It is time for some deep armchair analysis, I have taken video and slowed it down by 16 times. The video starts when the mini-truck was still in the correct lane. Each second in the video is actually 1/16th second.
00:04 (4/16) The mini-truck veers in the wrong side.
00:08 (8/16) In the next quarter second OP must have noticed this anomaly.
00:12 (12/16) In the next quarter second, OP has started to veer towards the wrong side.
OP probably assumes that the mini-truck will continue to veer towards the left after pummeling into the 2-wheelers. So he starts veering towards the wrong side within 1/2 seconds since the beginning of the initial action. But it is clear that OP can't really see behind the mini-truck when he started the turn.
00:18 The mini-truck must have become aware of this situation.
00:22 (4/16) Quarter second later, you can see mini-truck start the course correction.
00:24 (2/16) Within in the next 1/8 second he has straightened the mini-truck, and starts moving back to his proper lane.
00:32 (8/16) In the next half second, he is poised to enter his proper lane, and he must have noticed the Punto.
00:36 (4/15) In the next quarter second, he is back in the wrong lane to avoid the OP.
While we can all blame the mini-truck for creating this whole scenario, once he woke at 00:18, he handled the situation brilliantly. He avoided the bikers in less than half second of seeing them. And half a second later he encountered the OP on his path and avoided him by veering back in the wrong lane. Meanwhile, the bikers handled the situation correctly by veering towards the left. They probably honked and brought the mini-truck driver back to his senses just in time.
Whole crux of this discussion is what happened at 00:12 position. OP couldn't see the traffic behind the mini-truck. But he could see a long stretch of shoulder on the left side. Those who practice defensive driving would have automatically taken the left side along with emergency braking and lots of honking, hoping that the mini-truck would correct himself in time. But OP was not handicapped with such training, so he tried to avoid the immediate danger by getting out of the current path of the mini-truck. But when the mini-truck corrected himself just in time, now OP was presenting himself as the menace to the mini-truck, and whoever behind the mini-truck.
OP and the mini-truck driver displayed exemplary skill in avoiding each other. The mini-truck driver had even less time to react, and mini-truck would not be a good handler like Punto.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kiku007 Would it make all happy if the following disclaimer is included in the OP? The actions displayed in the video are performed by mostly normal Indian drivers under un-standard and random conditions. These actions should not be attempted under standard test conditions by professional drivers. Please refer to international safe driving procedure manuals available online to learn the right procedures. Drive Responsibly. |
Actually, it is a brilliant idea.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lobogris This reluctance to review the procedure and incorporate safe practices is a big problem in India. This is why people argue against wearing a seatbelt while driving, a safety harness while hanging from high floors, a mask while working with paint or dust and so many other things. |
You are right, this is a big problem in India. Avoiding accidents should not be a matter of skill. Not everybody has great skill and fast reflexes like the OP and Mini-truck driver. I don't think I could have reacted so fast, I have no where near that kind of skill. And I know there are lots of drivers with lot less skill than even me on the same road.
Driving on a highway is a collaborative effort. When everybody on road acts in a predictable way, the accidents can be eliminated to a great extent. This is the reason behind driving on a particular side, speed limits, traffic signals, turn signals, stop signals, etc. When somebody uses a signal incorrectly or drives on the wrong side, it can cause accidents. Therefore, defensive driving takes it to the next level.
Its aim is to reduce the risk of collision by anticipating dangerous situations, despite adverse conditions or the mistakes of others. This concept and the related training has been around 1964.
I would suggest members to take a look at some online defensive driving material. This is highly recommended for Indian conditions because we are surrounded by bad drivers all the time.
And for those of you who want to rely on your skills and reflexes alone, I wish you have your guardian angel flying next to you all the time.