[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by chaitanyakrish

If the vehicle behind is not willing to stop, car must abort the move.

This is exactly the "You stop or we crash" attitude that got the scooter into trouble resulting in one of them paying with his life.

All of what you wrote about common sense and anticipation apply to the scooter as well. If we don't care about these, we cannot expect someone else's common sense and anticipation to get us out of trouble every time.

Originally Posted by chaitanyakrish

Our goal is to prevent a crash but not to cause a crash and prove everyone that we had the right of way, if required we can relinquish our right of way.

I am sure neither the scooter rider nor the car driver wanted to get into an accident. It really was an accident. Having initiated a turn safely, the car driver should be looking at where he wanted to go, and not looking for traffic from behind which was a safe distance behind when he started the turn. He may have noticed the scooter only when it was too late. The scooter rider, on the other hand, had full view of the situation in front of him. The onus was on him to avoid the accident.

Originally Posted by chaitanyakrish

Instead of a bike, if there was a bus or truck, I wonder if the car driver had attempted that.

I can ask the same about the scooter rider as well.

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

Why should the car have given way to traffic from behind?

Defensive driving rule. And also, Because in INDIA it’s a matter of life and death. I have come across such people on 2-wheelers umpteen number of times, who overtake me from left to go straight while I’m about to take the left turn and I have stopped my vehicle to give them clear access, else they would have been another statistical number, if I would have followed the MVA laws.

It’s always better to lose a second than lose a limb.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by NomadSK

Defensive driving rule. And also, Because in INDIA it’s a matter of life and death.

Defensive driving is a practice. It applies to everyone. The most important defensive driving rule is to follow traffic rules. That is what the scooter rider didn't do. If you break the law and get into trouble, you cannot blame the other guy, who is in this instance seems to have followed the traffic rules, for not driving defensively.

Your example of turning left is not really relevant here, since for turning left you don't invade the oncoming lane or potentially block oncoming traffic. As you are turning you are also obligated to look for pedestrians who may be crossing the road you are turning into from the left side. Or basically, you should expect road users legitimately coming from the left and going straight. It's a shame that some two or three wheelers also try to sneak through.

This is not exclusive to India. Here in Finland, when I make a right turn, I am always looking for a cyclist or pedestrian who may enter the pedestrian crossing from the right as I am making the turn.

But in this accident, having initiated the right turn, the car driver should be more focused on clearing the oncoming lane without hindering traffic, not making way for traffic from behind that was some distance away when the turn was initiated.

I am surprised that even though the scooter has broken at least 3 rules (overload, no helmets and overtaking a vehicle turning right on its right), was possibly over speeding (not sure) and made zero effort to slow down or stop, the blame is on the car driver for not driving defensively.

Only thing left to claim is that the scooter guy was sounding his horn, and that is by default gives him the right of way in India above all other rules.

[Maverick_4662]

Another car fire incident in Kerala. The driver has passed away from his burn injuries. Government has taken cognizance and appealed to the union for guidelines to prevent such fire incidents. Another case of after market mods gone bad? The car looks like a previous gen Celerio to my eyes but i could be wrong. Such a bad way to go. RIP.

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/stor...686-2023-08-09

[anjan_c2007]

Another one from Telangana where a biker moving on a left lane, cut lanes to take a right turn. The driver of speeding and loaded truck trailing him was about to knock this moron dead. But the truck driver used his skills and risking his own life, saved this moron.

https://youtu.be/QkmW7YJRIro

The real action commences at 0.59 seconds

The video has been shared by Prateek Singh on his YouTube channel. One of his subscribers sent him the video. It was captured by a CCTV camera installed on the road. The setting seems to be a bustling highway with a lot of truck traffic. At the far left corner of the road, we can see a biker entering the road and proceeding ahead without paying attention to the surroundings. The biker wasn’t merely moving forward; they were also switching lanes.

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

Defensive driving is a practice. It applies to everyone. The most important defensive driving rule is to follow traffic rules. That is what the scooter rider didn't do. If you break the law and get into trouble, you cannot blame the other guy, who is in this instance seems to have followed the traffic rules, for not driving defensively.

Sorry Sir, unfortunately I don’t agree with you. Defensive driving is not all about written rules or laid down rules in the book. If you read my comment again, I haven’t blamed anyone for the accident. All I have said, how the accident could have been prevented.

Anyway, coming to your point, if you would have seen there was a dotted line on the road, so it was an overtaking zone and the car driver should have double checked the OVRM too, before proceeding with the move.

Originally Posted by StarrySky

Your example of turning left is not really relevant here, since for turning left you don't invade the oncoming lane or potentially block oncoming traffic.

You didn’t understand my point here, all I wanted to say is that even when I have free left to turn to, I check my OVRM’s before proceeding. Becoz a life is more important than blaming someone for rules. Yes, it’s indeed a shame when people sneak in from all possible spaces. But but that makes us (considering we are sensible drivers) more prudent to be aware of our surroundings.

Originally Posted by StarrySky

But in this accident, having initiated the right turn, the car driver should be more focused on clearing the oncoming lane without hindering traffic, not making way for traffic from behind that was some distance away when the turn was initiated.

Yes true, but as I said earlier, being an overtaking zone (dotted line) on the road, he should have been careful of the traffic behind him too and not only for the oncoming traffic. Knowing your surroundings would have made this incident preventable. So my point is we can defend both parties, but it was the scooter guy who had to pay severely for the consequences. Defensive driving with a little bit of empathy for other road users will make such situations avoidable.

Originally Posted by StarrySky

I am surprised that even though the scooter has broken at least 3 rules (overload, no helmets and overtaking a vehicle turning right on its right), was possibly over speeding (not sure) and made zero effort to slow down or stop, the blame is on the car driver for not driving defensively.

With that logic, half of the 2-wheelrs riders should have perished by now. Ok, Let’s replace the scooter with a truck in the same scenario, would he have initiated the move ? If yes, then he would have been the one paying the price for more severe consequences.

Agreed we have to follow the rules by the book, but I’m actually appalled by people who agree/justify to hurt/injure people because the other one is not following the RULES. Yes, accidents happens because of such morons on the road, but it’s in our hands to make them preventable as much as possible.

Again not BLAMING anyone for the accident, but emphasizing on the PREVENTION.

Unfortunately a life was sucked out and the car driver will have to live with this nightmare for the rest of his life.

Cheers.

[Thad E Ginathom]

A few months ago, I was turning left from Chennai's ECR into a tiny side road, taking my wife to her dentist. Turning slowly, and indicating, I had to stop for a biker squeezing through that gap. I could not help but retaliate with the horn. Then I was concerned that two people standing at the side of road might think that I was beeping at them.

As it happened, they turned up at the same dentist clinic. The guy said he really thought that biker would hit me. I said, I was looking, as there is always a high chance of some two-wheeler doing this stupid thing.

Let me never forget to look!

In terms of the general conversation, I would say that defensive driving is, as it says, primarily for our own sake and safety, whereas rules of the road are for everyone.

It is good, as we often do, to note how the victim of an accident might have prevented it happening, but we should not be giving them a portion of the blame. Such accidents are not a percentage game.

[ramki.grandhi]

Found this in my feed, purely driver's mistake.

https://youtu.be/N1Cnl_wFS0E?t=53

[Vik0728]

Found this in my feed, purely driver's mistake.

Totally agree, Pure driver stupidity and error. I guess he (Prateek) paid the right price.

Passing a truck from left on Indian highways is in itself a huge risk...trying this through a non-existing lane is a death wish.

[electric_eel]

Originally Posted by ramki.grandhi

Found this in my feed, purely driver's mistake.

https://Youtu.be/N1Cnl_wFS0E?t=53

The truck was already in the left lane so I do not know what stunt was Prateekji (the car driver) trying to pull off here, quantum tunneling? Forget about overtaking from left, this is overtaking from paved shoulder and is in no way excusable. Also it seems Indians are blind to the idea of blind spots I guess or may be expects the truck driver to have a "third" eye at the back of the truck.

Although the narrator says it is wrong to overtake from the left, I do not like the tone in his voice which seems to suggest that both are at fault. As far as I am concerned, this is purely the car drivers fault. The only fault with the truck driver is that he did not stop but that is understandable because it is almost sure that he will be bullied by the car owner.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by ramki.grandhi

Found this in my feed, purely driver's mistake.

If I did that, I would not want the world to know about it.

I don't know if the truck driver was aware of the lesser nature of the damage, but why should he stop and get hassle because the car guy wants his car fittings trimmed?

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

If I did that, I would not want the world to know about it.

The funny part is, he is posting it as an 'awareness' video that the trucker moved left on purpose into the shoulder, while he was diving into that non-existent gap at 90 kph (GPS speed shows 86 kph).

[fusionbang]

100% agree it is the Car's fault here, but I don't think the car belongs to the Youtuber who has posted this in his channel. This guy usually takes an accident clip and makes a video of it for awareness. If I am wrong and the car belongs to the same guy, then he must update the title and remove it as an awareness video. It should be categorized under "How not to Drive a Car"

[sinharishi]

Please do not take this guy seriously. He claims that people share their videos with him but he just picks up content from the internet and adds his name and then lousy commentary on videos. He took my photos from Team-BHP thread and did the same.

Why would anyone share the video on the net where they are clearly at fault?

[AutoNoob]

Originally Posted by ramki.grandhi

Found this in my feed, purely driver's mistake.

In the video it's totally car driver's fault, no excuses there.

However, at 2:15min mark, there's another clip (another incident) in the video. There definitely truck driver is at fault.