[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Moto$apien

This incident has really moved me to enforce a no seatbelt = no highway-ride rule in my family.

Please, make that no seatbelt = no ride. Everywhere.

Originally Posted by 007 Bond

All luxury makers like Benz/ BMW/ VOLVO etc are giving cars & engines which are designed for high speed roads.

All of our cars can be driven at speeds that are unsafe for some conditions. Even the smallest, least powerful. True, the performance will be less, but so will the safety equipment.

[Pulse500]

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

Govt to ban seat belt alarm stoppers, a good riddance if properly implemented…

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india...460056548.html

Not sure how much a ban would help for certain types of vehicles - unless the rule applies to all vehicles - e.g. 3 wheelers (often carrying 5-10 people) dont even have any seat belts although they are seen in plenty, driving dangerously on arterial roads, state and national highways.

In any case, car makers MUST change the way they sense if the seat belt is worn and correctly. Currently, most cars have a sensor/switch inside the buckle, which gets activated when the latch plate is inserted. However, the car's electronics can be easily fooled by using dummy plastic or metal latch plates that is detected by the sensor as seat-belt being used, and thus deactivates the alarms.

In addition to this sensor/switch inside the buckle, additional sensor(s) inside the seatbelt retractor and/or pillar loop are also advised, which should measure the position of, and the tension in the seat belt. There are multiple practical ways to achieve results, and I dont think any methods would be too expensive to implement. Further, it would be great if car makers also put a speed limit, limit engine power, use audio-visual indicators or even activate hazard lamps or external indicators if the occupants are not compliant. This would help enforce seatbelt rules on people with arrogant or old mindset, and also in taxis.

It is a well known fact that, those intellects with bad intentions could have the ability to defeat every method with their effort, so legal framework for enforcing use of seat belts is also required.

[Durango Dude]

It takes the demise in an unfortunate accident of a high profile and high net worth individual as Cyrus Mistry for all to make suggestions right from the design of a bridge to seat belt warning systems, right from the Govt to enthusiasts. Let's see where we stand in say 2-3 months time when other problems will overwhelm us and this accident will be reduced to a statistic and will be laid to rest from public view and be forgotten.

[divinay]

As a Govt probe is said to have concluded that faulty bridge design is likely cause, it would be better if similar bridges elsewhere on Highways too are studied for such possible design flaws in a time bound manner.

Rather unfortunate that it took such high profile deaths to generate so much brainstorming. Wish causes of other accidents too get adequate analysis (rather than reporting annual data) in the interest of improving road safety.

We still have reluctance esp of cab drivers to put on safety belt on highways, not to speak of use of mobile phones as an added risk.

[thanixravindran]

Originally Posted by Kln

Well, well.
The government probe has concluded that a faulty bridge design on the highway caused the accident, and that they're still investigating how much the car was overspeeding, if at all.

That's swift and that too concluding on the primary contributory factor of the accident and analysing the precipitating factor of over speeding. I have not seen or heard about forensic analysis. Apart from this being a VIP case, can anyone apply a forensic analysis with a government body? If so, which one is that?

AFAIK, most of the road construction are outsourced and different vendors work on DPR, actual design and then execution. Amount of political interference during design stage has to be seen to believe - forcing openings in curves, just after down ramp, changing the flyover in blatant violation of Indian Road Congress rules and guidelines all potentially leading to accident spots. Hope this becomes much more than rear seat belt enforcement and serves as the wake up call and goes in a long way for adhering to the rules of road design.

[MT_Hyderabad]

The forensic teams finding is so inline with my thoughts.

I reported it first in this thread that we are unnecessarily blaming high speed because there were responsible citizens in the car, who will not have let the car be driven at high speeds. However, I was countered just after that post saying that we have seen doctors also irresponsible and blah blah..

We at teambhp are knowledgeable enough to understand the difference between a crash at 130 km/hr (and 180/190 reported elsewhere) and 90 km/hr.
Even if the whole world says that it was overspeeding(just because it was a Merc and people died in it), I will oppose such thoughts.

However, no one pointed out in the 231 posts prior to mine, that the Merc was not overspeeding!

Link to my post https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post5395659

I earnestly thank the 9 people who thanked that post.
I analyse at least two accident videos on an average everyday and try to see what I can learn from them. I also share some on teambhp's accident thread with my opinion, to have a healthy debate whether my assumptions are true!

[StopUnderrides]

Originally Posted by Pulse500

In any case, car makers MUST change the way they sense if the seat belt is worn and correctly. Currently, most cars have a sensor/switch inside the buckle, which gets activated when the latch plate is inserted. However, the car's electronics can be easily fooled by using dummy plastic or metal latch plates that is detected by the sensor as seat-belt being used, and thus deactivates the alarms.

Govt regulations on mandatory rear seat belt alarms will be useful since manufacturers will need to provide them at almost no extra cost.

Beyond this if someone wants to wilfully misuse the equipment car makers should not bother much. If they willingly choose the risky route they have only themselves to blame.

[d2krish]

Just a while ago, I came across this link. It gives a very interesting analysis with sketches, which makes it more vivid, what might have actually happened. So I could not skip sharing it.

https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumba...-life-23244463

This adds to the concern of bad road design. As in India, government is enhancing so much on road infrastructure for good, the layouts should be the most intuitive to drivers. Whereas, seat belt is a vital point, causing the deaths, the design flaws are more vital points so as to avoid the accident altogether. During UI design for websites, user-friendliness is checked by professionals. Similar approval/consultation for roads should also be employed. While we are building so much, let us build it most right. That should be the motive.

[Kiran Joshi]

https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumba...-life-23244463

Pictorial presentation of possible events of accident.

[Phantom 510]

No point in discussing someone's unfortunate passing away. Why sensationalise something like this. We all know what could have gone wrong by now thanks to the media. Would it change anything by continuing such discussions for no reasons. All we can do is make others aware by making us aware that's it. Leave the poor guy and his family alone at this moment. Let us all pray that almighty give them enough strength and courage to get through this. It could happen to anyone. Hope i didn't offend anyone in this process.

[Nithesh_M]

Does anyone find it weird that Mr.Ratan Tata is yet to say a word on this? Even till now? Not a message of condolence for his former employee and his family?

[Guite]

Originally Posted by 007 Bond

All luxury makers like Benz/ BMW/ VOLVO etc are giving cars & engines which are designed for high speed roads. The infrastructure in Europe/ US is made to take this. How about these guys designing engines specifically for Indian highway conditions.

I believe the first Maruti car released 39 years back was capable of 100 kmph top speed. All current cars are capable of 100 kmph, including the Tata Nano. A Benz/ BMW/ Volvo at 100 kmph is much safer than a Nano or WagonR at same speed. European cars may be capable of very high speed, but it is also designed and constructed to be safe. Case in point being the same car in which Mr Mistri was travelling: the body shell is intact even after that crash. What would it involve to ask these Europeans to design cars for Indian highway conditions? Ask them to dumb down engine performance? Or ask them to design much safer (= even more expensive) cars for us?

When we sit in a Indian designed vehicle we can feel we are going above 110 kmph there are slight goose bumps.

Indication that it is not a safe car: unstable, swaying, vibration. It will still be unsafe in a collision at half that speed.

But when I sit in these cars even on 150 kmph it doesn't alarm so much.

Indication that it is a safe car: stable, rock solid, planted, no harsh vibration. Just be aware of road condition, traffic, surroundings; and accordingly drive at a speed appropriate for that condition.

[streetfighter]

Why do truck drivers or heavy vehicles ply on any lane they wsh? Because they regularly grease the palm of the officers who are supposed to enforce the lane rules.

[Safari Persona]

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

Does anyone find it weird that Mr.Ratan Tata is yet to say a word on this? Even till now? Not a message of condolence for his former employee and his family?

Maybe he called them personally. Giving additional public statements would be merely for PR if that were the case.

[SedateGuy]

Originally Posted by streetfighter

Why do truck drivers or heavy vehicles ply on any lane they wsh? Because they regularly grease the palm of the officers who are supposed to enforce the lane rules.

Lane enforcement does not exist for most purposes. IMHO No greasing is needed at all. Our goods vehicles are grossly under powered for the loads they are sanctioned and take time to build up speed..As such they detest slowing down for anything and lumber on in the easiest clearest path they can find.

Power to gross Laden weight ratio needs to be increased drastically if we want truckers to stick to the left lane. Also if you observe the are other obstacles in the left lane which truckers wish to avoid, such as potholes, cattle carts, slower moving vehicles etc.

I for one don't blame the truckers for using the right lane considering the conditions under which they operate.