[shubhodeepdas@g]

Originally Posted by sforsarang

I am sure I might be missing something here. Just a curiosity nothing else !

Originally Posted by sforsarang

While this is definitely a 'kudos' effort on their part, is it me only who thinks completely stopping the bus after ramming the truck at the earliest possible opportunity (using the truck in the front as a stoppage) and get the passengers down till help arrives to repair the brakes was the first and last option they should have tried for safety?

It's the correct thought but we should calculate the holding power of the lorry's brakes on a slope without the aid of engine braking. My guess is, it's not enough to hold the bus and the load hence you loose the bus and the lorry if you try to attempt that. Instead use the lorry's braking, engine and otherwise to slow down both and reach a gradient where this would work.

Just imagine parking two loaded Innova back to back on a 10-20° incline with only the one downhill with its handbrake applied. It will not hold.

Do note, most loaded lorries would stop with stones under the wheels to prevent a rollaway situation, add a bus to the mix, and it becomes a lot more complicated. Also, if presented with a similar situation, do keep rolling at a slower speed till you get to a moderately flat surface. If you stop and start sliding, neither vehicle will have any control.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by condor

Reported in today's papers. Wonder how the truck driver got the message - but hats off to him.


Attachment 1832433

Weird article!

1. The bus driver didn't slot into 1st to maximize engine braking?
2. What about hand brake?
3. How did the bus driver repeatedly "knock" the truck? With no brakes? Did the truck continue to accelerate giving the bus chances for subsequent "knocks"? What the hell does this even mean? On the very first hit, the truck driver should stop to see what happened (if he is claimed to have heard/felt the knock)
4. How does the reporter claim the truck driver got the "message" after "repeated knocks"? Is this some sort of RTO protocol that's taught during heavy vehicle license test?

I can't help but think the truck should have just slowed down and come to a complete halt and that would have put an end to the story even before it became one!

[swissknife]

I think the bus driver risked the lives of 40 odd people. Relying on the brakes of another vehicle, especially down hill, is foolhardiness! I am surprised that none of the passengers had insisted that the bus be parked at a safe place after it came in contact with the truck in front.

Both drivers should be taken to task for playing around with lives of people.

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by swissknife

I think the bus driver risked the lives of 40 odd people. Relying on the brakes of another vehicle, especially down hill, is foolhardiness! I am surprised that none of the passengers had insisted that the bus be parked at a safe place after it came in contact with the truck in front.

Both drivers should be taken to task for playing around with lives of people.

I am not sure you read the article in full. The bus had lost all it's brakes and on a ghat road with over 40 passengers.
It is a miracle that both the Bus and the Lorry driver were able to stop the vehicles safely.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and it is easy to critic, but here the efforts and presence of mind of both the drivers should be applauded.

[sforsarang]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

I am not sure you read the article in full. The bus had lost all it's brakes and on a ghat road with over 40 passengers.
It is a miracle that both the Bus and the Lorry driver were able to stop the vehicles safely.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and it is easy to critic, but here the efforts and presence of mind of both the drivers should be applauded.

At least on the article given on this thread, there's nowhere I could find 'all the brakes' failed. It just says brakes failed, so not sure if hand-braking existed!

Hindsight I agree with you but laws of physics tell me that if a bus can successfully overcome 'HAIRPIN' bends over 4 kms like this, following a truck, it is safe to assume it is slowed down to such a speed where all passengers can easily get down. Secondly, laws of physics also tell me getting rid of the weight of passengers would have actually helped the bus even if it were to do this adventure successfully!

Passenger safety was compromised definitely. Once I mitigate the emergency, my first priority should be to get the passengers down safely. That's what they do in Airplanes and ships! I would rather slow down with this technique and hit the side wall or rock or whatever I get and use the friction to slow down or stop rather than take hairpin bends behind a large vehicle for 4 kms!

Again, no ghat roads in India would have the entire 4 km 'slope' per se!! there would definitely be places of steady angles between turns somewhere no?

[Acharya]

Well, we all know how events get reported in print media. I see a clear case of imaginative reporting, where a positive incident is perhaps blown out of proportion to be reported in national daily.
It could have been just one hit to truck or bus driver might have realized towards the end of slope about brake failure.
Practically it looks unfathomable that a vehicle of a size of bus could come down hair pin bends for four KMs without any breaks, with just buttress of a truck ahead.

[BoneCollector]

A reckless trucker ended up hurting himself while tailgating his companion today. This roundabout in sector 89, Gurgaon has been dug up and work is going on so we had to take a wrong side entry into the next road. There was a convoy of trucks from same transport company and one of them was speeding which you can see at 33-34second in the video. He ended up hitting the truck in front. But at last moment, he avoided direct contact and ended up side swiping. The driver was hurt little bit but was stuck in between steering and seat. His fellow truckers had come to his rescue as there were about 7-8 trucks.

https://youtu.be/trX763KPmRo

[strawhat]

Four engineering students were killed and three others critically injured as their speeding car hit a road divider before ramming into a truck from behind.

Another new years eve. Another tragic accident. Invited by plush highways like Guntur-Vijayawada, Hyd-Vijayawada etc. but too immature to understand the risks and limitations of a car, seven souls crammed into the i20 The mangled remains of the car tells the story. The survivors are from the luckiest lot, it appears.

https://www.deccanherald.com/nationa...-4-710723.html

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

Seeing the state of the car we were sure the chances of survival was very less.

Sad. Never seen such a bad and fatally crashed Baleno (sedan).
RIP

[GeneralJazz]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

2 die in road accident at Sakleshpur.

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Sad. Never seen such a bad and fatally crashed Baleno (sedan).
RIP

Sad to see such a beautiful car in such condition. While it is a gorgeous, fun to drive car, it is in no way safe compared to the cars on the road today, especially if it goes head on with a modern car. When will people be mature enough to understand the limitations of their machines

[MercFan]

Hyundai i20 hits Eicher, 4 dead in AP. #RIP

[Pferdestarke]

Originally Posted by strawhat

Another new years eve. Another tragic accident. Invited by plush highways like Guntur-Vijayawada, Hyd-Vijayawada etc. but too immature to understand the risks and limitations of a car, seven souls crammed into the i20 The mangled remains of the car tells the story. The survivors are from the luckiest lot, it appears.

Happened to pass through the spot. It was a terrible sight! Apparently the car was doing 165 at the time of crash.

One should understand the minute gap between deal of control and illusion of control (or lack of it) and practice healthy precautions. Heedlessness often costs hefty premium (life).

Seemingly, the driver and another occupant buckled up and saved themselves. This again stresses hard on the importance of wearing seatbelts.

May the deceased R.I.P!

[atulsian]

Saw this accident near my house. He hit the light pole. Locals belive it to be drunk and driving.

[Arwin07]

http://m.dinamalar.com/detail.php?id=2181606

Transliterating from this Tamil news article:
A doctor died when the car driven by him capsized in Valparai hills, Tamilnadu while he and his family were enjoying a short drive in the night to see wildlife. Other occupants of the car escaped unhurt.

RIP.

Photo courtesy: Dinamalar and daily thanthi websites.

P.S: Can someone identify the car model please?

[sforsarang]

Originally Posted by Arwin07

http://m.dinamalar.com/detail.php?id=2181606

Transliterating from this Tamil news article:
A doctor died when the car driven by him capsized in Valparai hills, Tamilnadu while he and his family were enjoying a short drive in the night to see wildlife. Other occupants of the car escaped unhurt.

RIP.

Photo courtesy: Dinamalar and daily thanthi websites.

P.S: Can someone identify the car model please?

Looks Jeep Compass to me (tail lights and narrow rear window pane. Not sure though.