[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Sankar

On Indian roads you can't trust your instincts. Anticipation and its good to have good reflexes.

. The other Innova driver also handled the situation very well good reflexes.

Both your car and the Innova got saved by ABS. The speed was just too high for the kind of situation you were in. And at such a speed, I would rather be in the opposite lane as that of the innova such that I get a farther view of the road to react faster. Tailing the Innova was a bad thing to do. But in this case, that might not have helped too, apart from letting you get off the road instead of the cone.

I was more amazed at the dynamics of the Innova ahead than yours. If that guy hadnt zipped past the whole fiasco it would have been really bad for all the three cars and had a huge potential to create a pile up of more cars. The Dzire was already across the road, and if the Innova ahead had banged into it, the two cars would have blocked the entire road, for you to crash wreck on wreck. The Innova ahead escaped this and created space for you to at least drive into the cones.

Originally Posted by LoneRidder

While I agree with your and Innova's reflexes and good luck saved your day, both the vehicles were driven like a cat and dog chase. In less than 13 seconds, there were 3 lane changes.

I guess you were tail gating him for some time, which resulted you being in blind spot. Possibly better driving would have helped in better handling!

I agree with this. I guess this should have been an Innova v/s Innova thing. Has happened to me sometimes when I see a car at a good pace. But usually if I feel someone is faster, I cut the gas and get back to my comfortable pace.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by manipal

Suddenly out of the blue, there was some smoke on the road,

Check out this video from my dashcam. Encountered a similar smoky situation, but it was a TNSTC bus.

Originally Posted by audioholic

Has happened to me sometimes when I see a car at a good pace. But usually if I feel someone is faster, I cut the gas and get back to my comfortable pace.

The third part video from that compilation, the Mercedes A180 driver did the exact same, when he realised that my ciaz was approaching him faster.


PS: Excuse me for the low quality footages, it was recorded from a 990 rupee dashcam i bought for a trial experience. The second portion of the video has an old man driving a new kwid onto the highway without even looking at oncoming traffic on the highway. First 2 videos were from my Kwid 1.0

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

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Anticipation is the Number One Driving Skill. I see it to be hugely lacking on Indian roads.

True. Anticipation is needed when you know you don't have ABS and Airbags, you can't risk a hit and you can't do a last minute braking so you have to plan your moves. Now that we have ABS, we know the braking distance will be shorter, the car won't zig zag and we can brake late, we make bolder moves on the road. Sadly, anticipation has taken a back seat. :(

[ecenandu]

With risk of this post going to get deleted, I wanted to get my few points across.

I'm really happy that Team bhp forum promotes safe driving. But don't you guys think we need videos which can be used for educational purpose, showing the risk of fast driving.

Better still, why not have a cautionary message like "Team Bhp doesn't support the following style of driving" on post that violates safe driving norms.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Torqy

Anticipation is needed when you know you don't have ABS and Airbags, you can't risk a hit and you can't do a last minute braking so you have to plan your moves.

Anticipation is needed... There is no WHEN to it. With or without ABS, airbag or anything else, one CANNOT risk a hit at ANY time.

[aneeshtn]

Today my friend and family met with an accident on Kanakapura road around 65 km from Bangalore. The road is perfectly straight. According to locals, accidents are a common sight there. My friend's wife was driving and she doesn't remember much about the accident. There was no skid marks or any other vehicle involved. She just remembered steering to the left to not hit an auto which slowed down abruptly.

They had a small baby also with them, due to some luck or whatever it is, they all escaped unharmed. Not even a scratch.

The airbag was not deployed due to some reason, possibly due to the fact that the car went over a ditch before hitting the electric post which reduced the impact speed. I am adding the pictures. What do you guys think about the cars condition?
It's a Toyota Etios liva Diesel.

[honeybee]

The car has hit the pole hard. Also it's far off the road. I am speculating here but the lady aught to hand her license back for putting the lives of so many people, especially her own baby, in grave danger by reckless driving.

The road behind seems too narrow to even carry speeds of 60. Even at that speed I am sure a hard braking would stop the car much before it hit the pole.

I am sorry for the harsh words, but please tell her God has decided to give her another chance at being a responsible mom for her child.

[RajeVenu]

Originally Posted by aneeshtn

Today my friend and family met with an accident on Kanakapura road around 65 km from Bangalore. The road is perfectly straight. According to locals, accidents are a common sight there. My friend's wife was driving and she doesn't remember much about the accident. There was no skid marks or any other vehicle involved. She just remembered steering to the left to not hit an auto which slowed down abruptly.

Aneesh thank god your friend and his family are safe. What I can analyze from pictures is probably the lady was startled by the sudden braking of auto and she must have overreacted.. and didn't correct her direction after that.. Moreover it seems the speed was not in triple digits at the time and combined with the ditch which would have shed some speed and the most important obstacle which sacrificed itself to save your friends family is the tree whose stump can be seen under the car and the balance in front of it.

The car in my opinion has hit the tree hard which bore the brunt and would not have hit the pole at high speeds because it is still erect and this one is the free standing type without any stay wires.. The damage to the drive shaft and wheels is due to the ditch and pile of stones which the car has ploughed through. Probably the low speed and off center hit on the pole has not activated the airbag. Can you confirm if the car has been declared as total loss or repairable as the damage is more of superficial type in my opinion as the radiator seems intact and there is no oil spots visible under the car.

Anyways lucky that none was injured..

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by honeybee

The car has hit the pole hard. Also it's far off the road. I am speculating here but the lady aught to hand her license back for putting the lives of so many people, especially her own baby, in grave danger by reckless driving.

...

We have no evidence to speculate, certainly none to talk of high speed and reckless driving. What has happened here is the equivalent of running at a fixed knife. I do not know why people find it so hard to comprehend that trees and poles are amongst the worst enemies of cars. I'd rather hit a truck any day.

But yes, the car seems to have travelled a long way: we wonder how could this be?

[aneeshtn]

Originally Posted by honeybee

The road behind seems too narrow to even carry speeds of 60. Even at that speed I am sure a hard braking would stop the car much before it hit the pole.

It is a wide enough road, you can't do triple digit speed ofcourse. As far as I know she is a very sedate driver and she doesn't do high speeds. And she doesn't have that much driving experience behind her. I think she panicked and just stopped doing anything. Probably just held on to the steering. In the way back she told me that she doesn't remember anything regarding the accident other than trying to avoid the collision with the auto.

Originally Posted by RajeVenu

Can you confirm if the car has been declared as total loss or repairable ...
Anyways lucky that none was injured..

We got the car towed to Bangalore today, they are yet to assess the damage. I will update here as and when it happens.

You are correct regarding your description of the accident.
My friend(husband) was in the backseat while it happened along with the kid. He told me that he could react and hold the baby tighter during the accident. So the speeds would have been in 40's.

[ecenandu]

Originally Posted by honeybee

The road behind seems too narrow to even carry speeds of 60. Even at that speed I am sure a hard braking would stop the car much before it hit the pole.

I am sorry for the harsh words, but please tell her God has decided to give her another chance at being a responsible mom for her child.

Come on buddy, we don't have strong proof to validate your claim other than these pictures, right.

Few post back we had reckless driving with proof and no one condemned it.

Happy that no one got hurt, and I hope this will make them to buy a baby seat, if they haven't got one already and also the importance of buckling up.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by aneeshtn

... and she doesn't do high speeds. And she doesn't have that much driving experience behind her. I think she panicked and just stopped doing anything. Probably just held on to the steering. In the way back she told me that she doesn't remember anything regarding the accident other than trying to avoid the collision with the auto.

That explains why the car hit the pole at a high speed, probably. A more experienced driver would have been able to stop in time, maybe off the road, but not into the pole.

When I am driving with my baby on board, I make it a point to reduce speeds and keep bigger distances from vehicles in the front, to compensate for a slower braking. A panic braking has to be avoided as much as one can, which means one must drive very very cautiously. Not very slowly, but cautiously.

I expect all types of sudden braking scenarios, try to anticipate them and adjust my speeds accordingly. My wife used to ask me to slow down earlier, but now with the baby I even switch to a slower lane and let people pass without thinking twice. I may take double the time reach, but won't want anything to happen to the baby.

Anything untoward should always be avoided, but any injury to babies would just be too serious.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by aneeshtn

And she doesn't have that much driving experience behind her. I think she panicked and just stopped doing anything. Probably just held on to the steering.

Since she doesn't have much experience, I think she might have panicked and pressed accelerator instead of braking. Also, the impact shows that the car was at good speed.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by honeybee

That explains why the car hit the pole at a high speed, probably. A more experienced driver would have been able to stop in time, maybe off the road, but not into the pole.

So, what should a person do? Stop driving until they have more experience? No, that doesn't make sense.

We all of us drive with the experience that we have, and it is enough, until the day that it isn't. And that day could see any of us wrapped around a pole.

You are guessing. Here's my guess: if that car had been at "high speed" the pole would have been in the cabin. Do try to understand the implications of hitting something very narrow/sharp.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by aneeshtn

My friend(husband) was in the backseat while it happened along with the kid. He told me that he could react and hold the baby tighter during the accident. So the speeds would have been in 40's.

Please ask them to get a child seat. Not every accident has so much time between loss of control and impact.