[rageshgr]

Very unfortunate. Speed might have been a factor but let us not jump to judgements like he drove reckless and that is why this happened. And look at the construction of the road, the road suddenly becomes narrow and there is a pipe protruding to pierce you. It could have happened to anyone and any car, even a 5 lac rupee car.

[sreerknair]

Hard to believe that this report is still maintained as a separate thread in team-bhp and discussed to this length. There are hundreds who die in Indian roads everyday. Many of them not even due to their fault. Aren't we giving too much importance to a Ferrari? May be in our world the car owned too makes a difference in how many people even notice a demise.

[wildsdi5530]

Just went through this whole thread and am amazed to see that most analysis conclude that the driver of the Ferrari was at fault. And also the general consensus that fast cars should not be allowed on Indian roads. So I'm assuming that any car with a top speed of over 120kmph should be banned.
Also some people seem to blame the truck driver, some excuse him saying he must be tired or even drunk. But that's ok because he was driving a poor man's truck. I personally find truck drivers to be very professional and strictly adherent to road rules. Of course they have to overload and break a few other financial rules, but they often plan their overtakes 1/2 a km ahead.
What I don't see is anyone commenting on the 3 foot deep concrete barrier just protruding into the road with faded markings. This is a death trap that I have seen in many places in south India. Even today in Bangalore, at the beginning of a divider, the signboard was bent and protruding almost 6 feet into a 15 foot lane. On the road to Tirunelveli, over a bridge, there is a 2 ft high vertical stone marking in the middle of the dual carriageway. These death traps are the ones to be blamed.
A lot of people have commented that anyone with driving experience in India should have learnt to expect the unexpected. I agree. But this 'chaltha hai' attitude is what is wrong with our country and is what will prevent our growth. We all know that if there is a cop on the road, try a different route, or if stopped, don't bother showing all your legal papers, but show him a currency note. If there is work for just 5 mins, it doesn't matter where you stop, If the bus is stopped in the middle of the road, still run across traffic to catch it. The driver's only fault was speeding.
I'm not sure about taxes in Calcutta, but in Bangalore, such a car would have attracted ~60 lakhs as road tax. Apart from customs and other duties. Wasn't this 60 lakhs enough to design the road more scientifically? In a more developed country, I'm sure the state would have been sued for a huge amount, But here probably the doctor who couldn't save this guy's life would be beaten up. RIP.

[R2D2]

I don't care two hoots for that car! It is a machine and dispensable.

But I am deeply saddened by the needless death of the driver and the grievous wounds suffered by the teenage girl/passenger for absolutely no fault of hers.

RIP to the departed soul and I truly hope the youngster recovers. God bless them.

[digitalnirvana]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

If only it is possible to know what was the exact speed the car was doing when this tragic accident happened.

It was 130kmph. - https://www.telegraphindia.com/calcu...lcutta-ft-stry

Also a depressing read on how it took the police 40 minutes to get him out of the wreckage.
- https://www.telegraphindia.com/calcu...cutta-new-stry

The other drivers voluntarily went to the police station to give their statements. - https://www.telegraphindia.com/calcu...cutta-new-stry

And ironically on the very same newspaper page there is news of yet another traffic accident. - https://www.telegraphindia.com/calcu...cutta-new-stry

We live in a country where ordinary lives don't matter.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by basuroy

The speedometer of the car was stuck at 130 when it hit the barrier , braking as per skid marks started 70 meter before impact so there exists the possibility that the vehicle was being driven at a significantly higher speed

This is like hard evidence against other speculations that the truck swerved right or the driver was actually doing 120kmph etc.

Remember that G-wagon (G63 was it) which had its needle stuck at 200+ when it hit that concrete pillar. If I'm not wrong the needle sticking to a certain speed is only when the car loses electrical input to it and with no prior impact (in this case) it is certain that the car was driven insanely (for however short duration that may be).

I may be insensitive to a lot of you but I don't feel bad for such drivers who risk other's lives with their maniacal driving. I only feel sad for the young girl but then her father knew better too.

As someone mentioned too, we've all done our bit of crazy driving and some continue to do it but blaming poor infra or some trucker while doing illegal speeds is just plain stupid!

We all know about Indian road infra, uneducated drivers, pedestrians & animals on road, emergency support turn around time etc. but if we still decide to exercise our "need for speed" then sorry, I can't be sorry!

[Fishtail]

Have a look at one of their earlier Sunday drives. See around the 2.30 min mark how they overtake

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ3HbkMKYrY

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530

The driver's only fault was speeding.

That says it all. If this single factor was not there, this would have been just a supercar crash, caused by terrible infrastructure and an errant trucker, not a horrible way of dying. Either accept that "this is india, im not a racing driver, my reaction time is the same in a nano or a ferrari, let me not exceed 100-110 kph" purely from the selfish motive of self-preservation ; or play with physics and probability.

[Yieldway17]

Originally Posted by Fishtail

Have a look at one of their earlier Sunday drives. See around the 2.30 min mark how they overtake

Watch from 2:00 (or from the beginning) and some of the driving is despicable. On the other hand, I have seen ordinary cars do these same antics every day too, so it's not a supercars only thing to accuse them of.

Also, I'm not going to pass judgement for the fault of the accident because of this video but the incident just demonstrates how it's not a simple black and white issue like both sides portray here to be. I'm surprised almost everyone posted here wanted to put blame on a single reason when it can be because of all those reasons (speed, poor construction, improper signalling by truck driver etc.) coming together.

[vishnurp99]

Isn't there a speed limit for this road?

Will police/govt machinery penalise other vehicles of this group for over speeding and suspend their licences?

In my considered opinion, there should 3 levels of offences for over speeding. Just putting out an indicative matrix here.

1. Speeds from 100 - 130 - Fine and points on licence.
2. Speeds from 130 - 150 - Cancellation of licence.
3. Speeds above 150 - Criminal case for involuntary manslaughter since you are endangering your life and lives of others on the road.

My sympathies and condolences for the victim and really sad for the family. Overspeeding on indian roads is flirting with danger and the only solution is exemplary punishment for insane speeds.

[Night_Fury]

Originally Posted by Fishtail

Have a look at one of their earlier Sunday drives. See around the 2.30 min mark how they overtake

whew! That Mustang guy is totally crazy! who does he think he is?! I think this has everything to do with the feeling of driving a superior and safer car. you could stretch out and say this happens even with normal cars, but If you put the driver of that mustang in an alto, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't overtake like that. I seriously hope that these people consider the safety of other people on the road too.

[VTEC_Powaaaa]

Woah! What was the Mustang guy thinking. I have seen these guys driving on that particular stretch of the highway and I can tell you all as soon as these guys cross the last toll they drive like they own the road. They honk like crazy, park their vehicles on the highway for clicking pictures and they all lack patience when they overtake. They have taken down their page and the club photographers have deleted their Instagram accounts which had videos of them crossing 200k and had all the stupidly clicked pictures on the highway.

[basuroy]

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530

A lot of people have commented that anyone with driving experience in India should have learnt to expect the unexpected. I agree. But this 'chaltha hai' attitude is what is wrong with our country and is what will prevent our growth. We all know that if there is a cop on the road, try a different route, or if stopped, don't bother showing all your legal papers, but show him a currency note. If there is work for just 5 mins, it doesn't matter where you stop, If the bus is stopped in the middle of the road, still run across traffic to catch it..

It is equally dangerous , and often fatal , to expect sense and civility in an anarchic country (relatively speaking ) - and you yourself are wise to this reality seeing as how you correctly commented a doctor is more likely to be beaten up than the agent of the state . That is not chalta hai attitude but BASIC COMMON SENSE - one doesn't struts around in a jungle with same nonchalance that they would assume in a zoo . Adapting to difficulties in life is not the same as being indifferent of them - one can drive slowly expecting a massive pothole and still work towards the betterment of the country/emigrate to one that gives a damn .

Government has more than enough money to build autobahn like roads if it felt compelled to do so . But why do that when siphoning the money can put a Ferrari in the garage ...

Originally Posted by Fishtail

Have a look at one of their earlier Sunday drives. See around the 2.30 min mark how they overtake

Times like this , I wish I encountered these fine folks in a battle tank - that Mustang attempted overtake around 1.55 min mark reflects their general IQ level as well and makes me question mine. What is worse is the 17 year old riding his moma's scooty and liking those videos then goes all rambo on a busy street .

[Hayek]

Have been following this thread and decided with much reluctance to add my two bits.

1) Firstly, condolences to Shibaji’s family, and my prayers for the recovery of the young girl
2) While not having all the facts, the evidence suggests crazily high speeds here - a California can stop from 100 kph in 34 metres. So a skid over 70 m suggests that the car was doing 190+ kph assuming maximum rate braking for it to have been at 130 kph at impact. Given typical reaction times of at least 1 second before brakes are applied, the car would have travelled another 60 odd metres before the driver touched the brakes. This distance could well quadruple if it took the driver 3 seconds to realise the truck was turning (given the lack of an indicator).
3) in short, even with an attentive Ferrari driver, the car was probably 300 metres away when the truck started turning. I am not sure of many truck drivers who would even spot a car 300 metres away in their mirrors.
4) This is just what “enthusiasts” fail to realise. Deceleration distance increases with the square of the speed. But the risk of other drivers misjudging what you are doing probably rises with the 4th power of your speed.
5) Almost all of us would have broken speed limits somewhere or the other. But the fact is that the Worli Bandra sea link (heading North), the Bombay Poona expressway (other than the ghat section) and the Yamuna expressway are far safer places to speed than an ordinary national highway like the one these guys were driving on. And even on the best roads in the world, without German style driving discipline, any speed over 140 - 150 kph is insanely dangerous - which is why there are almost no roads with speed limits greater than 130 kph.

So let’s not blame truck drivers or poor road work for Shibaji’s death - those were given conditions for the road he was driving on. Unless some fresh evidence comes to light which proves that the car was not doing 130 when it stopped, we have to assume that he was driving recklessly and caused his own death (and the injuries to the girl who was with him).

I know it seems cruel to speak ill of the dead - but unless we analyse situations based on the evidence available, others will repeat the same mistakes.

Face the facts - any speed materially above 130 kph is unacceptable on any Indian road, and safe speeds on the typical national highway could well be much lower (though probably still above the 70-80 k limits we see)

[sudev]

Agree with Hayek.

Even on Yamuna Expressway has this scary moment last week when a trailer truck pulled out from one of the rest stops. Precisely at same time one idiot taxi driver pulled out on to expressway and started overtaking the trailer truck. He blocked the third and fourth lane (fastest ones) forcing me to brake heavily. This happened when I was barely over the 100kmph limit with clear view of three plus one lanes. At much faster speed the reaction time plus slowing distance increases more than linearly. Racing is for speed tracks