[indianvirus]

@AAG, buddy I have new found respect for you. I wish if I am ever to crash, you would be travelling around me somewhere. Really you should be nominated for bravery award.

Borsad-tarapur-vataman road is real scary. Narrow road with no dividers and heavy traffic, mostly trucks.

Btw, were you going towards bhavnagar? or kheda?

[harit]

Originally Posted by mgh

Would like to add
If you are being overtaken, slow down, at least take your foot off the accelerator.When someone is overtaking you, he is faster than you. If he cuts back in too sharply (enough morons like that on the roads), he is slower than you. As you are already slowing down, it gives you a better chance of avoiding him.

I just saw this.

Not quite correct. If you are on an expressway, or a road where the opposing traffic is divided, do NOT slow down when being overtaken. You could even get rear ended. Only if the road is without a divider, then you may slow down but look into a rearview mirror. I have been rear ended by a truck for this and my Amby was damaged!

Cheers harit

[Johnn]

Originally Posted by smartcat

To me, it looks like the Micra guy was "chasing" your Wagon R - possibly to get to the destination quickly. I have seen this on our highways too often. Sometimes, the "chaser" loses judgment trying to keep up with the lead car during overtaking manoeuvres.

If I sense that I have a "chaser" behind me, I either let them pass or just try to accelerate away (although the latter could make matters worse!).

We learn the hard way, and not chasing the car in front is a key safety guide. Till all the newbies learn, that the car does not always do what the driver wants, so maximum caution is needed. Sad that there will be many more of these accidents, only experience helps. Just like we must move in bikes from 100cc to 200 to 500 before getting a 1000 cc, even in cars need to move up the torque and bhp ladder and much later down as one grows older.

ABS, EBD, airbags, highest grip tyres AND loads of caution are advisable for those who drive fast. AND lets respect the environment we live in. One HONDA ad said - do not harm even a green leaf when you drive. Every object on the road must not be damaged when we drive. Live Green, respect the environment.

Finally with all the above, I am happy my car also does 120g of C02 only.

[bblost]

Another important rule is to NEVER overtake from the left.

[viggienomad]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Sometimes, the "chaser" loses judgment trying to keep up with the lead car ...

Though this situation is different. It happens easily when friends travelling in 2 vehicles on a visit (particularly if they were young!). More so while coming down on twisty hill roads.

[rajeev k]

In a world where all passers by try to be away from such spots keeping a blind eye you did a wonderful job and shown the attitude of caring for our other human beings. Your action of stopping, turning back and rushing to the accident spot has set a fine example for others to emulate in such times of need and emergency. Salutes to you Gentleman.

[Santoshbhat]

A case of poor judgement on the part of the Micra driver. From what you describe it seems like the Micra driver was following you closely and was simply relying on your judgement for overtaking. I guess when he came out of his lane to overtake he was not aware that there were two trucks which had to be overtaken. Committed himself to overtake and then realised he had nowhere to go and stomped on the brake pedal.

All in all the occupants can consider themselves VERY lucky to come out alive from this one. Generally while overtaking on two lane roads, the driver needs to have judgement of three speeds basically. Speed of one's own vehicle, speed of the vehicle that is in front of you and the speed of the vehicle approaching from the other side. Apart from this the length of the vehicle that he wants to overtake is another crucial factor that needs to be taken into the above calculation. And last and the most important factor : Some margin for error in these calculations. The human brain can make mistakes. Don't cut it too close.

[boohooper]

Aaggoswami, Angel of Mercy! I guess helping the victims was your way of thanking God that it was not your Waggie in the place of the Micra. Situation well handled! My observations of this accident are based on, the input of others and my assumption that the Micra did not have ABS and also on your sketch. If it had ABS, the wheels would not lock. In one pic the F. wheel seems to have been turned almost to full left lock.
Playing out the crash in my mind in slow mo i feel.......

Driver over takes vehicle at 120+, sees oncoming truck turns wheel full left and hard, same time hits the brakes hard, wheels lock while turned to the left. Tyres smoke out. Before the tyres get a grip on the road, the F. right tyre- i.e., driver side (or both tyres) skids on sand/gravel(near center median).
Micra now helplessly yaws with the front end slightly facing left.

The Micra hits the truck with the front right corner first. All this time the front end has dipped cause of the heavy braking and goes under the front Bumper of truck. Hood accordions. Engine head takes most of impact and the engine block is forced down. Steering column lowers. Crumple zones do job well and dissipate impact. Driver does not hit Windshield as his arms are on the wheel and are Locked at the elbow. Other Front passenger not so fortunate. Enter Aaggoswami.

[jaysmokesleaves]

This is a really sad situation.
I feel bad for the truckie, he tried his best to avert the situation... and I have absolutely no sympathy for the Micra driver. The driver risked not only his own life but also the lives of the occupants in the car.

The highways and roads in India is full of drivers who do not concentrate on the road and on driving. Do not upshift or downshift as required by the driving situation.
Such drivers are hazards on Indian roads and only serve to put other peoples lives at risk.

After this crash, I hope the driver learns from if his mistake, if at all he realizes what he has done.

[rajess_in]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

By this time I had made a call to 108 giving precise description of location. The young guy game me his phone to talk to his family member.

Fantastic job done. Hope people realise their responsibility like you did. Kudos to you

Originally Posted by phamilyman

The car held up brilliantly - textbook instruction on crumple zones.

I hope the SUV types who use bullbars are reading.

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

One thing that i liked in those pictures is the Crumple zones have worked wonderfully, at least in the pictures that's what it seems.
If-only-if folks had been wearing seat belts it could have been a scratch free accident for their bodies.

I disagree to your views.

I don't think the crumple zones did work (from what little I know or did in crash worthiness designs). If you see the last picture, the bumper is intact and indeed below the truck's chassis.

If the truck had a proper Front Underrun Protection Device (FUPD), the car's crumple zone would have been engaged thro' the bumper. The crush zones or crumple zones (simply called crash box by engineers) are systems that come behind the bumper beam.

The FUPD (as well as SUPD - for Sides, RUPD - for Rear) is made mandatory by the government, but seems that their provision has been compromised due to negligence from authorities.

The bull bars are not that critcal to other cars (today's engineering do consider such scenarios), but they totally compromise the safety of pedestrians.

Request all readers / owners / drivers to remember one thing - If your car has Airbags or not, do wear Seat Belts.

P.S. - I have mentioned about the crash zones only to create proper awareness to the community

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by rajess_in

I disagree to your views.

I don't think the crumple zones did work (from what little I know or did in crash worthiness designs). If you see the last picture, the bumper is intact and indeed below the truck's chassis.

If the truck had a proper Front Underrun Protection Device (FUPD), the car's crumple zone would have been engaged thro' the bumper. The crush zones or crumple zones (simply called crash box by engineers) are systems that come behind the bumper beam.

ok, this is something completely new. here is my layman understanding:
Crumple zone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Crumple zones work by managing crash energy, absorbing it within the outer parts of the vehicle, rather than being directly transmitted to the occupants, while also preventing intrusion into or deformation of the passenger cabin. This better protects car occupants against injury. This is achieved by controlled weakening of sacrificial outer parts of the car, while strengthening and increasing the rigidity of the inner part of the body of the car, making the passenger cabin into a 'safety cell'

By that logic, the safety cell of the car did its job, and in my read, the crumple zone is not just in the bumper. Would be good if you can share the background links for everyone's benefit.

[RGK]

Great work Aaggoswami. The most appreciative part on your side is "No Panic". This will make to extend help to the maximum. Luckily all occupants are safe.

Very sad to see that "safety" takes back seat in all walks of life in India.
Result - More calamities..

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by indianvirus

@AAG, buddy I have new found respect for you. I wish if I am ever to crash, you would be travelling around me somewhere. Really you should be nominated for bravery award.

Borsad-tarapur-vataman road is real scary. Narrow road with no dividers and heavy traffic, mostly trucks.

Btw, were you going towards bhavnagar? or kheda?

Thanks for appreciation!

I was going towards Bhavnagar near my mom's native village. This is one stretch with very good roads, roads which can give expresshighway surface a run for its money. If there is any open stretch available, people shoot up their speeds. And the truck traffic has definitely increased over last few years. Fortunately the government has taken steps and is almost doubling the lanes, i.e. the highway would be 2 lanes in each direction.

1) The Nissan was a diesel one IIRC.
2) The passenger side airbag did not open ( or is it that the diesel is not having passenger airbag ? )
3) Speeding with a not so powerful car also results into this. The driver in question ( driving Micra ) was around a 50 year old man. Wondering whats his highway experience, but at the same time, it was driver who braked just on time.
4) Micra was damaged, but certainly its more than reasonably well built. After looking at the images of Swift rear ending City in another thread, I think Micra did hold up quite well.