Team-BHP - Accidents in India

Quote:

Originally Posted by prmd_cochin (Post 2407512)

The driver of the ill fated Kallada volvo was one of the first trainee batches that Volvo trained and since then he was the highest paid driver in Kallada. An awesome driver, but mistakes do happen that lead to accidents like these.

Read that this guy was their driver for 12 years or so. Trying not to knock down a 2 wheeler, he swayed and looks like went over the median and hit the other bus which was stationary !

Guess he was the only one from the Volvo who died, rest all fatalities are from the other stationary bus!

A very tragic incident. I was reading up on it when I came across the (most probable) cause of the accident. One stupid moped rider from a near-by village suddenly 'came to' the highway. The bus driver, Biju Wilson, in a attempt to prevent a collision (rather trampling the idiot of a moped rider) swerved and lost control. The moped rider, suffered a fracture. However, he took 9 lives and severly injured 52 others.

Why slow movers should not be on highways. Also, what we keep discussing in the 'Bad drivers' thread.

Source.

How did the driver misjudge this one?

From some of the posts above it seems he was quite experienced, knew this road like the back of his hand and still wasn't ready for the unexpected moped?

All along that route you can expect such surprises.

Makes me wonder all my experience on the roads may actually not count then...

Or maybe the driver was just plain lucky till now...

We would never know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spitfire (Post 2407748)

There have been so many instances when I braked at the last moment to avert an accident on a highway because of some unanticipated obstruction. I do not know whether to thank my guardian angel or my cautious driving for each such miss. However, I always have the fear that sometime I may not be so lucky...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar (Post 2405362)

Torqucurve: Those sure are scary events. Both the places you've mentioned, are notorious for such incidents. Well as far as trucks are concerned, there is nothing much to say! Those guys would remain that ways for eternity I guess.

BTW: Just curiosity, how can you be at Khadki Bazaar and Lakaki Lake at the same time? Specially when the distance is between the two is almost 10 kms :)

Thanks for catching that, Sorry, the truck incident happened at night (morning?) and the bike incident in the afternoon. My mistake!stupid:

On the bus incident, well this weekend had been to Mum to pick up a friend at the airport. I was doing like 100 alternating in the middle and fast lane (traffic dependent). All of a sudden, Two Volvos (private) crossed me from either side, they were racing! If I was doing 100, they must be atleast 105?. They were literally driving like crazy. Another thing that happened was Three Trucks (the trailer types) were driving abreast in the three lanes at 60 or so. Had to honk, flash lights everything to even pass them. What I saw next was the chaps were passing snacks and water bottles between the trucks!
Sorry, was driving alone and so no pics.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gooney (Post 2407757)

I do not know whether to thank my guardian angel or my cautious driving for each such miss. However, I always have the fear that sometime I may not be so lucky...

Yes, thanking your guardian angel is the right thing to do.
I consider myself a safe / cautious driver. But i know in the back of my mind that its not enough.

I force myself to drive defensively. I consider everyone else as IDIOTS while i drive....and thus try to imagine what that idiot might do the next moment. It's really helped me avoid many a situation.

-- Torqy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spitfire (Post 2407748)

See that Volvo bus speeding video in the previous posts once again..

Just imagine what could have happened if any of those vehicles change their lanes suddenly while the bus overtaking them.. The Volvo driver may be experienced but may not be able to control if something similar happens infront of him within a fraction of second.

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolclouds (Post 2407972)

Apparently the driver who got killed was one of the better Volvo drivers.

OTOH the driver in the video is a rascal who probably would have mowed down the moped jerk (he sure is prepared to mow down cars and Sumos on the road) rather than cause this accident - perhaps that would have been better - one life instead of (four + a dozen injured)

Quote:

Originally Posted by vina (Post 2408027)

What do you say about this moron who went to take this video and also got in the front to take the video.What a fool he must have made of himself in front of everyone.

I am sure the Volvos that crashed would be doing similar speeds .There is no way anyone can stop in such scenarios .Surprise thing is that none of the passengers had any objection to this kind of driving

Quote:

Originally Posted by coolclouds (Post 2406502)

I don't know who will learn from this and when. Kallada also had several serious accidents even after limiting speeds. Only thing is to educate drivers about good driving habits and importance of lives.

Regarding the air horns, during my last visit, I saw that lot of private buses in Ernakulam area using those very irritating air horns (those widely used in CBE-Salem and other parts of TN) even though its banned.

Now a days, though the air horns are banned, private buses especially the limited stop ones, use air horns outside city limits indiscriminately to intimidate cars and bikes. The authorities concerned turn a deaf ear to this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedsatya (Post 2408072)

That is one hell of a moron. However passengers not complaining is not surprising.

First of all, in these buses the interios environment is so good (temperature controlled, watching video, Air suspension, and no jerks) unless passengers want to figure out the speed they can not. Even if they want to figure out, it is very hard to do so from the view they get from the side windows.

Second, even when they know the speed, they not only don't object they actually boast about it. convenience trumps everything else.

An example - I usually take a taxi from Bangalore airport to Mysore (the guys come from Mysore to pick me up) - the usual guy drives fast and safe. The other day a different driver came and he wouldn't go above 70 no matter what. I was a little annoyed (mainly because he would slow down to 30 several hundred meters before speedbreakers of which there are dozens on that route) but regarding topspeed I had mixed feelings.

After I reached home wife started criticising the driver for driving slow - and this is the same woman who wouldn't let me do a Hyderabad - Mysore drive for reasons of safety !