braked to a complete halt and moved as much to the left as possible.

I can relate to this. Recently been doing a lot of Palakkad-Kozhikode trips. I have come to the conclusion that for busses overtaking on curves is part of their "SOP" for overtaking cars. Their (crooked?) thinking is as follows: on straight line it is difficult for them to match up with the cars because cars can outright accelerate them (we know cars are no saints they too drive pretty rashly). So they wait for the one point where the cars might slow down and then go all out. Noticed this many times because I typically try to get these guys to overtake me (dont want them to be behind my back) but see that they are less interested till they reach a curve.

To a lesser extant this is prevalent among cars as well. They do not bother to overtake an EV (know that they will get smoked if I floor the accelerator I guess) till they reach a curve.

I donot get this fascination for overtaking. Because almost always in these slow winding roads the best average speed one can get is in the ball park of 35 kmph. Forget about catching them up at the next junction, these fools are barely 100 mts in front of me most of the time because there is a slow moving truck every 1 km or so.

[SR-71]

Originally Posted by IamNikhil

This video came up on my Facebook feed. Not sure about the turn of events exactly, but the truck appears to drag the bike for quite some time.

Read about this in my news feed

https://www.ndtv.com/hyderabad-news/...rested-5466025

A truck driver has been arrested in a hit-and-run case reported in Telangana's Hyderabad after a video of the incident went viral on social media, police said on Wednesday. They said the arrested truck driver has been identified as Prithviraj.

In the viral video, a speeding truck could be seen dragging a motorcycle beneath its front tyre along a busy road while the rider was hanging on the side of the truck.

[GeeTee TSI]

Originally Posted by chaitanyakrish

A high speed car crash is reported from Thamarassery, Kerala.
The car overtook a truck on a curve at speed.

https://Youtube.com/watch?v=cl15_dnq4_s?feature=share

https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/...marassery.html

Unbelievable and unfair to the car doing its business in the correct (left) lane. I have come to the habit of honking and flashing the lights the moment I see a heavy vehicle, paranoid about someone impatient trying such daredevilry behind.
A recent harrowing experience was along the undivided Coimbatore Palakkad stretch, where I wished for some twisties. The straights constantly had an oncoming vehicle in my lane turning into a blinking contest, not that I had any room to move aside.