[shady8701]

Originally Posted by globemaster

I do agree that anything should not be used for what it CAN do. But let's also look at the other perspective.
A humble Alto will be much more unstable at triple digit speeds compared to a C class for example. Cars that are made for speed also are meant to be maneuvered at speed. So, I feel its quite natural to feel more confident in a better car (not to mention a Ferrari) and probably this is the reason the comment " you are bound to drive fast..." was made. No one spends crores on a sports car just for commuting from point A to B.
Confidence turning to over-confidence might be at play here, and driving any car on Indian roads at close to 200 K's is certainly playing hide and seek with Yamraj. Let his soul RIP and strength be with the child for a fast recovery.

You've put it very nicely globemaster, however, that confidence does not give one a right to lose control and do speeds that might result in such cases.
All I wanted to do was to point out that while the car might be very maneuverable at high speeds, in real world situations, specially so in India, there might be things that the car or the driver can't control no matter how good they are.
Anyway, as long as we can all agree, that part of the issue is awareness about this, we are all on the same page IMO.

Cheers,
Abhi

[AbhisheKulkarni]

Another aspect to consider here is the claim of the lorry driver making a sudden swerve to change to the rightmost lane.

I have experienced such a maneuver by a truck driver, and let me tell you, the rate of change in vehicle yaw in such maneuvers is incredible.

In such a maneuver, if one is behind the lorry in the adjacent lane, the only option is to apply full brakes and keep your fingers crossed. It happens without any warning and you have to be doing legal speeds to be able to spot it and react to it in time.

However, if one is adjacent to the lorry in the adjoining lane, I believe the human mind could react by trying to move further to the edge of the lane - despite knowing that there is a barrier there.

In the picture, the way that truck has stopped indicates that such a maneuver was indeed performed by the truck driver. This could happen to any vehicle, it seems to be just a coincidence that it was a Ferrari.

Also, a vehicle like the California T that accelerates from 0-60 in 3.3 seconds seems like fun to see in YouTube videos but many of us do not realize how brutal that acceleration could be, and how difficult that vehicle might prove to reign in.

RIP. It saddens me to see that such a young person has lost his life and another is seriously injured.

On another note, why should action not be taken against the truck driver for making such a maneuver? Or is it that the economic status and the brand of the vehicle driven by the deceased absolves the truck driver of any wrong-doing? Food for thought.

[basuroy]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

70 meters braking distance with Ferrari's brakes! Also add the distance of braking before the tyres started skidding. And still ended up at 130, how fast was this guy going? Complete nuts! Was this a case of failure in braking system / ABS / other super expensive fancy sounding Ferrari braking systems?

I am glad that he didnt kill someone else innocent on the road in his "Need for Speed".

The possibility exists - I mean of braking/electronic failure . Or he was likely doing well in excess of 180. These cars can pick up speed extremely fast and even a slight miscalculation can lead to disaster .

The girl , as per news reports , has fractured virtually every single bone in her body and is fighting for her life . One can only imagine how violent the impact must have been for the girl to suffer such total physical destruction in spite of all the safety features .

Originally Posted by AbhisheKulkarni

In the picture, the way that truck has stopped indicates that such a maneuver was indeed performed by the truck driver. This could happen to an
On another note, why should action not be taken against the truck driver for making such a maneuver? Or is it that the economic status and the brand of the vehicle driven by the deceased absolves the truck driver of any wrong-doing? Food for thought.

What you described is a very common risk with trucks and buses in India - thing is we cannot change that so the onus is on us to predict such maneuvers and drive/ride defensively . I never tail a bus in speeds over 40kmph in my bike no matter how tempting the opportunity is . I see a dog , I slow down to 20 - these are all different examples of defensive riding that ought to be practiced religiously in a country like India .

Speaking of action against truck driver , this is not Canada or Germany where such uncivilised actions often attract punishment . This is India where passengers spit out of cars to splatter some unfortunate soul behind and buses stop bang in the middle of the road to unload passengers . Unless rule of law is enforced in a brutal manner , anarchy is the rule on roads . It doesn't matters who ought to enjoy right of way in India , it is the largest vehicle that ends up enjoying right of way . This are all practical realities that won't change overnight .

[NiInJa]

If only it is possible to know what was the exact speed the car was doing when this tragic accident happened. Looking at the wreckage, it seems like it was doing considerably high speeds, enough to reduce reaction time to dangerous levels on public roads. These cars can pick speeds real fast, so the driver behind the wheels will have to think of all the possibilities that are ahead of him (a lot in case of Indian roads) at the same rate.

Defensive driving and a heavy dose of luck is the key when driving in India.

[Engine_Roars]

May his soul Rest In Peace and hope the young girl gets well soon.

Regarding all the discussion around what speed the care was driven at, with so many super cars driving in a group, it is safe to assume that of few of them did have Go Pro/Action camera's/Dash Cameras - it should not be a tough job to determine the speed by looking at one of those cameras. Not sure, what is stopping the videos to come out.

[CarNerd]

I wonder about the Crash Tests like NCAP & their ratings. Their ratings are for maximum speed of 64 Km/h. Now most of the crashes happen on highways where most of the time the speeds exceed 64 Km/h. In the US, the average highways speed is 70 MPH or 112 Km/h. So how do these ratings make a difference to us?

[TheMileCruncher]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Ego about driving will not get us anywhere and it is not as if someone is scouting Indian roads looking for the next Schumacher.

You got that right.

Most of the drivers on our roads have this big ego problem and this is what causes majority of the accidents.

Everybody thinks that they are a better driver than others on the road (sometimes even I do) and while showing off their so called driving skills, end up causing such accidents.

Unless we do not drive with discipline and show respect to fellow drivers, we are always going to have such accidents on our hands.

Even in the case of this accident, if the cause (truck changing lane abruptly) is actually true, this man could have still been alive if the trucker had followed a simple rule of turning ON the indicator before changing the lane.

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by promit

Spotted this heart wrenching video on Youtube.

It made first page news today..

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/64441857.cms

RIP Mr. Shibaji Roy and Speedy recovery to the injured Girl!!!

A lot has been written about how Mr Roy and rest of the "super car" drivers need to act with restraint etc etc.

I did not see any mention about the "safe design" or otherwise of our roads/fly overs/road barriers etc.

I am not discounting any of the factors that has been attributed as omissions and commissions committed by Mr. Roy, but all said and done I would like to point out the following:

1. That niche/a short cross barrier had no business to be in that place and it's a death trap awaiting more victims.
2. The longitudinal barrier with a pipe running on top is again a design "safety flaw" ( was really pained to see that pipe going through the car as a spear.
3. Another major problem is the height of the longitudinal barrier itself

In my opinion the Road Barriers in India, often by their bad design, cause unnecessary deaths (recall there was a Supercar Crash a while ago where the road barrier/divider speared the driver from the side in NCR ?)

In the picture below, you can see the cross section of what is known as the "Jersey Barrier" in "Road Safety", "Road Design" circles. This is the most common type of Concrete Barrier used world over.



Please have a look at the picture below and look at the dimensions there. This is by the safety parameters tested and approved as standard in developed parts of the world. Note there is no pipe on top either.

Now have a look at the video with the post I have quoted. You can make out clearly that the barriers in place (though looks like a "Jersey Barrier" the height and thickness are not by the standards).

Imagine, if the barrier had been about 25-40 CM taller (especially the cross piece joining on to the longitudinal piece) and the longitudinal piece was without the pipe on top) the crumble zone of the car would've taken the impact and the Air Bags would've deployed (provided the driver & passenger had their belts on). And a strong probability that the driver would've been alive at least.

I am in no way trying to justify the driver or taking the side of super car drivers but as a professional trained to look at safety first, pointing out some glaring safety lapses, we are forced/destined to live with.

Nothing we can say or do will do anything to take away the anguish of the family of Mr Roy and his friend (the girls family).

Rest in peace "Petrolhead"!!!

Best Regards & Drive Safe

Ram

[Fishtail]

So, he was driving at 130+x kmph and was behind a truck and the accident happened because the truck changed lane!!??

I have traveled on that road since I was a kid and it goes through populated places. Cattles, bicycles, three-wheel carts, kids routinely stray in. Also, at times trucks come in from the wrong side.

This stretch of the road is not meant for driving at 150kmph speed. It was a grossly irresponsible act especially with a child on board.

[venkyhere]

To put it very bluntly, there are only 2 parties responsible for the death :

1) the construction engineer/crew/signoff authority who decided "its alright" if the road narrows and a barrier eats into the width of the lane ; and even more horrendously decided the jutting out pipe at this exact point is not a matter for concern. Even the cheapest barrier construction (curved sheet metal strips nailed to short poles) has to follow a method (attached pic)

2) overestimation of ones driving ability to handle 500 or 600 horsepower. We are all guilty of it, but never admit, but thats the truth - we think we are better drivers than we actually are. Just like the ability to run/jump/swim is average in 95 out of 100 people, the reflexes and the ability to spot something a quarter of a second earlier (the hallmark of a professional racing driver) is really average in all of us. This exact overestimation and the primeval need to go fast, is what supercar makers bank on, in a sleight of hand, to convince us that only money is the barrier for experiencing the "joy of going fast" because our depth of engineering ensures that driving 500/600 horsepower is "as easy as your regular commuter car". The truth is, it is NOT. Even from countries where the average driving ability is very high due to the inherent hostile conditions (finland, sweden and other scandinavia), how many become professional racers ? Is it because nobody wants to ? No. Its because no amount of training can get past the "talent barrier". In other words, you need to be "talented bordering on gifted" to drive fast, in traffic, on public roads, for utilizing even half the power a supercar can offer. Its harsh, but its the truth.

I would avoid mentioning the trucker, because thats what they do - 90/100 trucks are driven by drowsy, fatigued and often drunk people. They are made to work like dogs, with very less pay and poor dignity in society. Don't expect a truck driver to be a stickler for rules and correct technique. They are engaged in this activity for survival, not driving pleasure. Anybody who has had atleast 8-9 hours of driving on our highways ought to know that you have to be very careful while passing a truck, not because of the above reasons, but purely because he can't see you well enough, if you are in his blind spot. And if you approach him at breakneck speed, you are in the interval period of his glances into his RVMs.

All said, what are the odds that the pipe had to stick out at exactly the place when the trucker made his lane jump, while the ferrari was trying to fly past ? On our highways many people escape accidents purely due to probability. We see so many accidents in cities, but death cases are less, purely because lower speeds dramatically brings down the probability of death in accidents. Otherwise, wrong driving habits, lack of defensive driving, and overestimation of ability are still the causes for even minor accidents in city roads, not just highways.

[Storm2.0]

Originally Posted by Mohammed4rmhyd

Indeed a sad happening,discussions about how it could have been avoided will go on.

A small suggestion which will be easy to implement, is to redesign the pipe which runs over the side guard wall of flyovers and bridges. in this instance a news report said that the pipe pierced the bonnet ,windshield,airbags and the chest of the driver.
Had the pipe been bent down and grounded into the ground before the guard wall,it wud not have run into the car as it happeneded in this case.
A simple relook at the start and end design of the pipe will help in enhancing safety to a great extent.

I completely agree with this point. The pipes/bars should be designed in such a way that the end part collapses in case of a collision instead of piercing through the car and the passenger, just like how a collapsible steering column collapses during a frontal crash

[scuderiamania]

I am not sure how many of us used to follow club GT on facebook (the group has been deactivated on facebook since the accident) but there were numerous videos posted by the group showing them driving at speeds in excess of 250kmph. I am not saying that they were overspeeding on the day of the crash but that is highly likely given how the group usually drives. They normally drive either to the CCD on NH2 or the one on NH6 come rain or shine on evry sunday.

I am also almost certain that there is footage of the crash which has still not come out in public because these guys used to literal cover there cars with gopro cameras. They would post a new video every Sunday. The fact that they decided to deactivate the group within a matter of hours (I tried searching for the group at around 4 in the afternoon on sunday to gather more info about the crash) makes me even more suspicious.

The roads and highways around Kolkata are particularly dangerous and needs extra caution every time one drives there. I myself have had numerous close calls in the area where this crash occured. At the end of the day, a man had to die a painfully and untimely death and another teen ager is fighting for her life through no fault of hers.

This accident should serve as a reminder to everyone to always be on your toes when driving, no matter what car you are in and which roads you are driving on!

Also, I seriously hope that a race track comes up near Kolkata someday so that car enthusiasts can satisfy their 'need for speed' under controlled environments!

[ToothyPetrohead]

Appalling is what comes to my mind when I see this enchanting galloping beauty literally in tatters a threadbare of what it used to be.
My heart goes out to the co-passenger who for no reason is censorious in the ICU in the hospital.
Enzo Ferrari must be turning in his grave desolate at the thought that a dumb idiot inexperienced in the driving of this supercar despoils one of his beauties.
As for the tricenarian adrenalin junky, frankly, I do not rue for, he seems just another rich buffoon with too much of wealth but lacking the nature of a mature adult.

Rest in Peace I’d say to the car as it did its part to save the lives of its occupants till the very last and laid to rest in a dumper truck like a ragged doll. “The ownership and sale of which is still a big question mark”.
On another note I cannot say the driver of the heavy vehicle is in the clear as these morons drive in the fast lane and at times swerve precariously. In this case he must have not seen the low car. I had an experience of the heavy vehicle driving in this manner on my last trip from Kolhapur to Mumbai. (I really could give a real mouthful of foul invectives)
But the icing on the cake as r_nairtvm pointed out rightly is the “Road Barriers in India” as in this case a bad design caused an unnecessary death.
So, all boils down to Wager, “Life In India”.

[gauravanekar]

Frankly, Hundreds of such accidents happen in India everyday, in this instance the car is a Ferrari that's all. Rather than analysing the root cause for every crash. We need to look in statistics of fatal crash and take improvement actions on all affecting factors. Highway design, driver skill, driver awareness, vehicle certification so on and so forth.
Let's focus on tangible broad based solutions for road safety.

[GeeTee TSI]

Very sad and unfortunate incident, but notwithstanding the fact that the worst had happened, we as drivers still need to see 'learning from the incident' to be more aware and better prepared.

The slightest, most innocuous disturbance or 'jolt' to traffic around can have amplified even catastrophic effects as reaction times progressively decrease behind us. Add to that our (often incorrect) assumption of other vehicles' trajectories