[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by Surprise

Was told that driver of FIGO was on complete right lane in an overtake attempt & was not able to get back to his lane as the car went straight into an state transport bus

Was this Figo a brand new one just out of the showroom (because I couldn't see the number plate in one of the pics. Very little chance of survival of the occupants in such a horrible crash, any info on that? I wonder what made the driver risk his life & the car on the undivided road.

[anilisanil]

Originally Posted by Surprise

Two bikes .......

Was told that driver of FIGO was on complete right lane in an overtake attempt & was not able to get back to his lane as the car went straight into an state transport bus

Shocking!! Are the above two incidents related? I mean, was the Figo stuck on the right lane due to the bikes?

[rajchetan]

what speed was the Figo Doing??

Are these incidents related?

The FIGO is a total..... RECALL.

[StarrySky]

I think the Figo did not end up this bad in the accident but was cut open during the rescue attempt. For eg: the roof looks like it was pulled back with some machine. Horrible crash, anyway.

[Surprise]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Very little chance of survival of the occupants in such a horrible crash, any info on that? I wonder what made the driver risk his life & the car on the undivided road.

A security guard at a nearby complex told that out of 4 people (all aged around 20-22 group), 3 were dead on spot & 1 was in very serious condition.

Originally Posted by anilisanil

Shocking!! Are the above two incidents related? I mean, was the Figo stuck on the right lane due to the bikes?

No, both were two different incidents. I came across the stunt from bikers, just immediately I left inspecting the crashed car.

[rohanjf]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

I wonder what made the driver risk his life & the car on the undivided road.

One or more of these factors:
1. The car driver's overconfidence on his driving skills.
2. Car driver's assumption that the oncoming bus driver would slow down when he blinks his lights, and he will be able to pull back into his lane in time.
3. Car driver's inability to guage bus' speed
4. Bus driver's reluctance to slow down, so that he does not lose a few precious seconds (in which he might lose a customer).
5. Car driver not concentrating on the road, due his friends' chitchat.
6. Car driver's frustration and eagerness to overtake after being stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle for too long.

You can list many more possible causes :(

[Thad E Ginathom]

One or more of these factors...

They could be summed up as ignorance, arrogance, and a horribly mistaken impression of actually having any driving skills. When mixed with youth and a nifty car, a very deadly combination.

It's the cause of many of the accidents that we chronicle here, or read about in our papers. Who can tell if the poor bus driver had any chance. Flashing headlights cannot change the laws of physics.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

It's the cause of many of the accidents that we chronicle here, or read about in our papers. Who can tell if the poor bus driver had any chance. Flashing headlights cannot change the laws of physics.

This is a big problem on Indian roads these days. Some people assume that just because they flash lights the other vehicle can and will make way for them. I dont mean any offence to anyone, but it is a way of life for a few people these days to assume things and make decisions for others in their lives. Perhaps they try to replicate this while driving. To assume reactions of other drivers on the road whom they dont know and make decisions for other drivers/ vehicles whom they underestimate. they are also likely to overestimate their own driving skills and their vehicle (mera mast haath baitha hai is gaadi pe).

Two incidents last week that bring these thoughts:
- An oncoming biker who skidded and landed right in front of my bike's front wheel. Reason: he was trying to avoid an auto which was slowing down for a speedbreaker. I was observing this and slowed down anticipating something bad but did not expect the guy to be that dumb. He was just not willing to brake. So he swerved at around 40 while climbing the speedbreaker and skidded badly. On top of this, he promptly blamed the auto driver and got a few people together. In this case I felt bad for the auto fellow and spoke up for him. It is not his fault if some moron behind him chooses not to brake.
- Another time while driving my Nano, a biker on the extreme left lane (almost the parking lane) displays his indicator and turns to the right on a 4 lane road. I am driving in the rightmost lane around 30, and this guy somehow reaches diagonally across near the front passenger door. He has the nerve to speed up and stop across my left headlight and ask me why I did not stop as he had switched on his indicator. I pulled down the glass and told him he was still technically behind me and I had nowhere to go if he decides to change 4 lanes without looking at traffic behind him. The best part? No rear view mirrors on his bike

[speedsatya]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

One or more of these factors:
1. The car driver's overconfidence on his driving skills.
2. Car driver's assumption that the oncoming bus driver would slow down when he blinks his lights, and he will be able to pull back into his lane in time.
3. Car driver's inability to guage bus' speed
4. Bus driver's reluctance to slow down, so that he does not lose a few precious seconds (in which he might lose a customer).
5. Car driver not concentrating on the road, due his friends' chitchat.
6. Car driver's frustration and eagerness to overtake after being stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle for too long.

You can list many more possible causes :(

From my 15+ years of driving/riding experience,I strongly beleive most head-on collisions could have been avoided if one of the drivers' had some patience or if the other one yielded.

Most of the times I just slam the brakes or move down the road if some idiot tries to overtake me in tight situations.And for this ,its important to keep watching your mirrors.

Like in this Figo accident,this could have definitely been avoided if the Figo driver had some common sense .But this could also been avoided ( you never know ) ,if the vehicle that was being overtaken or the on coming vehicle slowed down or yielded.

[drmohitg]

Seriously man parents need to literally tame there kids. They might do stupid things but I believe there parents are at serious faults here by giving them total freedom to act with such stupidity. There is this school/college young kid driving his new A4 outside my house at speeds of 100. Imagine! 2 girls sitting in the back seat popping there heads out of the sunroof shouting. Why do they act like hooligans? And this idiot has been taking U-Turns and racing on this road non stop.

Finally I couldn't tolerate it anymore and found a good way of stopping this. Took out my Innova ( read as truck) slotted it into 1st and started crawling at a speed of 5kmph. This kid comes behind me, honks, flashes his lights, honks, flashes and finally gives up and goes on some other road. Hopefully some poor pedestrian or a stray dog would not get killed! I really feel helpless and pissed at the same time.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by speedsatya

Most of the times I just slam the brakes or move down the road if some idiot tries to overtake me in tight situations.And for this ,its important to keep watching your mirrors.
.

Yes, thats how it should be. But the problem is, these days people almost take it as an insult to be overtaken. Their ego just does not allow them to let others pass them. THere are numerous occasions where I have seen people driving normally on the highway. But the moment they see a car closing in on them in their rear view mirrors they speed up and put up a serious resistance to being overtaken. Their behaviour is so unpredictable that their sudden change in driving style throws off all overtaking calculations like speed of vehicle being overtaken, speed of oncoming vehicle etc.... Esp with diesel cars I can clearly make out that the guy is flooring his pedal , since his tailpipe suddenly throws out a blast of black smoke.

On one occassion an Innova cab driver was so insulted at being overtaken that he used all his rash driving skills to get past me and then refused to give me side when I wanted to pass him . He then tailgated a car in front and suddenly veered off to the left. This guy had the darkest tints on and I just couldn't see that he had a car so close in front of him. I had to use all my driving skills and the good handling abilities of my Laura to get out of that lane and avoid crashing into that car. All this was at 130 kph + . He actually did it on purpose. My wife said she saw him grinning when I finally managed to pass him. .

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Yes, thats how it should be. But the problem is, these days people almost take it as an insult to be overtaken. Their ego just does not allow them to let others pass them. .

Add to this some uncultured drivers who will drive slow and then not let you overtake for no reason.

Once I was traveling to Mysore and there was a Sumo who was driving at 50 kmph on the right lane with me and I got stuck behind a bus traveling at the same speed. The stupid Sumo driver didn't give me space & made me follow him for a full 10-15 mins before the bus stopped and I could pass them.

On the way back, there was a TATA Winger guy who will overtake me and sway in front of me & then will not let me pass for some time till I downshift & accelerate past him ! And he had a stupid grin every time as if he achieved something ! He was so careless & I could see the passengers in his cab with a worried face after some time into this stunt & I decided to avoid this guy by driving faster.

[krish82]

Originally Posted by speedsatya

From my 15+ years of driving/riding experience,I strongly beleive most head-on collisions could have been avoided if one of the drivers' had some patience or if the other one yielded.

Most of the times I just slam the brakes or move down the road if some idiot tries to overtake me in tight situations.And for this ,its important to keep watching your mirrors.

Like in this Figo accident,this could have definitely been avoided if the Figo driver had some common sense .But this could also been avoided ( you never know ) ,if the vehicle that was being overtaken or the on coming vehicle slowed down or yielded.

You may be right in a sense, but not always it may be the drivers fault. At different age even we would have driven vehicles differently. Several times i have been caught in a situation i plan to overtake and when i find that i cannot make it, when i try coming to the left the other van or bike or car never bothers to adjust to give some way...Dont know what figo's fate was, in that case we can blame every overtaking in the world as rash driving atleast in india, because there are no roads, proper reflectors or dividers.

[gurudutt]

There was a major one on old airport road on monday night in front of total mall, there was a ford ikon taxi with a broken windshield and a guy lying in a pool of blood in front of the car, ambulance had arrived and i saw people moving the guy into it. Could not take pics since it was dark and didn't wanna stop and cause a jam.


Another one noticed this morning on inner ring road leading to kormangala right after domlur flyover (in front of ashirwad electronic store). An indicab had rear ended a logan, taxi again. Indicab had a crumpled bonnet and there was some damage to the logan as well. Sorry, no pics here either since it was peak hour traffic.

[adroit_91]

Originally Posted by SuperSlick

Such stuntmen (idiots) are also seen on MTC buses here in Chennai during rush hours. They will hang on (for dear life!) just by holding the rods/grills on the windows of buses and also footboard for no reason! It's a nightmare for you while you are trying to overtake such buses in a car or a bike. Imagine if those guys slip in front of your vehicle!?

I remember when I had just learnt to ride a bike (my 1-month old 150cc 1st gen Pulsar), in Vizag, and I used to ride "real slow" (steady at 40kmph without overtaking)! I happened to be following behind a bus, and a gentleman tried to board the moving bus by jumping on it!! He missed the bus and landed right on my front wheel! God knows how desperate he was, but I got the first crash of my life!!