[aaggoswami]

Mine was in the city when I was on bike.

I was waiting for traffic flow to reduce so that I can take a U-turn. I was returning from tuition classes. I am standing on the right most part of the divider so that others can use the space I left over on my left side.
Suddenly a girl in G2HC comes up to my left and she makes a move.
The car's right rear wheel was almost set to go over my left foot, so immediately I accelerate and get out of the mess.
My bike was Bajaj Caliber and I did full bore first and second gear acceleration.
As the road was clear, I take on the left lane after showing indicator. Now a routine rear view mirror check ( I cant ride a bike without two rear view mirrors ). I am scared ! That girl was about to slam on me. Before I could do anything I was now on the road and my left knee was in pain.

Huge fight, and I cant beat the human being driving the car. She was related to influential people, but I was now talking law. I had to let the thing go.

After wards, I jsut realized that had it happened a few few ahead, I would be on the roof of G1HC that was crossing the junction ahead of which the accident happened.

This gave me second Meniscus ( Bony cartilage between two bones to absorb shock and provide lubrication to reduce friction ) injury.
In future it looks like I will have to go for knee surgery.

[Superleggera]

This happened about 4 years ago. Me and my friend had gone to Jalahalli to visit our friend, by the time we started back it was around midnight. My friend was riding the bike and I was the pillion. When we entered into the main road and tried taking the circle (we were coming from Ayyappa temple road), the bike stopped in the middle of the road (with no lights on) because my friend forgot to turn on the fuel pipe.

What I could see in the next second is two light coming very fast towards us, and the driver of that vehicle didn’t seemed to have seen us…some how I was able to move the bike barely two feets towards front by pushing my left leg on the road…the vehicle coming (it was an Amby) passed by hitting the protruding carrier of the bike (it was a Splendor)..We both fell on the road, but nothing happened. He slowed down after hitting us, but didn’t stop. The carrier was deeply bent and this must have made deep scratches on the car.

Every thing happened in a matter of 5 seconds.. Thank god, if I hadn’t pushed the bike, me and my friend would have lost our right legs on that day.

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[vinit.merchant]

I have had 2. Both on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, both while returning to Pune.

1. It is already dark, maybe around half 9. I was doing a regular 100-110 on my Santro with my Family and on the middle lane (which I felt was the safest). There was a small right turn. I could have easily negotiated this at 100, but somehow decided to reduce the speed. Came down to 80. As soon as I take the turn, there was a Jute Bag, full with something I am unaware of, right on the middle of the lane. Thanks to my habit of looking the the rear mirror every now and then, I knew there aint anyone behind and turned the car slightly to the right. Couldn't have taken a sharp right at that speed on Santro. But I still managed the Left tyres go over the Jute Bag.
I was stunned. No reaction at all. Car was ok and was still running well. Under normal scenario, I would have immediately stopped the car to the left to check the damage done to the car. Thanks to my Stunned behavior that I kept going. Another 5 kms and there was a place to halt for tea/Snack, just before nearing Pune-Dehu road exit. took Halt there and observed the left side of the car properly, especially the tires. everything was fine.
Just then, I also found the Help Van that keeps roaming on express way at a halt there. Immediately went to them and told them the scenario. The guy asked me whether I stopped there immediately. I said no and he disappeared talking on his Walkie-Talkie. He returned to me after around 10 min to thank me. What he told me next was scarry. He said, these are tricks done by robbers, wherein they throw such bag on the expressway. As soon as the car goes above it, the Car usually stops and this is where they catch the car and rob the people inside. I can NEVER forget this day.

2. This was last Sunday, was brining my newly acquired Palio from Mumbai to Pune. Did a handsome 140 till Lonavala. It was still day time. By the time I left Lonavala after a halt, it was totally dark. Took the left lane and reached 80 in no time to thought to change the lane. There was also a left turn coming ahead. Usually I would not change the Beam to Upper but dont know what made me think I should. I engaged the Upper beam just before turning right and SHOCK. Right on the Middle of the road was a dead Buffalo. Had to take a slight left. Did not cross 100 after that.

[ImmortalZ]

First off, a disclaimer - I am a newbie driver. I haven't clocked even a 1000KM behind the wheel. The following incident happened during the week I got my driving license, about 1.5 years ago.

I was driving my cousin's Indica v1 (the original, infamous one). There was me, my cousin's family and our grandmother in the car. I took over from Quilon and was supposed to drive till Puthenchira, a place between Thrissur and Kodungallur.

Everyone except my cousin were asleep in the car and I was doing around 70-80KM on the four lane highway near Ernakulam, driving on the inside lane. I wanted to go faster, but a voice in my head kept telling me "Slow... slow... slow...". Now, I trust my sixth sense a lot - it has saved my behind several times and I had this feeling of dread travelling up my spine. And suddenly it happened.

A white Premier Padmini entered the road and drove across into the inside lane and wasn't accelerating. I do not remember exactly how far I was from him, but I remember feeling very fluid and my mind was suddenly clear. I held my horn down, shifted to first and hit the brakes hard. The wheels locked in a few moments and the car swerved slightly, but never changed its line. It was over before it started. The driver side door was literally centimeters from the bumper of the vehicle in front. Sitting on the highway, stopped, sideways, tyres smoking.

I've had had no training in high speed emergency braking since all my driving was in the city before and this was my first highway trip. I was shaking head to foot, thanking God. Everybody had woken up and my cousin was looking at me incredulously for a couple of seconds and then he got out and went to have a word with the driver behind the wheel of the Premier. I have no recollection of the words exchanged since I was in shock. I remember getting out of the driver side door, walking to the curb in a daze and just standing there.

My cousin took over and we completed the rest of the trip without incident. My cousin's dad insisted I drive on the return since I had to overcome my fear. I've driven a bit after that, but I'll never forget those few seconds. Never.

[funkydevil]

Well, ive had a few close call's in mumbai, small because the speed was always below 80. But the closest ive actually come to death is when I was driving from Muscat to Dubai on the highway about 2 years ago.

I used to drive a 2005 Nissan Altima SE-R. Since I was alone, I had left early in the morning at around 6. The roads were pretty clear as it was a friday (a holiday in the gulf, like sunday here). It was a peaceful drive as there were hardly any cars and just desert on both sides of the road at most of the places, the view was beautiful. There were times when you could see a straight empty road for miles and not a car in sight.

Now when you have a road all to yourself, and a 260Hp V6 breathing under the hood, temptation often gets the better of you. There are protective fences put up along the road to prevent camels and other animals from crossing the road. I was soon doing speeds over 210-220 feeling the power of the mighty V6 when I saw a bunch of camels far along the road towards my right side. (Car is LHD). I realised that the fence at that area must be broken as the camles were almost on the road and it looked like they were about to cross. I should have slowed down, but i didnt thinking they wouldnt cross and that i'd be able to pass them before they did.

Staring at the speedo, I pushed the car to about 240 hoping to cut across before those camels, and just when i look up at the road, those camels were already half-way across. Now at those speeds, what seems like a long way off becomes a short distance in no time. I realised there was no way im gonna make it. It was like staring death in the face. All this while I blowing the horn in some hope that they would cross the road giving me a chance to steer away.

In just a few seconds, i see a small gap between 2 camel's on the far right lane. I see my speedo for one last time, showing close to 180 and decreasing. (I didnt even relise if i was pressing the brake or not). I brace for impact and steer hard right across 3 lanes and then left at the last moment, managing to squeeze through, with the left side of the car (driver's side) hitting one of the camels from back. The side window shatters, and the impact sends my car into a spin. During the impact, the airbags had popped hitting me hard on the head. Thankfully i didnt get knocked out cold. The car ended up hitting the divider while spinning and came to a halt in the middle of the road. Tough all this happened in a few seconds, it felt like ages to me at that point of time.

What was unbelievable about the whole incident, was that i walked away with just a bump on the head and a few cuts on my left arm due to the shattered side window. The car had lost its front left side including the drivers side wheel which was lying a few feet away due to the divider impact(Altough i still wonder how did it rip off the whole wheel). A few people who stopped on the road seeing the accident helped pull me out of the car window as the door was jammed. I was in a state of shock and couldnt move. It took a few splashes of water on my face to bring me to my senses. I thank god for looking over me or else i wouldnt be here today.

[vennarbank]

In my case it happened during 1991 when i was in school in thanjavur TN. I was just coming home after seeing my uncle and cousins. I need to pedal around 10kms and since at that time the place was lush with greenery i was enjoying it. Then when i was supposed to cross a well known temple it the area, i turned my head and gave a short prayer. Suddenly i heard a lots of shrieks and shouting. I just looked straight and saw a bus and had enough time to swerve to my left to avoid the bus. Still i brushed the bus with my right shoulder. I began to hear lots of expletives and i knew if i stopped i will bet a beating. So rode the cycle fast and reached home. Man its tough to even think about the shouts i heard and the moment i saw the bus so near me.

[tsk1979]

Hmm, so god was so happy with your prayers that he wanted you to visit him

[vennarbank]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Hmm, so god was so happy with your prayers that he wanted you to visit him

He nearly was. But then i think he changed his mind.

[pypkmsrikanth]

I have had my fair share of close misses,including one yesterday, when what ever little anticipation I had helped me in running over a "Pizza Hut" Delivery boy who fell in the middle of the road with his bike after hitting a pedastrian who decided its right time to jump onto the road amidst moving traffic.

This happened about 4 1/2 years back when I was driving back in the afternoon from Chennai to Bangalore after being with my wife through her labour for our first kid. This was the time when work was still happening in the Poonamallee - Sriperumbadhur stretch. I was following a Mahindra Van and was followed by a trailer lorry with all of us cruising around 60 kmph. The van attempted an overtake maneuver on a bullock cart in front of him, there was a vehicle coming in the opposite direction which I had observed, hence decided to ease myself behind the bullock cart, with the trailer lorry deciding to do the same apparently. This is when the van in front of me decided to abandon his overtake and jump behind the bullock cart with some hard braking, which resulted in me doing harder braking to allow the van in between the bullock cart and me, all that was left now was for the trailer lorry to brake the hardest, obviously he cannot replicate the braking of an Alto Vxi. When I was seeing the rear view mirror I was damn sure that he is going to hit me and the only issue was how hard was it going to be. Fortunately for me the driver had the anticipation of turning his trailer into a mound of mud which was kept on the right side of the door for earth work on the 4 laning project, just before the vehicle which was coming from the opposite direction could pass him. Thanks to that guy I am still alive and writing this to you guys, rather than get boxed between a trailer lorry and a van, involved in multiple collision.

Ofcourse I have had a couple of close misses while pulling out overtaking maneuvers, and quite a lot of them when the guy from the opposite direction decided to test the value I put on my life.

[paddy77]

place-pune(telco road),time-7.30pm,car-1991 M800(weak headlamps),date-march'07

was driving to chichwad after work,all was well cruising at 50-60kph. last year the telco was normal as in not big as it is right now,and last year telco road did'nt have any divider-so while going i was thinkin about something really important and then suddenly i bump off like for 2 sec. as soon as i realised that something is happening to my car i got control of my car and switched off the topic that i was immediately my head started giving me stars and i felt an acute pain..after gaining control i realised that i had ran over the divider which was present!!! i really was shocked that how could i man?? im such a sfe driver. the divider was a series or small boulders and the car was off balance a bit tilted!! dint know what happened exactly?! but was a embarrassing experience (courtesy my car's weak headlamps). immedialtely pulled over saw if tire was out kicked it several times,saw if it was torn or any other problem,but fortunately no! thank god! then was cruising at 20kph

[esteem_lover]

Being safe is also about thinking of what you are doing & not anything else however important. Yeah, we all do this sometime or the other. Just that your instincts did not pull yourself together at the right time.

[snaronikar]

Good that you did not end up anything serious. First things first. Replace the h/lights. 2ndly, do not ever think that you are safest driver while driving on roads. The other riders may not be as safe as you...You know what I mean. ;-)

[paddy77]

Originally Posted by snaronikar

Good that you did not end up anything serious. First things first. Replace the h/lights. 2ndly, do not ever think that you are safest driver while driving on roads. The other riders may not be as safe as you...You know what I mean. ;-)

yes snarionikar! i agree with you ,however safe i am others are not necessarily safe as me.

[HappyWheels]

Glad that nothing else happened.

And the belief of being a safe driver, everyone has it. And two safe drivers are often the ones who meet each other on road! Always be prepared for road surprises (I think I read this somewhere!!!).

And yes, do change the head light ASAP.

[mobike008]

Paddy, i encountered a similar incident on Dec 31st 2006 in my almost brand new viva. We were going to a party in the night and while driving i observed a beautiful church on my right side and i looked at it a bit longer than i should and by the time i looked back i was horrified to see my front right tyre climbing a divider and with superb reflexes ( its natural to acquire when driving in Hyderabad traffic), i steered left and the car came down.

Thank god, nothing happened to either the car nor the occupants. But, it indeed was a close call