[anvara]

Originally Posted by praveen789

I had a question - when there is such clear evidence of the 2 wheelers fault, wouldn't the bus driver be let off without any issues? Or is video evidence not considered as it does not give details of bus drivers speed, attempt to brake, etc

Raghu & Praveen, in all probabilities, the bus driver would have been let off last evening after recording his statement as this would be standard procedure for the cops.

I remember someone telling me that Government bus drivers who have met with such accidents are sent for counseling (usually 1 day) and then a refresher course on driving before they are allowed to work again.

This would be one such case where the driver will be going through this procedure since he is not at fault / could not have avoided this situation. Video evidence being admissible in court is something that our lawyer friends on the forum need to throw light on.

aravind.anand - Yes the chap lost his life almost instantly.

shubhodeep - This stretch is quite a well tarred stretch and believe it or not there are two places where either biker could have gone on to make a legal U turn. Both these places are no further than 250 meters either side of this accident spot.

But no, we wont do that since our time is precious . The world be damned.

Situation has not changed this morning either. On my way to the Office, business was as usual - cars, bikes & cycles all on the wrong side, some with headlights on, some honking away to glory at the exact same spot of the accident.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by anvara

But no, we wont do that since our time is precious . The world be damned.

I suspect that they do not even think about time, or anything else. They just see shortest route and go for it. They do not think at all.

About driving "the wrong way" on service roads, though, I think that we often have little choice. It seems that the designers of roads have used about the same amount of brain as the bikers mentioned above. Whilst the idea of a service road on either side of a road such as Chennai's OMR might be one-way, there seems to be little option, in some places, but to use it as two-way. Thus we, the drivers, have made it so, and we understand that it is so.

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

They just see shortest route and go for it. They do not think at all.

About driving "the wrong way" on service roads, though, I think that we often have little choice. It seems that the designers of roads have used about the same amount of brain as the bikers mentioned above. Whilst the idea of a service road on either side of a road such as Chennai's OMR might be one-way, there seems to be little option, in some places, but to use it as two-way. Thus we, the drivers, have made it so, and we understand that it is so.

He took the shortest route to reach ultimate destination, didn't he?

I think that driving wrong side should be treated as criminal offence with strict/harsh penalties. If there are choices, even hard ones, then one should never drive on the wrong side. What good is saving 5 minutes (or even 1 hour for that matter) if that costs ones life?

[anvara]

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

He took the shortest route to reach ultimate destination, didn't he?

I think that driving wrong side should be treated as criminal offence with strict/harsh penalties. If there are choices, even hard ones, then one should never drive on the wrong side. What good is saving 5 minutes (or even 1 hour for that matter) if that costs ones life?

That he did Sourabh, and quickly too. In fact he was in quite a hurry to get there it seems

Although I agree with your line of thought and would not mind going one step further given a choice, I do not see this scenario changing in the foreseeable future.

Such acts can only be avoided by proper training on safety from a very young age when we start educating children about the consequences of their actions and thereby making them understand and follow these basic rules of the road.

That would bring about a certain compassion in them which, I feel (entirely my opinion), is lacking with the current generation.

I see very few people who have this. In fact, if one is of the select few with this compassion, he / she is mocked / jeered at and at times bullied into doing things the wrong way.

I will stop my rant here. Sorry for the off topic points.

[gkveda]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

All
But, even though the deceased is driving on the wrong side of the road, the one who crosses his path, to me, is absolutely guilty of causing his death.

I cannot agree to this statement. Why should the Bus driver be guilty of causing his death

The Biker, right from the start of video is in the wrong path. The bus did not appear in front of him from sky. It should be indeed visible to him at least 30 secs before the incident.

Was the bus invisible to the biker ? He could have easily turned the bike to left side of the road, if he had wished to survive. Looks like, he had intentions to commit suicide OR he was deliberately playing on the bus path.

I have seen many such idiots who come almost to hit your car and suddenly take right to escape the accident.

slightly off topic, but similar classic biker behavior is, they overtake the car/bus from right/left and immediately come on to the car path and make us apply sudden brake.

I do not have any mercy to this biker. He deserves whatever state he is in(Either alive or dead)

[anvara]

GK, Thad is not talking about the bus driver. He is also referring to the bikers.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by gkveda

I cannot agree to this statement. Why should the Bus driver be guilty of causing his death ... ... ...

Originally Posted by anvara

GK, Thad is not talking about the bus driver. He is also referring to the bikers.

When I wrote it it seemed clear to me, but as it has been misunderstood twice, perhaps it was not.

I am not blaming the bus driver at all. The shock and disturbance to his life is one more thing that the bikers are guilty of.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I am not blaming the bus driver at all. The shock and disturbance to his life is one more thing that the bikers are guilty of.

It might seem a callous thought on my part given a life was lost, but after my initial reaction of cursing both bikers on their manslaughter/suicide mission, I was very grateful for the position of the camera and the very clear video that would unequivocally absolve the bus driver (eventually).

Its also very reassuring to see anvara's comment that the driver will be given grief counselling, and not just sent back to work directly.

[Hickstead]

Found this video on YouTube.
How come a Swift Dzire, which is being criticized as a tin can, can throw away a Creta like this? Might be it was the speed of the Dzire and height of the Creta, resulted in a topple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYxGlhDkETs

[mxh]

Originally Posted by Hickstead

Found this video on YouTube.
How come a Swift Dzire, which is being criticized as a tin can, can throw away a Creta like this? Might be it was the speed of the Dzire and height of the Creta, resulted in a topple.

Totally the Creta's fault. Unfortunately the dzire is probably totaled due to the head on collision in the engine area. Indians need to stop their obsession with these ridiculous small "SUVs" with short wheelbases and high ground clearances. In the smallest of accidents, they turn turtle and roll on the side a few times.

[escaflowne]

Let me tell you about the laws pervading over government bus drivers.I am talking about Chennai/Tamil Nadu.
1. When Government bus involves in an accident and if it is non-fatal, they are not at fault, even if they are. 10 out 10 times they go scot free.
2. If it is fatal and if the driver is at fault, 9 out 10 times they go scot free.Why ?
- Every Bus belongs to a depot. All Bus drivers belong to an Union.
- So once accident happens, people from union reach the site first and make sure they destroy the evidence. Police men too collaborate with them.
- Still if evidence are against them, in most cases victim's kin doesn't follow up or they are made sure not to follow up by policemen.
- Even Still if follow up happens and evidence are produced, case is dragged for years, by that time drivers is already behind the steering.
- In case if case proved, MTC union tries to bargain/delay/threaten the amount to be paid to the victim's kin since they don't have Insurance.So amount has to come from their coffin
- If you are wondering what will happen to the driver if the case is won by victim, don't even bother thinking. He will get 6 months leave with half salary and after that he is behind the steering to kill again.

These were our family experiences, When one of our relative was killed by the MTC bus for no fault of his.

[Acharya]

Originally Posted by Hickstead

Found this video on YouTube.
How come a Swift Dzire, which is being criticized as a tin can, can throw away a Creta like this? [/url]

Its plain physics, swift was at relatively high speed, carrying far more momentum than creta.
Swift was like a swinging bat, while creta was a dead ball in this situation.

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by mxh

Indians need to stop their obsession with these ridiculous small "SUVs" with short wheelbases and high ground clearances. In the smallest of accidents, they turn turtle and roll on the side a few times.

And so do large SUVs with large wheelbases and high ground clearances.

In emergency braking/steering maneuvers, these small "SUVs" will have a lower tendency to roll-over than traditional large body-on-frame SUVs.

[jaaz]

Hope there were no fatalities.

Difference of kerb weight between Dzire and Creta is approx. 200kgs more. Dzire is well built unlike Baleno (Tin Can). The Speed of the Dzire (the Driver of the Dzire realised very late to brake) and the GC of Creta are responsible for the accident. But, yes, as @mxh mentioned, no fault of Dzire, assuming that the Driver was within legally permitted speed.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by escaflowne

- In case if case proved, MTC union tries to bargain/delay/threaten the amount to be paid to the victim's kin since they don't have Insurance.So amount has to come from their coffin

Curiously appropriate freudian slip there. You meant coffer[s]

Sorry for the loss of your relative. From what I have heard, all your points are true. Still, killing people is surely not fun, and I do continue to sympathise with bus drivers who cannot avoid bikers.