[arun_josie]

Regarding the ORR accident.

- Occupants aged 20, 21, 21
- Returning after a party @ 6:30 AM
- Accident spot is ORR Hyderabad.
- Slammed into the milk tanker and pushed it for nearly 100 metres.
- The impact of the crash was such that the engine of the car telescoped into the cabin and though the airbags got deployed, they were of little use. And this after rear ending a moving truck.
- Six pending challans including one for speeding on the PVNR Expressway

Above combination of information tells me that, its the irresponsible high speed driving that would have caused this accident. It really doesn't matter on which lane the truck was or if it was a foggy morning.

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Apart from the "Maruti" term being too generic (stands for anything from a bare M800 to the Grand Vitara), we also need to compare apples with apples across brands. I drive a Baleno and the Ford Fiesta Classic would be a peer, not just in terms of engine/power, but weight & safety features. In a similar accident, there is no factual data available to say that the Fiesta will fare better. With both cars tipping the scales at ~1000kg, the results will be similar.

So, there is nothing that a "story" will really help since accidents are different, but I remember a tbhp-ian walking out of a very bad crash in a Lancer (he had written his experience on the forum too - IIRC his handle is cheating_death or something on those lines). While not a Maruti, the Lancer is also a Jap weighing in roughly the same as its peers - Baleno / OHC etc.

A quick search within T-BHP for Ford Fiesta gives the below,

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post2559976

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post2560843

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...purchased.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...my-fiesta.html

I also have heard of several cases (Including one above) where people have totaled their Fiesta and have gone ahead and purchased the EXACT SAME car because they had first hand experience on how the Fiesta saved their lives. In one such example, the Owner wrote to Ford executives asking if they can help him source a Fiesta (Classic) again since it's stopped.

Don't just discount it as 'Story'. It's a near death experience which is shared. And there's a lot to learn from it.

I'm kind of tired with this Maruti fans trying to cover for the brand saying all cars will end up like this so there's nothing wrong. It's time you understand that cars can have crumple zones; when the entire car is an crumple zone its something else.

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by vsathyap

According to the article on Motoroids, a brand new Baleno crashed and ended up crumpled like a piece of paper.

Inputs welcome!

I'm not sure if this is a repeat thread, hope it is moved to the relevant one as required. Safety is always more a matter of how one drives. Yes there are idiots on the road, and should anything happen it is then and only then should the car have a say in whether one lives and with how much injury.

No matter which car it may be, driving at insane speeds will cause very serious damage to the vehicle. It is after all a matter of design within reasonable limits. One cannot really design a car to be safe at 120, because then we would need metres of crumple zones on every side of the car. Badly damaged car = badly damaged passengers.

There are several factors that combine to create the traffic mess that we have, and encourages accidents:

1. Ease with which one can get a licenses - Many don't even visit the RTO, let alone go for driving classes. Corruption at the RTO makes this very easy. Even commercial licenses are the same, and most of our city mass transport being public, the drivers are "Government Servants" - read cannot-be-fired-or-reprimanded. The worst that would happen is that they will be temporarily suspended with full pay and benefits, like that's a deterrent.

2. Almost all of the driving schools teach how to drive (and that not very well either), not how to obey rules or courtesy to other road users and pedestrians

3. Very limited policing - Most of the time there are "drives" to check for DUI, not wearing seat-belts, or some other specific issue. However the police doesn't know or care about any of the other violations at the time

4. Illiterate police - I am speaking of the police that we interact with. They are illiterate in the laws they are supposed to enforce. Unless an SI or officer of rank is present, the constables will bow to pressure ("Jaanta hai me kaun hu?") or bribes

5. Poor parenting - This is going to cause a lot of debate, but parents are the primary cause of accidents. Most parents are road-illiterate themselves, and do little to educate their children. They personify all that is ill with drivers on our roads, and set the worst examples for their children to follow. I have seen in this day and age (in Bangalore no less) a father riding a bike helmetless, with a small (<2 year old) child sitting on the tank in front of him. This is not the 70s, with empty roads and limited exposure/knowledge. Not specifically driving, but I've seen a trend of parents walking on the road (not footpath) with their children walking beside them further on the road rather than between the parents and the footpath. This makes absolutely NO sense to me - such parents really need their brains examined.

6. Poor Infrastructure - The new Tender SURE project in Bangalore has enlightened me to the concept of incentivising the adherence to rules. Poor infrastructure means there is the opportunity to break rules, and the points above mean that there is little to deter drivers from taking the opportunity. The Tender SURE project incentivises lane driving, staying in the correct lane, and driving at moderate speeds. If implemented across the entire city, I am sure this will make a massive difference in how people drive.

Regarding highway driving, there is a huge role of licensing and parenting in how one drives. We all start out as youngsters driving, and the thrill generally does put us in a dangerous situation at one time or another in our early days. It is here that the education that strict licensing ensures, and the values that proper parenting provides will make a huge difference. My two cents, and apologies for the long post.

PS: This landed up in the right thread while I was replying

[DRIV3R]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Regarding the ORR accident.

- Occupants aged 20, 21, 21
- Returning after a party @ 6:30 AM
- Accident spot is ORR Hyderabad.
- Slammed into the milk tanker and pushed it for nearly 100 metres.
- The impact of the crash was such that the engine of the car telescoped into the cabin and though the airbags got deployed, they were of little use. And this after rear ending a moving truck.
- Six pending challans including one for speeding on the PVNR Expressway

Above combination of information tells me that, its the irresponsible high speed driving that would have caused this accident. It really doesn't matter on which lane the truck was or if it was a foggy morning.

Additionally, none of them were buckled up. The driver's seat belt was buckled up for the seat.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by anachronix

The Focus crash was at 120MPH which is about 192KMPH. Any car will be left to whatever remained of the Focus after the crash!

Is it really possible for any Ford Focus to do 120MPH?

In my limited experience (I know I lack the skills to drive at such speeds, even on a clear, empty British motorway) the average family saloon/hatch can be pushed to just over 100MPH

Originally Posted by vsathyap

Now, I'm neither starting this topic to bash Maruti ... ....

This topic is not only started, it is worn out. Time to leave it in the scrap yard with that poor vehicle.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

So, there is nothing that a "story" will really help since accidents are different, but I remember a tbhp-ian walking out of a very bad crash in a Lancer (he had written his experience on the forum too - IIRC his handle is cheating_death or something on those lines). While not a Maruti, the Lancer is also a Jap weighing in roughly the same as its peers - Baleno / OHC etc.

There is a report on a crash in a humble 800:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...d-account.html

Though not much related to crash tests, but still I would not want anyone to miss post no. 47 on the same thread here:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...account-4.html

Thanks,
Saket.

[IronH4WK]

my wife and me almost got crushed by a BMTC bus on our way back from a breakfast ride last Sunday. quick evasive maneuver saved the day.

https://youtu.be/kkiT7_zmw2o

[chevyman]

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

my wife and me almost got crushed by a BMTC bus on our way back from a breakfast ride last Sunday. quick evasive maneuver saved the day.

To be honest you seem reckless with that overtaking. You should have slowed down and honked enough to grab the bus driver's attention, especially since your passage is narrow. You cant just cruise like that taking the bus for granted.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by IronH4WK

my wife and me almost got crushed by a BMTC bus on our way back from a breakfast ride last Sunday. quick evasive maneuver saved the day.

Typical antics from BMTC drivers and reading your post even before I saw the video I expected a sudden lane change and it was almost that.

You would notice another "Gentlemanly" trait from these drivers. No matter how close you are approaching them from their right when they are stationary, there pops out a hand even after you are halfway through the entire bus' length - GAME OVER!!!

The BMTC bus driver now has every right to knock you down, bruise your car and continue going ahead without any botheration.

Now let us say he popped his hand out much before and now you are a Gentleman to slow down and allow him to change lane, he will never get back to the left lane to let you pass even when there is nothing blocking him on the leftmost lane.

So these days, Hand gestures like these supersede any other method of being a gentleman on road.

Now, if you decide to have an argument, the standard response will be -

Naan kayyi torsilvaa? (Didn't I show my hand first?).

This is just like a cabbie trying to defend driving with headlights entering a one way and say Yaaake? Naan lights haakilvaaa? (Why? Haven't I put my headlights on?)

We all know this shall never end.

Originally Posted by chevyman

To be honest you seem reckless with that overtaking. You should have slowed down and honked enough to grab the bus driver's attention, especially since your passage is narrow. You cant just cruise like that taking the bus for granted.

Blame the narrowness due to the fisheye effect of the camera recording that clip. Look at the width of the Bus too, looks like the width of an old timer Double Decker bus from BTS Era.

However, I am sure that the width is sufficient and IronHawk would have done his homework of honking (& flashing) to grab the attention of the Bus driver. It may also be a case that when the Bus driver turned, the bike may have moved out into the blind spot of his ORVMs.

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Is it really possible for any Ford Focus to do 120MPH?

In my limited experience (I know I lack the skills to drive at such speeds, even on a clear, empty British motorway) the average family saloon/hatch can be pushed to just over 100MPH



This topic is not only started, it is worn out. Time to leave it in the scrap yard with that poor vehicle.

Would have helped if you had checked the video before posting this query. That will give you more than just the answer for your query.

[deepv]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Regarding the ORR accident.

- Occupants aged 20, 21, 21
...
- Six pending challans including one for speeding on the PVNR Expressway

Arun .. you missed the most important point - one of the victims was grandson of Ex-DGP of AP and Chairman of Telangana Tourism, others his cousin/friend.
Probably also the reason for all those pending challans.

[KiloAlpha]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Is it really possible for any Ford Focus to do 120MPH?

In my limited experience (I know I lack the skills to drive at such speeds, even on a clear, empty British motorway) the average family saloon/hatch can be pushed to just over 100MPH

Please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_F...rst_generation)

The 1.6 petrol (most common engine) can do 115mph, the 1.8 & 2.0 engined cars can top 120mph.

[RJ411]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Is it really possible for any Ford Focus to do 120MPH?

In my limited experience (I know I lack the skills to drive at such speeds, even on a clear, empty British motorway) the average family saloon/hatch can be pushed to just over 100MPH

The Ford Focus used in that testing was not manually driven at 120MPH, it was pulled back with XXX amount force and released on a straight line track so that it can simulate speeds around 120MPH. Ofcourse no car will survive that crash that too against a concrete wall. Period.

Having driven bigger vehicles than Focus in UK around 100 MPH, I think it can acheive that speed.

[NowNew7]

Originally Posted by VeluM

5. Poor parenting - This is going to cause a lot of debate, but parents are the primary cause of accidents.

Poor parenting is the primary reason for a large variety of "human error" related issues and not only in driving... no debate here!

Unfortunately procreation does not need any pre qualification or licensing so the tribe of morons keeps on growing.

Another thing which is missed out completely is that children learn from what you do, rather than what you teach.

[schakravarthy]

Originally Posted by NowNew7

Another thing which is missed out completely is that children learn from what you do, rather than what you teach.

+1 to that!

That's what makes me cringe every time I see a kid laden vehicle being ridden by helmet-less, signal breaking, wrong side riding 'adult'. Why would the kid respect the laws of the road when he has his first hero callously dismiss them without second thoughts! Impressionable age be damned.