[sram]

Originally Posted by bejoy

The car was not very rash as per the report, but flowing with the traffic. Clearly, he saw the speed gun and was trying to overtake from left as soon as he gets a space, but the Nexon pulls out and he rams on to it causing a tail spin and crashing on to the barrier. Maybe he was distracted too(on the phone?)

I couldn't understand why he went to the left if he is trying to avoid the speed gun, that is where the cops could be. It is logical to go to right away from the cops right or brake, I wonder even if he bothered by speed gun, it looks like he want to zip past every body.

[balenoed_]

Not sure if the blame is to be put entirely on the i10. Cannot judge the speeds from the video, but wasn't he just doing a lane change otherwise. Of course, he could have been more cautious in doing it. But what about the Nexon who was pulling in to the road without checking the surroundings. The i10 changed the direction and lost control the moment it impacted with the Nexon. Probably Nexon is equally responsible for this crash and the whole set up was messy including another tempo which was blocking the Nexon.

[BenjiRoss]

From news reports, apparently the person was in a hurry to reach the airport

I noticed the vehicle when it went past my cab; it was jumping lanes and speeding. I was discussing how dangerous this was...

Above was the statement of an onlooker. The rapid multiple lane change probably made him lose visibility of the left most shoulder and the Nexon starting off. The Nexon didn't notice the car because he would have at best done a cursory check for vehicles in the immediate lane.
If you slow down the clip on YouTube after the 8 second mark you can see that they both probably missed seeing each other. It also appears that the i10 for some reason lost control just before he crash - did the driver panic?

https://youtu.be/kH5z14OaJv4

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

From news reports, apparently the person was in a hurry to reach the airport

Above was the statement of an onlooker. The rapid multiple lane change probably made him lose visibility of the left most shoulder and the Nexon starting off.

I passed this spot a few minutes after the accident at 1745hrs. What is shocking is that they had cleared off the interceptor and the truck from the scene as I saw only the damaged Nexon and i10 which looked like a head on collision. Though it is a fault on the driver of the i10 clearly, since he seems to have just drove into the policeman, it's high time the police stop doing this circus on an expressway. Instead, since they have photo evidence it's safer to just send a violation notice. They don't gain anything by collecting a spot fine. Worst case, flag down vehicles near the toll booth where vehicles have to slow down anyway. Not sure why some things need a life or two to be lost in order to change.

[rakirank]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

but it's just suicidal to even be standing right next to a carriageway where legal speed is close to 3 digits (80 kmph on the airport expressway?).

Completely agree with you on the above. Speed limit on this road is 80 KMPH.

Your question on why you need cops to man a speed gun is valid (especially when they block one lane on a 3 lane road) and also put others at potential risk as in this case. Vehicles can be challaned through an automated system.

The only reason they appear to be there, is to meet out selective justice. Buses and taxis can flout the rule with impunity but some others cant (Cab drivers I am told are able to get away with greasing the palms and BMTC buses are never pulled over anyway).

I remember some time back when cops jumped in front off a car on ORR for over speeding. As the driver slowed to avoid hitting the cop he was bumped into by another car from behind. Now the irony, the car stopped by the cops had a pregnant woman in the backseat. With tears in her eyes she sought an explanation from the cops as to who would be responsible if anything untoward happened to the child she was carrying.
Obviously the cops had no answers and just asked the couple to leave without paying any fine.

Comes back to your point "Nobody should be endangering theirs to collect one either. Our cops need better equipment and methods. Their lives are plenty stressful and dangerous enough without incidents like these, entirely avoidable, claiming innocent lives."

The have a stressful job already and last thing they need is to be injured or good forbid something worse happening to them in the line of their duty.

Hope better sense prevails and some changes come forth from this unfortunate incident.

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by audioholic

What is shocking is that they had cleared off the interceptor and the truck from the scene as I saw only the damaged Nexon and i10 which looked like a head on collision. Though it is a fault on the driver of the i10 clearly, since he seems to have just drove into the policeman

Interceptor must have been used for taking the men to the hospital and the truck must have just moved on. More than i10, I think it is the Nexon who caused this accident. Of course, both are equally culprit, the Nexon could have avoided this happening if he was a bit more cautious.

Some pics:

[Rahul Rao]

Originally Posted by Turrrb0

I'm not trying to sound insensitive or be a jerk .. but, he was riding a Kawasaki Z900, hardly something a milk delivery man would ride.

He was a known personality in Baner area of Pune, owner of a large dairy and many premium cars and bikes, his regular ride was a V Cross, but he had not forgotten his roots and occasional milk delivery was something he still did.


Rahul

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Our cops need better equipment and methods. Their lives are plenty stressful and dangerous enough without incidents like these, entirely avoidable, claiming innocent lives.

Absolutely true!

I myself have witnessed one such (less tragic) incident while I was flagged down on BETL flyover on one of the afternoons in 2012 for driving above the permissible limit of 80 Kmph. While the Traffic Inspector seated on the co-passenger seat was dealing with other drivers, I was standing next to the constable who with his Radar eyes was guessing the speed of approaching vehicles and flagging down vehicles.

The location wasn't the lay-bye where the interceptor usually was stationed then. It was instead at the pivot where BETL forks out for Phase 1 which is extremely dangerous for an exercise like this. I did ask the constable casually if this wasn't a dangerous task that can lead to accidents to which he responded to me that he has been doing this since many years and nothing will happen.

In the next 5 minutes, the constable flags down an i10, who's driver brakes abruptly and a Figo rear ends it right in front of all of us. While the drivers of both these cars pull over and start to walk back towards the constable, a lady occupant bleeding from her chin with teary eyes also walks towards the the interceptor yelling at the constable that she was pregnant and how if there are complications after this incident, she will not spare the cops.

Within the next 5 minutes, the cops down the shutters and advise the Figo and i10 owners about hospital in Phase 1 and service centers (for their cars) and vacate the place.

The entire incident has been narrated in this post.

The Traffic Police authorities' methods to stop erring motorists this way is completely dangerous that puts lives at stakes - Cops, the offenders and those tailing them. They are seen running from the shoulder to the fastest lane on KIAL road and flag down cars resulting in last second maneuvers and pile-ups and panicky situation since this is quite a fast corridor and if a vehicle doing even 60 Kmph stops abruptly in any lane, for sure it leads to dangerous situations and can cause accidents.

The cops support these methods blaming the owners for not updating the address in RCs after relocating but this cannot be a reason to indulge in something as dangerous.

These cops are also least bothered on how after flagging down these vehicles, it is also absolutely important to let them park within the shoulder and ask the drivers to walk or discuss on the shoulder rather than stand right on the lane and pose a threat to rest of the traffic.

In fact, in response to the tweet, Commissioner Bhaskar Rao also admits that he too wants to end this way of enforcement and asks suggestions:



While I am no way taking sides here as to who was right or wrong, we all know one thing for sure that keeping basic road safety aspects in mind, flagging down vehicles on a fast corridor in the manner that our cops do is extremely dangerous and this incident hopefully lets BTP think and take appropriate measures to bring this practice to and end.

[shubhodeepdas@g]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

In fact, in response to the tweet, Commissioner Bhaskar Rao also admits that he too wants to end this way of enforcement and asks suggestions:...

The only part of this people understand is the "Amount to pay" and people go through any length to try and get that NCB when they are renewing their car insurance. Just generate a ticket and tie it to the insurance / registration of the car (if possible), and that infraction should deduct 20% of the NCB. In this method, expensive vehicles do stand to loose more for every infraction.

If they have no NCB to start with or the NCB is already nullified, just increase the premium with a set amount for every infraction.

However, this method does not allow for "revenue" for the traffic department.

[Jerryaj]

As pointed above, "The Nexon didn't notice the car because he would have at best done a cursory check for vehicles in the immediate lane."


Absolutely correct!! I'm not sure why people are trying to pull Nexon into the wrong doing list. For all that we know (or don't know) the person might have checked the immediate lane. The sole responsibility is on the i10, you simply don't overtake on the last lane of any road. People using the last lane and shoulders for over taking is wrong and illegal. Please don't try defend this action by stating the first lane is always hogged by the slow moving vehicles. I've purposely referred to as last lane and not overtaking from left because of the same. If we are doing such overtakes its for our convenience and we don't have any right to complain and point fingers, if this action creates any mishap.

[Neeraj1903]

Driver was not wearing seat belt because of which sensors didn’t engage and airbag didn’t deploy during rollover. Whiplash, survived with no outside physical injury but died because of spine fracture. Driving at 140. Handbraked when neelgay came on road.

Shouldn't there be a system in India where cars won't move unless all passengers have fastened their seat belts? However, even if this is done, we have geniuses to fool the system with those pseudo seatbelts attachments.
Source: Facebook

[airbus]

Originally Posted by Jerryaj

For all that we know (or don't know) the person might have checked the immediate lane. The sole responsibility is on the i10, you simply don't overtake on the last lane of any road.

I agree, this accident is due to reckless overtaking by the driver of the i10. Nexon driver hardly had one second to spot the quick overtaking manoeuvre by the i10 driver.

At 12 second mark i10 was entering left lane:



At 13 second mark i10 driver crashed to the Nexon:

[locusjag]

The i10 driver here is culpable. He kept speeding up on the slow lane despite spotting (or maybe because he failed to spot) the stopped police and civilian vehicles by the side of the road.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Absolutely true!

I myself have witnessed one such (less tragic) incident while I was flagged down on BETL flyover on one of the afternoons in 2012 for driving above the permissible limit of 80 Kmph.

I did ask the constable casually if this wasn't a dangerous task that can lead to accidents to which he responded to me that he has been doing this since many years and nothing will happen.

While I blame the i10 for speeding and lane changing, mourn the departed police personnel and condole their loved ones, I am left with no option but to wholly agree with Parag here:

1. Flagging down motorists across all lanes on a relatively 'narrow' 3 lane stretch is a massive risk in itself.
2. Lack of a lay-by means the interceptor is just on the shoulder of the road AND the flagged down vehicles tend to be stopped haphazardly / or stop themselves blocking the left-most lane.
3. The police personnel usually stand on the driver side instead of getting the driver to come out with all papers.

It all adds up to a recipe for disaster. All I can say is that more lives could have been lost. I do hope BTP relooks at their strategy, and at least coordinate with NHAI / concessionaires to construct proper speed traps (where they can safely clock motorists), and then flag them down in an appropriate location.

In a way, this Chikkajala location is better than the earlier one which was on top of a flyover before the Air Force Station, Yelahanka. That was an even bigger catastrophe waiting to happen.

[shubhodeepdas@g]

Originally Posted by Neeraj1903

Shouldn't there be a system in India where cars won't move unless all passengers have fastened their seat belts? ...

A vehicle is like a knife, you can either cook with it or kill with it. If people choose the latter, there is very little a manufacturer can do, no matter how hard they try.

There are alerts, weight sensors in the seats, pre-tensioners and a bunch of things that go into the functioning of a seatbelt but people find a way to deliberately fool all of them because they feel uncomfortable wearing it. I have heard insane reasons like:

• "When I brake suddenly, it pulls me back, that's why I don't wear"
• "I cannot reach other parts of the car"
• "I cannot turn around"
• "Nothing will happen, we are in the city"
• "There are no checkpoints on the way"
• ...and my favourite, "Ghutan is hoti hai (I feel suffocated)"

Unfortunately that's the purpose, and maybe they should not brake suddenly so often, or turn around while driving!