[RajaTaurus]

^^ +1
Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, Can we please, if you like, if you allow and if you wish, get back to the Topic of the title "Accidents in India - PICS"?
The above turtle-truck happened at around 1:30 am. These drivers drive at wretched speeds on roads in mid-night and such accidents are always waiting to happen.

[prince_pervez]

^^Yeah not only in the nights but even during the day. I have expereinced the same on the Trichy Namakkal route. They will come on you on those narrow roads and you don't exist for them.

[malq]

As far as accidents go, I have seen a few on Indian roads, ab-road-s, as well as at sea . . . but this one here, where the accident took the bridge with it, is amongst those which will stand out.


Source: Bridge On The River Shtrumji

The complete episode is described, briefly, load on trailer was too much for the bridge, so all fall down, truck, cargo AND bridge.

[prince_pervez]

^^Thats terrible! Any loss of lives ?

[BomBatt]

Prince, 5 members of crew out of 17 have died.

No Permit
No Pre-Move Route Survey
No Pre-Move Bridge Strength Assessment
The move has taken 5 lives. And the people of Talaja Village have lost their bridge.

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Just saw an accident on the news. An Indica crashed into a Maxicab in Gulbarga, killing 5, and injuring 10.
The accident scene is a gory sight, with both the vehicles reciveiving severe damage.

[Thad E Ginathom]

A truck took a bridge with it in Chennai sometime ago --- by simply trying to cross it, as it was only built for light vehicles.

[rg_chn]

^ I think you're talking about the bridge connecting Indra Nagar and OMR, right? I saw the wreck that morning. But I don't think anyone was injured.

[ElantraGT]

Originally Posted by rg_chn

^ I think you're talking about the bridge connecting Indra Nagar and OMR, right? I saw the wreck that morning. But I don't think anyone was injured.

There was one fatality in that accident. The guy who was sleeping on the top of the truck died. I too saw the accident may be 5 - 6 hrs after it happpened

[Thad E Ginathom]

Yes, I did mean that bridge --- which is now to be replaced with what will become a major access point to the OMR from the Indira Nagar side.

[clevermax]

There was an accident in Kottayam District in Kerala today morning at 5:00 AM, few people were on their way back home in a TATA Sumo from the airport, after seeing off their relatives to Italy.

The vehicle fell from the bridge to Meenachil River, and 9 people drowned. Driver and one more person escaped the accident.

Such accidents are too common -

- someone returning from airport late night
- someone returning from a temple / church late night, sleep deprived

The obvious reason in all these cases seem to be driver sleeping off.

Few months back, a couple in our close neighborhood drove to their death in an Alto after seeing off their daughter who was going to Russia for studies.

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by clevermax

Such accidents are too common -

- someone returning from airport late night
- someone returning from a temple / church late night, sleep deprived

The obvious reason in all these cases seem to be driver sleeping off.

Exactly.

I drove to Tirupati and returned the next day. Those two days, I slept for 45 minutes in total. I could not sleep in between as I had to stand in the queue for long hours.

While driving back, started dozing off. Immediately pulled over, took a power nap for 20 minutes.

Power nap would not be an option for professional drivers. They might be expected to take the customer to destination faster.

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by sbraj

...While driving back, started dozing off. Immediately pulled over, took a power nap for 20 minutes...

Understood the power of a "power nap" on a drive to Chennai on an emergency. Started around 2.30am from Bangalore and at 6.30am was feeling tired. Stopped on a area where there were few shops and truckers parked and slept for 15 minutes. What a change it brought!

Originally Posted by sbraj

...Power nap would not be an option for professional drivers. They might be expected to take the customer to destination faster.

Long time back, when flights to Sharjah were only from Chennai, used to take taxi's to drop my parents. The trip usually started at around 9pm from Trichy and drop them at 3~4am at the airport and we start back immediately. Remember seeing the drivers all red-eyed and driving like a maniac. Thought that it was the way they drive, but now the realization that they were pushing themselves to the limit!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Zero control of driving standards and working hours for professional drivers.

Had a pleasant surprise the other day: a non-aggressive, decent, able taxi driver. No tailgating, no excessive horn, no pushing; just decent driving. They do exist! The guy who drove us back was closer to 'normal, though.

[gomzi]

I went on a short visit to Pune and back on the Mum-Pune expressway. Its been a long time since I was headed that way and I was quite shocked to see sooo many mangled cars arranged at various points along the way; not all of them were taxis. I'd guess since they were all lined up along the side, they were pretty recent.

That said, I narrowly avoided being roadkill myself! I had barely started on the expressway from Mumbai and was trundling along in the middle (of 3/side lanes) at ~80, saw a white Punto and a black Accord v6 overtake me from the fast lane. So far things are normal.

I slowed down to ~50 to go round a slightly blind right-hand turn and had to stamp on the brakes to avoid banging into a trailer that had careened diagonally across the highway almost knocking the Punto off into the median. I had to move into the fast lane to avoid going under the trailer bit. The Accord was still screeching to a halt in front of me. Fortunately the cars behind us were quite a way back, so no one toinked from behind.

Fortunately also, no vehicle actually touched, although everyone (including the trailer-truck driver) would have had a HUGE "Oh Sh*t!" moment. From the looks of it, the huge metal cylindrical object on the truck must have moved therefore unbalancing the truck suddenly. The driver looked as if he was in total shock.

The 2 car drivers were pulling up in front of the now stationary truck and a big crowd of vehicles was beginning to form up behind. Since no injuries had happened, I checked with the drivers that they were not hurt and I decided to carry on my journey, a little shaken and more careful. About 15 minutes later, both the Punto and the Accord overtook me.