Pics: Accidents in India

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

Even in my society when I am taking my car out in evening when children are playing, I am doubly cautious. This is case of bus, driven well on schedule of school. Its parent's responsibility to keep small kids away from vehicles, irrespective of size.

I understand, even the parents in my apartments are absolutely clueless in not letting their kids play in the driveway. I have had many arguments with these irresponsible parents on this issue.
If kids can't learn basic road safety in enclosed spaces, how will they behave on open roads.

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

I understand, even the parents in my apartments are absolutely clueless in not letting their kids play in the driveway. I have had many arguments with these irresponsible parents on this issue.
If kids can't learn basic road safety in enclosed spaces, how will they behave on open roads.

One is not supposed to drive at a speed more than 20KMPH inside a housing complex. Children are children and if they can't feel safe inside their apartment complex where else they are safe? Parents can not be with their children all the time. It is the driver's responsibility to be careful.

[ankan.m.blr]

I have no words to describe this stupidity .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VOaxt_U2tc

[aerohit]

Originally Posted by ankan.m.blr

I have no words to describe this stupidity .

1) In India, if there is an obstacle infront, instead of applying brakes people just abruptly change lane.

This is exactly what happens when people are lazy to apply brakes.

One should always leave enough room - sideways and front/back as a buffer. Unfortunately gaps are often filled by smaller vehicles.

2) There are no lanes painted on the road. People are moving like animals in a jungle.

[tazmaan]

Originally Posted by ankan.m.blr

I have no words to describe this stupidity .

Stupid, so much damage done just because of her stupidity. And she just continued walking as if nothing happened.

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

One is not supposed to drive at a speed more than 20KMPH inside a housing complex. Children are children and if they can't feel safe inside their apartment complex where else they are safe? Parents can not be with their children all the time. It is the driver's responsibility to be careful.

This is at crawling speeds. My issue with children playing in the driveway when there is dedicated play area. This doesn't absolve parents from not teaching their kids to behave safely. Let's not bring in things like "children are children" when it comes to safety., even I am an expecting Father.

[rajivr1612]

Originally Posted by ankan.m.blr

I have no words to describe this stupidity .

The lady who caused it all coolly walks away...

[RajeVenu]

Originally Posted by gkveda

I fully agree with this point. When it is very well known to even the neighbors that the child is hyper active and the mother has to hold the child tight to control, mother should have taken care to bolt the door when she leaves....

Please point me a child of two years who is not hyper active, I have a 16 month old child and he is also hyperactive, in fact all children are according to their parents. Introspection or retrospection will not bring the child back and the mother will carry this burden throughout her life.

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

One is not supposed to drive at a speed more than 20KMPH inside a housing complex. Children are children and if they can't feel safe inside their apartment complex where else they are safe? Parents can not be with their children all the time. It is the driver's responsibility to be careful.

Even 20 Kmph is enough to maim or kill, speed wasn't the issue in the case under discussion, as the bus had just started. Why do you want children to play on the roads inside apt complex and feel safe, it should be our endeavour to tell them roads are not for playing at apt or otherwise. Kids will be kids and they have to be under supervision at house or outside, you always necessarily can't blame the driver and put the onus on him. Earmark separate play areas inside apartments and fence them. Most apartments or societies should provide basic amenities like parks/play area inside housing complex but the developers seldom do.

[pkulkarni.2106]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

This is at crawling speeds. My issue with children playing in the driveway when there is dedicated play area. This doesn't absolve parents from not teaching their kids to behave safely. Let's not bring in things like "children are children" when it comes to safety., even I am an expecting Father.

Even I face this issue in my society. I have to take right turn just after entering the society gate (to head towards my dedicated parking) and the right side visibility is blocked by trees/bushes planted in the lawn. Every day when I take the right turn, there are few kids playing on the drive way (note that the lawn/play area is just next to drive way), and I must brake suddenly. But every single time, parents give me a look as if I'm stupid .

Nowadays I've got the habit of honking just before entering the gate and just before making the right turn, but seems people have issues with that as well

[dass]

The issue about safety inside the apartment has been lingering in my mind for a while. we have a play area and the children ride their cycles on the drive way, as the play area isn't enough for all of them. Now, everyone who resides there know that there are children riding their cycles on the drive way, yet I see some people speeding their cars as they approach their parking lot. I mean, how many seconds will you lose by crawling to your parking lot and not sliding and slamming your brakes into it? And the sad part of all this is, most of the people who do this antics have their own kids cycling inside the complex.

Kids will be kids, but that shouldn't stop us from teaching them basic safety parameters. Having said this, the benefit of doubt should always go with the kids and not the racing adults, who always seem to be in a hurry only to be late everywhere.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by dass

... ... ... Kids will be kids, but that shouldn't stop us from teaching them basic safety parameters. Having said this, the benefit of doubt should always go with the kids and not the racing adults, who always seem to be in a hurry only to be late everywhere.

Absolutely.

If children are about or nearby, drive slowly. If they are on the road or roadside, drive at walking pace or less, at which hitting the brake gives an almost instant stop.

Isn't it obvious?

[shubhodeepdas@g]

Originally Posted by ankan.m.blr

I have no words to describe this stupidity .

No words really. The woman is crossing at a pace expecting the traffic to slow down or stop for her, which is absolutely fine. And I am sure the traffic that is coming towards her is honking while maintaining the same speeds expecting her to fly away resulting in such a dramatic situation.

Originally Posted by speedmiester

I understand, even the parents in my apartments are absolutely clueless in not letting their kids play in the driveway. I have had many arguments with these irresponsible parents on this issue. If kids can't learn basic road safety in enclosed spaces, how will they behave on open roads.

I stay in a locality where there are kids cycling everywhere in the driveway and it is expected from kids. A strict code or 20 kph or less is followed to help the situation.

That's not all, the architects actually planned the driveways slightly narrow with regular protrusions from both sides as trees and shrubs that intentionally takes away the feel of it being a comfortable place to speed in. Results, even Olas and Ubers maintain a low speed.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by tazmaan

Stupid, so much damage done just because of her stupidity. And she just continued walking as if nothing happened.

Originally Posted by rajivr1612

The lady who caused it all coolly walks away...

So, OK, maybe she's stupid. How about the fact that if people had slowed and let her cross none of that would have happened?

Originally Posted by shubhodeepdas@g

No words really. The woman is crossing at a pace expecting the traffic to slow down or stop for her, which is absolutely fine. And I am sure the traffic that is coming towards her is honking while maintaining the same speeds expecting her to fly away resulting in such a dramatic situation.

And in which direction do they expect her to fly? Straight up? Once on a busy road with traffic all around, any move can be expected to be dangerous. The only thing I can say is that, when faced by an oncoming vehicle, especially a bike, I make it clear whether I want it to pass in front or behind.


My Dad's trick driving question: "When does a pedestrian have right of way?" after exhausting my knowledge of the British Highway Code, his answer: "Always: you are not allowed to run over them. These guys chose to run over each other, which is pretty much as bad.

If it is too much to slow down for a soft thing made of flesh and blood, then it is time to reminded that we are also soft things also made of flesh and blood.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

So, OK, maybe she's stupid. How about the fact that if people had slowed and let her cross none of that would have happened?

And in which direction do they expect her to fly? Straight up? Once on a busy road with traffic all around, any move can be expected to be dangerous. The only thing I can say is that, when faced by an oncoming vehicle, especially a bike, I make it clear whether I want it to pass in front or behind.

Well, after seeing the video I can say I have seen my share of nonchalance in jaywalkers but none to this level, none. This is straight-up eerie the way she walked up and I have no doubt in my mind that this is majority, her fault.

She is seen clearly crossing over a random stretch, not a zebra crossing (yes, I know people will laugh reading this because in our "developing" country spotting an actual zebra is more of a possibility than a zebra crossing). Yet she should've way more patient, crossed after the completely occupied lane traffic had passed & ensured that those who were coming from front see her from a distance by a hand wave. I NEVER cross when all the lanes are occupied because the motorists in India have myopic glaucoma where they just focus on the vehicles to the side and how to overtake them and anything more than 2 inches away is a blur.

In a way both the motorists and jaywalkers are in fault, since nonchalance and outright hostility & anarchy basically summarises our roads, its a case of the seemingly unstoppable force and the seemingly immovable object. American laws of jaywalking MUST be brought here ASAP, I don't mind a Rs.10,000/- penalty to these harbingers of doom.

Whenever I'm on the road I always mutter about America and how nice traffic rules are over there, I know Lady Liberty isn't accepting the "tired, poor & huddled masses yearning to breathe free" anymore, but I guess my love affair with her continues from a distance.

[binand]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

American laws of jaywalking MUST be brought here ASAP, I don't mind a Rs.10,000/- penalty to these harbingers of doom.

Well, from what I understand of America (and Europe where I have first-hand experience, and perhaps elsewhere too) the position outlined by Thad is correct - pedestrians have absolute right of way. Here's is California's position:

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/de...k/right_of_way

It repeatedly says "yield to the pedestrian".

Maybe she was jaywalking, maybe she is hearing impaired, maybe she is mentally unstable, maybe she was indeed taunting the drivers on that road. None of that is an excuse for crashing into her (which the driver here didn't do, I agree). I think the law India lacks is one that imposes IPC 304 on a variety of on-road offences.