Team-BHP - Accidents in India

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno (Post 2398942)

Reminds me of a similar incident with my boss and his driver. Boss had come back to India after long years in the US and is terrified to drive in Chennai and hires a driver. Does all background check, previous employer check etc of the driver and hires the guy to drive his Santro. Every other day, the guy seems to get into some accident or the other. The repeat accidents seemed abnormal and that is when my boss remembered that he had missed one important check before hiring the driver - whether he knows to drive or not. :D

Turned out the guy was a novice - promptly fired the driver and started driving himself. BTW, he also moved on to a Scorpio-mHawk from the Santro.

Hilarious man - just too good :D

did the driver move on the the Scorpio? In that case WOW

The appointment of Driver reminds me a very very bad experience we faced with our drivers. Dad met with an accident and had a spinal injury, due to this, Dad used to avoid driving and was totally dependent on driver to drive to Office and etc. We had a driver for 4 years, who left us after he landed in a better job at a Call Center. This was the onset of a zillion problems for us. 4 years and not a single scratch on our esteem, thanks to the driver and his maintanence. God Bless Him for being such a humble soul. He never felt bad/disgraced when ever he helped my Dad with things like helping wear shoes or remove them or take care of his bags and etc, as sometimes due to stress on spinal cord, dad had problem bending down and wearing shoes (I am not degrading or showing disparity towards anyone. It was a medical condition, due to which dad was unable to bend down)

Post his departure, we got a new driver, who was a relative of our family friends driver. The whole ordeal started about 10 minutes from the time he joined us as a driver.

In a huge traffic jam, he tried to overtake the Qualis before us from the left and in this process, rammed into Qualis from the right and another scooter on the left. With 2 new dents on our Esteem within 15 minutes of joining the duty was something we could not take. However, Dad thought atleast let me reach the destination and then I can think what needs to be done next. That was the last mistake my dad made. After being cautious for a good time, came the real thing. He rammed into a parked Auto Rickshaw as he was trying to overtake another rickshaw from the left most lane. That was it, we had good two broken headlights and a dangling bumber within 30 minutes of appointing a new driver. Dad asked him to stop the car at that very point and fired him. Even though we had to pay him Rs. 20/- for his bus ticket back home, we had to spend a good fortune to get the things back in place.

These crashes and accidents continued for a good 2 more years, with 4 more drivers appointed till the time my dad left for heaven above. However, I hate to say that these 2 years were more stressfull for my dad due to the frequent rising repair costs.

This was a case of Bad Hired Drivers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 2397880)

They could use that as an advertisement: drop it off a cliff, and it still looks like a car!

For some odd reason, Ive never felt safer than in our 73 Amby. I really wouldn't trust all this cost cutting at the cost of safety with a fancy name that goes crumple zones.

The 95 M800z hood is heavier than a 98 Amby. The 98 Ambys hood is much heavier than the 2003 M800. Some sort of more crumple with every new model? Crumple zones are an excellent way of absorbing the impact, but the cabin should never be intruded.

We do read, hear and see so many accidents these days. A lot of them are due to sheer negligence, over confidence or under the influence.

In all likelihood, most highway travelers would maintain anything between 90 to 130 Kms/hr these days. It was almost similar years back, the days of the Ambys. Ofcourse, the traffic was much less.

If I can remember right, there were accidents, but it was not often everyone on an Amby died in a major crash. Plenty of hurt, yes. but rarely fatal. ( Ofcourse, I am referring only to the good old heavy Ambys)

Its all loud thinking, but I do wonder if the manufacturers are selling us the 'crumple Zone' at the cost of our safety and more mileage.

One of my childhood friend's dad (he is more like an icon to a few of us, sort of a Arnie guy, body builder, leather jackets, jeeps, mustache the works really :D ) is alive only because he was on his 74 Amby and not his Zen when a truck hit him head on. Ofcourse, one totaled Amby, he was hurt, took about a year to recover (he was about 68 when this happened).

Like I said loud thinking, would love the views of other members.

BTW, I do have a friend in Holland who crashed his Merc into a tree (more to do with ice/sleet), so bad, that they had to cut the car to put him on the chopper. (in about 15 mins actually). Two years of surgery and physiotherapy. He can walk now. ( He drives a Jeep now :D). Of course crumple zones, he just broke a leg in so many places but he lives, I wouldn't expect the same from some of our cars here.
Perhaps, we are the cheaper lot! ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spitfire (Post 2398765)

To all of us who see a friend/accomplice/anyone drink and drive. Every time they get away from any incident, they are that much close to the end.

All drivers who pay the ultimate price for DUI have managed to get away a lot many times. Problem is this creates a false sense of being good at it. And then that stationary lorry in the fast lane shows up from thin air.

And, that lorry does not have any lights at the rear, brake, indicator or parking lights, It does not have the bar that is supposed to prevent smaller vehicles running into them to meet their end and in all probability, DUI is sorta new to the car drivers than to our truckers ;)

Hmmm Would the words, "RIP XXXX crashed into a tree/ building/ truck/ rode off a cliff under the influence" (we could perhaps lend this space to a sponsor, give credit to the drink/brand/maker?) on the tombstone help the spirited drivers trying their hands at NFS?

But, What a way to go! They would always be remembered and referred to as, "oh! that uncle that got drunk and drove into a truck" or "How many times do I have to remind you? its that grandpa that drank so much and flew off a cliff!" :D

Lost another known guy (not a very close friend, may have talked to him a couple of times) in a road accident on a bike. He was sitting pillion, the bike skidded and his head got banged on some rock. The other guy who was riding just suffered a few scratches. One good thing is, my other friends' who were close to him, have started appreciating my resolution to always wear a helmet, whether I am riding the bike, or sitting pillion. It's not that they have started wearing, but the taunts on me for wearing one have reduced considerably. These people don't even understand why a safety gear is essential even after losing a friend :Frustrati. May he RIP.

Quote:

Originally Posted by prateekm (Post 2399374)

I hear taunts quite frequently because of my insistence on seat belts. Years ago I was coming from work in a friend's car and the guy was speeding - I asked him to slow down and he refused saying "get down if you like" - so I asked him to stop.

He stopped, we had a staring match and he blinked first - drove me home at a more reasonable speed, but we were never in car together again.

For some reason, you can keep your friendship with these guys or you can can keep your peace. I chose the latter, they continue to choose peace of the eternal variety.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vina (Post 2399377)

My wife used to feel the same way. All I took to convince her was a some very hard braking from a very low speed (about 20kmph - I was stopping for a red light) and she "leaped" forward towards the wind shield. I had my hand to prevent her from hitting anything. She got angry but she was convinced. Always puts on the belt after that. Did the same thing to one of my cousins too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by asr245 (Post 2399583)

My wife used to feel the same way. All I took to convince her was a some very hard braking from a very low speed (about 20kmph - I was stopping for a red light) and she "leaped" forward towards the wind shield. I had my hand to prevent her from hitting anything. She got angry but she was convinced. Always puts on the belt after that. Did the same thing to one of my cousins too.

if i had tried that on purpose, I would have been an "accident in india", without pics, without body, even!!
:D
kiddin'.
In my car, its standard.
my car, my rules.
you can "bend" all other rules, but if you dont follow the belt rule , the car will stop working.
setabelts are wired to accelerator!!:)

I only ever sit in a few friends cars, and all them know about how a setabelt saved me from a horrendous knock-about once, so I dont even have to ask any of them to put one on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by laxmanrk (Post 2399649)

My brother, his friend and I were travelling from Kurnool to Hyderabad on Saturday last week.
Spotted this Swift Dzire that was converted to a Swift by accident.
Also, the guy was doing over 100kmph with this state of the car.
Here are the pictures. The last picture clearly shows the true conversion. (and me too)

whoa, how dangerous is that! :deadhorse
What if a part or panel fell off while he was driving? If this is a toll based road, how was he allowed to get onto it in the first place?

I have also seen some vehicles on older highways or smaller roads that drive with a broken bumper tied up with rope, but this one is much worse

Quote:

Originally Posted by laxmanrk (Post 2399649)

My brother, his friend and I were travelling from Kurnool to Hyderabad on Saturday last week.

Spotted this Swift Dzire that was converted to a Swift by accident.

Also, the guy was doing over 100kmph with this state of the car. :Shockked:

No wonder accidents are not uncommon on our highways!

Here are the pictures. The last picture clearly shows the true conversion. (and me too) :D

Looks like he wants "Mukti" from, not just this one, all "Dzire"s :D