[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by KL01toKA03

1. Overtaking a heavy vehicle, or any vehicle for that matter, on a 90 degree turn is endangering everyone.

The cutting-inside-on-a-curve overtake is standard for bikes. It should be outlawed.

Coming close to the right on the corner of the road he is turning into is wrong on the trucker's part. People with all numbers of wheels are lazy with the steering wheel and just want. literally, to cut corners.

But I don't think that amounts to homicide because the biker should absolutely not have been overtaking there. The child paid the price.

[Vasuki]

Originally Posted by KL01toKA03

https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/...st-driver.html

A 7 year old child lost her life due to reckless driving.

Totally the fault of the two wheeler, but there is an issue which can used aginst the truck driver.

In Kerala, all lorries/tippers are prohibited during school hours (an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening, correct me if I'm wrong).

[arighna.dutta]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Sometimes the speculation in this thread hits achievements of epic fiction! This idea takes the biscuit. Or cake, in USA.

Well, didn't get it, if you added to my points or ended up taking it as my own speculations.

In case it is the second one, just to clarify: Since, we share these roads with users from such a diverse background, I made an attempt to highlight on how a part of the road users would have actually thought, that the fault is with the OP and how such situation could have turned against the OP despite the video footage.

And it doesn't have to be only in USA, even in India it would be so, for those who are generally more aware about the rules.
However, it doesn't always work like that on ground reality on our roads and highways, especially, when you are involved in an accident far away from home on some highway, with local vehicle and local crowds involved.

He was never behind the tractor, therefore he could not possibly have hit it from behind.

depends on the location, and kind of people we are rationalizing with; OP was lucky to have the footage else we know, how rationale the arguments could go.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

The only thing I can see here is maybe Wasave tyres could have braked a few metres before "anticipating" the tractor will veer towards him.

Anticipating scenarios is an integral ingredient of driving (even more in India) and we all do it at various levels. However, I feel it should have kicked in pretty early and just not for the particular situation.

- For example, with so many accidents reported involving Tractors on highways, I would have backed off when the alto didn't slow down or got cautious even a bit after the first tractor spotting. As for me, the alto driver would have been tagged as a Bad/Less experienced driver and have the talent to get involved in an accident ahead. We never know, who could veer on your lane, when and why and the Alto itself looked like a danger.

- leaving above mentioned take of mine aside, on a two lane highway with not much enough area at either side, the mini van crawling on to the highway could have been considered the second trigger to slow down.

- even if not the mini van, relatively crowded section, bikes on the wrong side, intersections, etc should absolutely trigger red alert to slow down to the surrounding pace as the particular patch looked like being used by surrounding villagers and it would be unreal (and I feel unfair) to expect highest level of road manners from them.

You usually don't anticipate them to cut like that unless there was something on his left.

Actually we must, and always. We are mostly lucky until that one time.

If you are doing 70-80kmph and you are a good driver who has seen tractor and that there is nothing left of tractor, 10/10 of us BHPians would not brake in this scenario and make it in between the tractor.

I hope, I could slow down every time in such scenarios. I don't wish to be on the mercy of these tractors/truck drivers.

Originally Posted by WasavaTyres

True, I believe the onus of literally saving ourselves lies entirely on us. Many a time when driving I am reminded of a old computer game I used to play called Demonstar where you'd have to steer your spaceship to safety from other's who'd randomly change lanes and come onto your path, if you were late to react - boom - one life less.

Yes sir, so true.
Have observed that slowing down to the paces of surrounding vehicles help in doing so lot better.

Based on the footage shared by you, I just captured my observations in above messages, I hope there are no offences to take.
I could be very much wrong in analyzing the situation at my end and only you would know better about what went wrong.

Nevertheless, thank you for sharing it with us, another learning to have in mind.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by arighna.dutta

Well, didn't get it, if you added to my points or ended up taking it as my own speculations.

In case it is the second one, just to clarify: Since, we share these roads with users from such a diverse background, I made an attempt to highlight on how a part of the road users would have actually thought, that the fault is with the OP and how such situation could have turned against the OP despite the video footage.

OK. I agree that people will see what they want to see, say, and fight accordingly. There is not much that can be done about that

Actually we must, and always. We are mostly lucky until that one time.

I hope, I could slow down every time in such scenarios. I don't wish to be on the mercy of these tractors/truck drivers.

Yes. There is hardly a scenario on this whole thread where the right kind of defensive driving would not have saved the day for the victim, however innocent they may have been. And this is, absolutely, what we should strive to do, because, in the end, we want our vehicles and bodies whole and undamaged.

I spend a lot of time annoying people behind me because something makes me slow down just in case. I hope I manage to do that the day that it actually does avoid an accident, but I can't guarantee.

[GladRagu]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

The cutting-inside-on-a-curve overtake is standard for bikes. It should be outlawed.

Outlawing just this won't help but invalidating all the driving licences issued and asking them to apply again may help.

Most importantly, the driving test should follow UK pattern (hazard perception - I expect a high failure rate here, theory and practical) but that will make Indian roads deserted

We can ask the public to apply freshly once all the traffic policemen passes the test

[Venkatesh]

Saw this video of truck driver driving without the front wheels and is extremely dangerous to fellow riders on highway. How did he even make his way onto highway without police noticing his vehicle
https://www.facebook.com/20753143930...80039/?app=fbl

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

The cutting-inside-on-a-curve overtake is standard for bikes.

That biker is a moron. He killed the child. The truck is making the turn and I don't see indicators. But the turn is already happening by the time the biker crosses an oncoming car and closes for the overtake. He is at a good speed and probably thought he could squeeze through.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Gansan

But the turn is already happening by the time the biker crosses an oncoming car and closes for the overtake. He is at a good speed and probably thought he could squeeze through.

Based on Malayalam press reports - that biker wasn't overtaking the truck. The child's school is also down the lane into which the truck turned, and the biker (who was apparently dropping the child to school) was turning into the same lane.

[Gansan]

^^ By overtake, I don't mean in a straight line. I can see he is also turning in to the same lane, but wants to move ahead of the truck before it completes the turn. An innocent child died unnecessarily.

[nagr22]

Originally Posted by binand

the biker (who was apparently dropping the child to school) was turning into the same lane.

If this bit of information is true, then it is mostly bikers fault. He probably thought that the truck was going straight and didnt have the patience to wait till it passed the intersection and decided to overtake and make the turn. If the truck had indicated its intention he might have slowed down a bit but looking at his speed, even if the truck had indicated, the bike wouldn't have had the time to react and slow down.

From my personal experience with bikers, I have had countless instances where I have been overtaken ruthlessly by bikers inspite of me waiting at an intersection with right indicator on. The only way of successfully turning is to put the indicator on and sloooowly start turning hoping that no one bangs on you

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Saw this video of truck driver driving without the front wheels and is extremely dangerous to fellow riders on highway. How did he even make his way onto highway without police noticing his vehicle
https://www.facebook.com/20753143930...80039/?app=fbl

How does this truck stay in the lane, how does it turn? Defies physics

[bblost]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

How does this truck stay in the lane, how does it turn? Defies physics

This is a dual steering design.
Image source: https://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...axles.1293208/

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by binand

Based on Malayalam press reports - that biker wasn't overtaking the truck. The child's school is also down the lane into which the truck turned, and the biker (who was apparently dropping the child to school) was turning into the same lane.

He moves from behind to alongside the truck. We don't know if he would have ended up ahead of it, because... accident.

It doesn't matter whether we call the manoeuvre an overtake or whatever: the biker had no business, in the name of safety, being on the inside of that curve.

Neither vehicle should have cut the corner. They are both on the wrong side of the road. They are both in the wrong for that. But it was the biker's action that actually caused the accident. This riding is like trying to jump through a giant pair of scissors before they close and cut. But it is so common as to be normal to bikers. Whether it is inside a curve, or between two other vehicles on a straight, they seem to see only the gap, not the dynamics of the motion. They do not consider that the gap is closing; they do not ask, "What if vehicle(s) touch steering or accelerator?" They don't seem to know the idea of safety.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by WasavaTyres

....

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

....

Originally Posted by KL01toKA03

https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/...st-driver.html

In each of these cases, the fault squarely lies with the driver who changed lanes without signalling or bothering to check for vehicles in the adjacent lane / overtaking. The tractor in WasavaTyres's video turned without judging what might be in the next lane, as did the truck in hemanth.anand's video - in fact, the truck has no business being in the right lane at all, especially when planning to turn left (if it was a sudden decision, his steering is not allowed to follow his thoughts so fast). The run-over of the motorcyclist is horrific - he was in the process of overtaking the truck in a perfectly legal manoeuvre, but the truck turned without signalling, or even slowing down.

Yet, some gentlemen here blame WasavaTyres, the Brezza and the biker. How many centuries will it take for drivers in this country to realize that lane driving and appropriate signalling are absolutely necessary parts of learning to drive?

Oh, I forgot - there are no penalties in the MV Act for failing to indicate when changing lanes. Or taking a left turn without being in the appropriate lane.

[airbus]

Originally Posted by nagr22

From my personal experience with bikers, I have had countless instances where I have been overtaken ruthlessly by bikers inspite of me waiting at an intersection with right indicator on.

After entering my office basement parking I need to take a right turn and go one level up. I regularly find two wheeler riders trying to overtake despite right indicators are on. Most of these riders work in tech companies.