[deetee]

A speeding EcoSport hits divider and launches onto oncoming vehicle. Happened today on Hyderabad-Karimnagar highway as per news reports. 3 casualties among 4 EcoSport passengers (all same family). The other car driver suffered severe injuries. Other than a few names, the report doesn't add much details:
https://www.eenadu.net/crime/newsdet...t-in-Shamirpet

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by india008

Was lucky not to kiss the back of Ritz

Oh you were lucky. You should not be driving this way. I hope you've got the message and keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.

It makes you a safe driver and prepares you for all these sudden brakes.

[deetee]

As the picture shows, a Swift Dezire managed to climb onto a roadside shop. Report says driver swerved to avoid a cyclist and hit a high curb. The speed carried the car onto a shop by the road. No casualities. All passengers in the car and cyclist were injured and admitted to hospital.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by locusjag

I use an imported memory-foam cushion on which I sit on my already high TUV 300's driving seat;

I hope the increase in height is minimal. If it is thicker by an inch or more, then you are putting yourself at risk by doing so, since the steering wheel will be placed much lower to your body and so will be the airbag. There is a reason manufacturers give limited adjustment for the seat height and steering tilt. Beyond a certain range, it will no longer safe for the occupant. Unless one has serious issues with height and visibility, I would suggest against using any sort of pillow or cushion and stick to the adjustment range offered by the manufacturer. The airbag is designed to strike the chest and face of the occupant, not the abdomen. The abdomen is not strong enough to withstand the force of a crash, the lap belt and the airbag together. Hence, please take care of such things. The max height that the seat can be adjusted to corresponds to the max angle the steering can be tilted upwards to. By adding an additional cushion, you will be disrupting this arrangement.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by audioholic

I hope the increase in height is minimal. If it is thicker by an inch or more, then you are putting yourself at risk by doing so, since the steering wheel will be placed much lower to your body and so will be the airbag. There is a reason manufacturers give limited adjustment for the seat height and steering tilt. Beyond a certain range, it will no longer safe for the occupant. Unless one has serious issues with height and visibility, I would suggest against using any sort of pillow or cushion and stick to the adjustment range offered by the manufacturer. The airbag is designed to strike the chest and face of the occupant, not the abdomen. The abdomen is not strong enough to withstand the force of a crash, the lap belt and the airbag together. Hence, please take care of such things. The max height that the seat can be adjusted to corresponds to the max angle the steering can be tilted upwards to. By adding an additional cushion, you will be disrupting this arrangement.

You're right, what i've done is somewhat risky. But as it is a depressable memory foam cushion, it only increases my seating height by perhaps 2 inches. Without it, I cannot sit comfortably in the seat at all. Blame the poor fitment on my fierce love for the TUV - such was the extent of my test drives and vehicle evaluations! I should've paid more attention to the fact that even at its highest adjusted height setting, the driver's seat in the TUV is simply inadequate for me. (I'm 6'4" tall.)

[arungeorge]

Originally Posted by deetee

A speeding EcoSport hits divider and launches onto oncoming vehicle.

CCTV footage of that accident.

https://youtu.be/A204ZB9o4VU

[Motor_Nut]

Originally Posted by arungeorge

CCTV footage of that accident.

Sad to see this, rest in peace. Fortunately for oncoming car Ertiga, Ecosport's first impact was absorbed by the divider, which reduced the momentum of the second impact. Hence only minor injuries to Ertiga passengers.

Occurrences of vehicles jumping over the divider and crashing on the vehicles other side have increased manifold. This seriously warrants attention of road users and should be part of warning signage on roads.

[Thad E Ginathom]

"beware of flying cars?'

That CCTV clip is terrifying. What to do if a car literally flies straight at us? It's all over in a split second.

Whilst the usual comments about safe driving apply, many parts of the world have median barriers that are designed to deflect a car rather than launch it into oncoming traffic.

I'm always going on about driving skills being more important than road design, but this factor may be an exception.

[rajendra2278]

Probable RTO guidelines in the future

There are 2 ways to drive on a 4-lane divided highway.

1) Drive on left lane. Here, look out for lot of slow moving vehicles and wrong route vehicles, and of course 2 wheelers who'll be riding on the middle/right of the left lane, rather than left side.
2) To avoid 1, people drive on the right lane. Here, look out for vehicles joining the highway (at T junctions and X junctions) without looking properly (most dangerous are vehicles joining from wrong route).

New point added: Look out for vehicles jumping the divider from the other side.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

What to do if a car literally flies straight at us? It's all over in a split second.

The BIGGEST fear that I always have when I am driving on a dual carriageway with a median and perhaps it is this fear that somehow keeps me glued to the left or center lane as much as possible. There is absolutely nothing that one can do to avoid being hit and hence staying in the center or left lane might only reduce the chances of being directly hit and probably gives you an extra split second to react and steer away than in case where you are next to the median and that next split second has another car right onto your car.

Whilst the usual comments about safe driving apply, many parts of the world have median barriers that are designed to deflect a car rather than launch it into oncoming traffic.

In my country, medians are provided to the investigating authority who can efficiently do their job of concluding that the accident was because of a tire burst!!

I'm always going on about driving skills being more important than road design, but this factor may be an exception.

We have discussed about road design too, especially drain type medians that would prevent such flying objects but again, we are a country where drivers love the color BLUE on their instrument console. So they drive on high beams all the times that badly affects driving experience causing a lot of glare and its terrible when it rains.

Now what.....

[saisree]

Originally Posted by deetee

A speeding EcoSport hits divider and launches onto oncoming vehicle.

That's a horrible accident. These low medians are namesake barriers and its also the reason, why this Ecosport ended up flying. We need to have high raise medians just like the ones in cities, which will stop these rockets and also help in blocking the high beams from the opposite side. People who have travelled between Vandalur and Oragadam on the Tambaram-Kanchipuram state highway will vouch for these types of Medians.
The only negative of this is, you will easily miss the most wanted restaurant or coffee shop in the opposite lane on a highway.

[FORTified]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

The BIGGEST fear that I always have when I am driving on a dual carriageway with a median and perhaps it is this fear that somehow keeps me glued to the left or center lane as much as possible.

You may want to think again.
Had that Ertiga been on the left lane, the impact would have been more drastic. The EcoSport hit the median, went straight at the left lane, bounced and then hit the Ertiga.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by FORTified

You may want to think again.
Had that Ertiga been on the left lane, the impact would have been more drastic. The EcoSport hit the median, went straight at the left lane, bounced and then hit the Ertiga.

No I don't really want to think again .

I am not advocating to stick to left lane but this is what I would continue to do as long as road and traffic condition permit. It is not just flying objects but a lot of other reasons beyond this incident and we all know them.

If the Ertiga would have been on the left lane may be the Ertiga driver (if alert) may have reacted and steered away:

Originally Posted by paragsachania

staying in the center or left lane might only reduce the chances of being directly hit and probably gives you an extra split second to react and steer away than in case where you are next to the median and that next split second has another car right onto your car.

[Satishtv]

Originally Posted by arungeorge

CCTV footage of that accident.

Any idea why the Ecosport driver drifted from his lane? Did he fall asleep or was he avoiding any other vehicle?

[AutoNoob]

Originally Posted by locusjag

Thanks for spreading the word; I've not seen anyone mentioning this particular tip on this forum in all these years. And I certainly don't see anyone trying it on the road either.

This defensive driving method has been discussed upteen times on Team-BHP, though under various threads. And based on the discussions, I am sure many BHPians are following it; but our percentage is minuscule among the masses.

Cross-posting my own post from another thread :

Originally Posted by AutoNoob

I too follow same approach while driving on Indian 'highways'. Let go the accelerator and ready to brake on first sight of potential threat (as detailed by you). It gives that extra fraction of second, if not seconds, to react and let my vehicle react.

Also, I keep a watch on road ahead through the glasses of vehicles in front of me (and thanks to the regulation mandating high mounted stop lamps), I am ready to brake when I see a few reds ahead. God I hate those blackened rear glasses or over stacked parcel shelves.