[watashi75]

Next time you drive on the highway carry a bomb with you. As per statistics, the probability of a person carrying a bomb and dying in a car accident is very less.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by Speed Pujari

A little math may work here since I have lesser belief in destiny and other bookish stuffs.
In Bangalore-
The probablity of dying is .7 out of 1 if you are driving in ORR against .6 in IRR so you can take alternative.

Probability of dying in Mysore road is .9 out of 1 when on a two wheeler, .8 out of 1 when in a small car like 800, .7 in a MUV (The indianised SUV like scorpio) , .25 out of 1 when in a car full of balloons (read airbags) .. BUT the probablity of dying is .01 out of 1 while taking trains to mysore. So make a choice , I dont think destiny plays any role here, you write your destiny.

Probablity of dying is .001 out of 1 due to domestic accidents if you stay at home .

So in all the places chances of dying or meeting accidents is not zero, but there are ways to reduce the chances.
It depends on individuals how much risk they want to take. Having a term insurance works best in high risk scenarios.

Buddy, I think the maths is a bit off. It indicates that nine out of ten riders who get on to Mysore road end up dead!

[gops2009]

I'm a little amused with the statistics bit ; Lies, Big Lies and Statistics... folks if you love to drive and of course you love cars, simply drive by all means. Take care and practice defensive driving techniques when you are at it and simply enjoy your drives. Safety on highways is not something ensured by not using them , it can only be ensured when every driver knows the rules, respects the laws and understands the importance of safety and human life and this will not happen overnight, but it will happen over time.
Dear Speed Pandit, you really got to look at the math in your statements, it says out of every 100 maruti 800's that use mysore road 70 land-up bashed up with their occupants in the morgue and 900 out of every 1000 2-wheeler users on Mysore road end up being fatalities. I understand you are alarmed and concerned, but this is totally off proportions. If statistics were to be quoted in every aspect, then one should never sleep, if you see the statistics for number of people who die in their sleep.
Finally, ask youself,do you love driving, do you enjoy what you are doing, if the answer is in the affirmative, do what your heart says....for many of us the Journey is itself the destination....

[prince_pervez]

^^ Yeah. If you know people die in accidents, that doesn't mean you stop driving at all. Heck there have been accidents recorded for every mode of transportation.
That does not mean we sit at home.
We just need to be careful and take all the precautionary measures when we plan our long distance highway runs.

[Speed Pujari]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Buddy, I think the maths is a bit off. It indicates that nine out of ten riders who get on to Mysore road end up dead!

Thats a probabilistic figure of chances and not a proportion of population meeting accidents.

If I toss a coin the probablity of getting a heads is .5 out 1 doesn't means that half of the times I'll get heads.

Anyways,
Bottom line is, I wanted to convey is you are not safe anywhere. All you can do is take precaution, anticipate and under-confident yourself about the way others are driving bcoz 90% of the times the fault may not be yours.
Anticipate any biker, animals, bicyclists, walkers, truck, sudden lane changers, cabbies, coming on your way anytime. Give way to rushing cabbies if you find them in your ORVMs.

Doing this may reduce the probability.

[rabnawaz_b]

I agree with price pervez. I have been driving for more than 7 years now and I have drove on all the terrains without a single dent on my car. And my fastest was 160kmph in opel corsa.
But 2 weeks back in mahadevpura road when I was on the way to my office driving in 40kmph suddenly a school boy in a bicycle crossed the road. Sudden horn and braking did not help and my car hit the boy BANG!!. I could only then realize that even a 40kmph speed can cause a good damage. The boy fell on my wind shield and thank God he was safe with only a light scratch on his hand. But my wind shield was broke and damage to bonnet. 15k ka phatka!!.
My car is back last week and am again on road being more cautious. This does not stop me driving.
We all know Michael Schumi has done so many races in his life, but met with an accident on a motorcycle.

[ptushar]

Originally Posted by watashi75

Next time you drive on the highway carry a bomb with you. As per statistics, the probability of a person carrying a bomb and dying in a car accident is very less.

Still laughing...

Statistics can prove anything and disaprove anything as well. In my opinion, the fatalities have nothing to do with driving, but with 'rash driving'. I know I will get pounced upon with 'Even if I drive safe I can still get into a fatal accident'.... But then again, it STILL boils down to someone driving like a maniac... or jumping in your way as rabnawaz_b found out.

Drive safe.

[watashi75]

Many people tend to have an overdependence on statistics. The caveat is that if not interpreted properly they can lead people astray.

Here is another one. According to statistics very few people die between the age of 90-100 and more people die between the age of 60-70. Hence a 92 year old guy has more chance of living till 100 than a 62 year old guy has chance of living till 70.

[rabnawaz_b]

Man..Dare not anyone challenge watashi75 with statistics.
Dude you have more such type of statistics to make us roll on the ground?

[watashi75]

According to statistics the more time a person spends on the road, the greater the risk of an accident happening to him. Hence, always drive fast so that you spend less time on the road.

This is my last off topic post in this thread. Probably.

[rabnawaz_b]

Another one from Watashi75

I noticed one thing today on the way to office. A huge traffic jam on the same mahadevpura road and slowly the vehicles started moving. While I was keen on finding out why there was a traffic Jam, I found a driving school Alto driven by a learner and the instructor next to him on the cell phone.

Now I could make out from where these new drivers are coming on road without learning the proper driving rules.
Talking on cell phones is another reason for the accidents on the highway.

[KishoreC]

Good point rabnawaz. My experience with driving school is something very similar. Saw a guy fail in front of me because he has so idea that he has to apply a little more accelerator before let off the clutch if the vehicle is tuned down. He couldn't get the vehicle moving, and I can't blame the examiner. He have him 6 chances.

Now the most basic thing about driving a car is to get it moving. And you can understand what the driving school had taught him, so that he even couldn't do that.

As for the main subject of the thread, my views are similar to some of the other members. It's very simplistic.

I believe the idea of "Safety" is purely a mental one. It gives us comfort, peace of mind and keeps us hoping that tomorrow will come and we'll live to see it. And we'll be well.

Whereas in real world there is nothing called safety. No place, no situation and nothing for that matter gives us absolute safety. If I stop driving and stay back home, the room may crash on me. If I go out someone else driving can hit me. Even if I hide in a corner, without the presence of anything or anybody that can harm me, I can simply die out of boredom.

Accidents will happen, people will die. I may be one of them, because I spend a hell lot of time on Indian highways regularly. But It doesn't bother me, because my home/office/city roads don't hold anything better for me. So why not enjoy, ant forget about what can happen.

[prince_pervez]

^^ Driving schools are nowadays more interested in finishing the designated hours let alone concentrating on churning good drivers and rule abiding drivers.

[rabnawaz_b]

Guys another interesting story yesterday on mahadevpura Road. I left my office at 5pm and was on the way back home. One Tempo Traveller guy kept honking continuously behind me just to move forward. And ofcourse I couldnt move forward because of heavy traffic jam. I kept noticing him on my centre mirror for almost 15 mins. Then I reached the signal at Bhoruka gas where I had to take a left turn and the signal was Red. There was no police man on the signal and few cabs in front of me still tool a left turn instead of signal being red. I stopped and waited for the signal to turn green and this guy behind me kept honking; making me crazy. I did not want to say anything to him as my wife was sitting next to me. Just controlled myself and as soon as the signal turned green, this guys immediately overtakes me from the right to the left blocking my way. I just slowed down and gave him way. Here comes the funny part.. As soon as I reached VST factory just 200 metres ahead I saw this Tempo Traveller again on the side where he has knocked the vehicle parked on the side . I just moved on looking at the scene.
Cab drivers are another threat, be it highway or city.

[polo6n]

And I always thought highways were meant to be the safest roads due to lack of traffic lights, turnings, etc...