[tharian]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Surprisingly, the adjacent lane/booth was empty and even the other ones too seems to be empty. Not sure why the ambulance driver chose this one which was blocked.

Usually it is the last or extreme left lane that is used for emergency/VIP/wide load vehicles.

Originally Posted by VVN

Just read on the news. 4 people died in that Ambulance crash - the drive, 2 attendants and a toll booth employee. It's horrific. NDTV also mentioned that the driver lost control due to aquaplaning.

As per today's paper, there were 8 people in the ambulance and it looks like the 4 who died were from the same family of the patient who was being moved, who passed away as well.
The driver escaped with injuries and so did the toll booth attendant.

[self_driven]

Footage showing the ambulance crash from a different angle:

https://youtu.be/0YWf8cOHZg0

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Surprisingly, the adjacent lane/booth was empty and even the other ones too seems to be empty. Not sure why the ambulance driver chose this one which was blocked.

Was he really in a position to choose the lane? The car had aquaplaned well before it came close to the toll booth. While this was the Ambulance/VIP lane due to which the staff immediately opened the barriers, the driver had lost control to be able to take a different lane at this stage.

What surprises me is how the vehicle rear slid off almost perpendicular to the road. Does this toll lie in the middle of a curve? And the driver made no attempt to counter steer. At least some amount of the slide could have been controlled but this one Is completely unmitigated. Before these ambulance drivers do aggressive driving, they need to be well trained how to handle the vehicle and react to loss of control.

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by tharian

Usually it is the last or extreme left lane that is used for emergency/VIP/wide load vehicles.

Yes, that I am aware. Given that the other lanes were free, a better judgement could have been made and used one of those. He would have gotten through the other lanes faster as well.

Originally Posted by audioholic

Does this toll lie in the middle of a curve? And the driver made no attempt to counter steer. At least some amount of the slide could have been controlled but this one Is completely unmitigated.

Probably a slight steering adjustments must be required to align to this booth which is situated in the extreme left. And with that is what he lost the control. Wet roads, high speeds, 8 people, poor tyres probably.. recipe for that accident.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Was he really in a position to choose the lane? The car had aquaplaned well before it came close to the toll booth..
they need to be well trained how to handle the vehicle and react to loss of control.

Originally Posted by balenoed_

YGiven that the other lanes were free, a better judgement could have been made and used one of those. He would have gotten through the other lanes faster as well.

Probably a slight steering adjustments must be required to align to this booth which is situated in the extreme left. And with that is what he lost the control. Wet roads, high speeds, 8 people, poor tyres probably.. recipe for that accident.

Other regular lanes would most probably have car breaking speed breakers to slow regular roads users. The VIP/Ambulance would be free of those.

The service lane required the driver to shift to left lane from where he was approaching, and as soon as he tried to make the ambulance straight for the VIP lane, he had to brake observing some obstacle in the lane. Two maneuvers at speed and that resulted into loss of control.

What was live stock doing in the VIP/Ambulance lane ? Ambulance driver had to brake hard probably due to that.

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Probably a slight steering adjustments must be required to align to this booth which is situated in the extreme left.

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

The service lane required the driver to shift to left lane from where he was approaching, and as soon as he tried to make the ambulance straight for the VIP lane, he had to brake observing some obstacle in the lane.

Yes, this is where and how he lost it. He took that slight curve in all adverse conditions. Must have never thought the vehicle would behave it that way in those conditions. Hard way to learn though! 4 lives lost to save 1.

[harry10]

I believe India should have separate training for different categories of vehicle. Someone driving a car and then driving an Ambulance may expect it to behave in the same way, it doesn't. We do have different category of licenses but to obtain them is an easy task without any training. This accident could have been avoided if the driver was well versed with his vehicle's capability and respecting the road conditions.

[GJ01]

Originally Posted by AdityaDeane

What was the driver thinking, is he driving an Ambulance or a sports car?

I think it was a case of Aquaplaning. If you see, the vehicles starts to slide as soon as it comes near the tollboth. I have seen that all these tollbooths have concrete roads around the booths. Someone coming from a tarmac onto the concrete, with some possible water accumulation - could inadvertently get aquaplaned. Also observed the cow bang in the middle, could have led to Panic breaking furthering my theory of aquaplaning.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by harry10

I believe India should have separate training for different categories of vehicle. Someone driving a car and then driving an Ambulance may expect it to behave in the same way, it doesn't.

Totally. As a general rule, ambulances (usually the Omni & such) in Kerala are totally driven rashly & are a danger to other road users - so many accidents due to them. I understand medical emergency & thus the need to rush, but there is no point in speeding if instead of getting the patient to the hospital, you end up endangering a few others too.

And then there are the fake emergency ambulances who just use the siren/lights to get a free lane. Once while driving from Haripad to Kollam, an ambulance travelling normally suddenly switches on the siren/lights on getting behind me. I still move aside to let it pass. After few minutes, I see it parked by the road and drive by. Then a little later, again it is behind me and turns on the siren. Could see that they had no emergency or patient, but not much we could do about such misuse of emergency priority.

[deetee]

News reports state that 4 have deceased in this particular ambulance accident, including ambulance driver. I think the patient also might have lost life. In one of the videos, ambulance driver is seen falling through the windshield onto tarmac. He may not have been wearing seat belt. Also, to enter into this lane of toll booth , ambulance driver has overcorrected . As a direct effect of manuoveirng at high speed , aquaplaning seems to be the direct cause for loosing traction. The cow at the outer limit of tollgate doesn't seemed have any influence at all.

[balenoed_]

I think we are mixing up skidding and aquaplaning or using them interchangeably. I think both are different conditions.

Skidding is an out of control motion when brakes are applied too hard on wet surface or excessive steering than what the conditions allow. Aquaplaning is where your tyres’ tread can’t disperse water quickly enough and the tyre rides up on the water’s surface. This can occur in lower speeds as well.

And in this particular accident, it looks to be more of a skidding as there doesn't look like any standing water in that area.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by GJ01

I think it was a case of Aquaplaning. If you see, the vehicles starts to slide as soon as it comes near the tollboth. I have seen that all these tollbooths have concrete roads around the booths. Someone coming from a tarmac onto the concrete, with some possible water accumulation - could inadvertently get aquaplaned. Also observed the cow bang in the middle, could have led to Panic breaking furthering my theory of aquaplaning.

If aquaplaning, steering or braking has no effect. The vehicle is effectively floating.

Braking/steering is more likely to cause skidding.

I'm not just being pedantic. There is a major difference between skidding and aquaplaning, and that difference seems to be getting lost in some discussions here these days.

Which is happening here? I don't know. There certainly looks to be enough water on that road for aquaplaning to be possible.

The only thing I can see, and I guess we all can, is that the speed is excessive for the conditions. Tragedy.

[RaviK]

I live close to a large hospital in Sydney & its common to see ambulances zooming by every day, however the level of their discipline & alertness is laudable (slowing down on intersections/street crossing, maintaining distance).
The Indian ones are usually more focused on objective, rather than following the process and discipline ..!!

[jaaz]

Perfect co ordination of the Toll booth staff, they were quick and precise. But unfortunate for the Ambulance driver, patient and occupants.

Does the Vehicle have ABS? It's mandatory since 4-5 years. ESP would've definitely helped. What about the tyre condition, we'll come to know only after RTO inspection of the damaged vehicle.

[arighna.dutta]

As members are discussing on the reason this Ambulance crash might have happened.
Looks like the answer is simple, incompetent driver, clearly driver error.

Some say, layer of water on the road, chances of aquaplaning. some say it was raining and on concrete surface it gets so much more slippery. Some are reasoning the presence of cow and few referring to change of lane too. However, a professional driver rather anyone driving on the road is absolutely responsible for gauging the different parameters and drive accordingly in a safe fashion.