[architect]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

It's high time we see features like hill-descent control and ABS, not just on road cars, but also on trucks and buses. And it's high time truck-drivers are enrolled in driving-courses for highway-driving. The running-condition and health of trucks and buses needs to be monitored every other week by informed authorities and organizations.

Our road-network system is heavily flawed. A complete review/re-look is the need of the hour.

Otherwise, accidents and fatalities will only keep increasing and this thread will be in business.

My two cents on this one, Suhas: by and large the percentage of truck drivers who drive sanely and safely is far more than any other kind of vehicle on the road. Truckers are by far the least feared people on the road as opposed some other types of road users, this is my experience. If nothing else, they are at least predictable unlike the morons on two-wheelers or some cars.

I think the most important thing is driver education. Road infrastructure improvement is secondary. Our roads are not so bad that you can't reduce fatalities, out drivers are.

[sunishsamuel]

That's beyond evil, removing a safety feature like hand brake is heights of stupidity and beyond. And just thinking isn't handbrake operated by some kind of vacuum system in trucks and buses ? I remember seeing the drivers pull a lever which generates a loud hiss noise that engages the hand brake system (?) And blame it on the enforcement, few bucks is all they are worried about.

Looks most of the drivers and owners want to learn safety only when they get into accidents. Aaah, i am just unable to control my anger seeing these crazy things on road. I will keep praying.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by architect

My two cents on this one, Suhas: by and large the percentage of truck drivers who drive sanely and safely is far more than any other kind of vehicle on the road. Truckers are by far the least feared people on the road as opposed some other types of road users, this is my experience. If nothing else, they are at least predictable unlike the morons on two-wheelers or some cars.

I think the most important thing is driver education. Road infrastructure improvement is secondary. Our roads are not so bad that you can't reduce fatalities, out drivers are.

wholeheartedly with everything you said.

I've done my fair share of highway driving, and I can safely say that 70% of the truck-drivers have brains and drive on the correct side of the road. they do not come in your way, and give you way when you ask for it. They are much better than the numerous Innovas that are driven in such a rash manner.

But there is always scope for improvement. For example, there was an accident that was reported a few pages earlier, where a Wagon-R crashed into a truck that was performing an illegal U-Turn on an expressway!

Also, there are truck-drivers who are incredibly fatigued as they drive for days without adequate rest. And most of them are drunk out of their skulls.

All this can be addressed if we have a proper establishment/organization that monitors the health of trucks, their drivers and implement rules which ensure that old trucks are discarded and new and improved trucks are introduced.

The European model is fantastic. No driver is allowed to drive for a period longer than 8 hours(?). And each truck/bus driver must take a mandatory half-hour breather for every 2 hours of continuous driving.

We must take a leaf from these models and implement them as soon as possible.

[bisasa]

Another photo of the car in the accident http://www.cityjournal.in/Newspaper/...ro/Metro_2.htm

[RIC.BURNS]

Originally Posted by architect

My two cents on this one, Suhas: by and large the percentage of truck drivers who drive sanely and safely is far more than any other kind of vehicle on the road. Truckers are by far the least feared people on the road as opposed some other types of road users, this is my experience. If nothing else, they are at least predictable unlike the morons on two-wheelers or some cars.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

wholeheartedly with everything you said.

I've done my fair share of highway driving, and I can safely say that 70% of the truck-drivers have brains and drive on the correct side of the road. they do not come in your way, and give you way when you ask for it. They are much better than the numerous Innovas that are driven in such a rash manner.

Totally agree with you guys if we are taking about the NP/long haulers. Most of them have some respect for their large vehicles and the heavy load they carry, but the tippers/city/construction truckers are total morons who have no respect the size of the vehicle and drive like cars.

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by ontheroad

Regarding the Kuthiran accident, there was some reports in the media that the emergency brake/hand brake of the truck was purposefully removed. Reports suggests that the owners remove it fearing the drivers would drive the truck with the handbrake engaged, resulting in low fuel efficiency.

No HCV will move an inch with their handbrake's engaged. And any scrap-worthy truck i have seen till date has this handbrake still working perfectly.

Maybe the momentum gathered when rolling back became too much, and since it is an incline, he feared engaging the brake, because the load will cause to lift the (front) wheels.

[amitwlele]

Accident is ghastly. May their souls RIP.

Only learning if any has to be drawn from it by me is to keep a safe distance between the vehicles especially in the ghats.

[bisasa]

Originally Posted by sunishsamuel

I am not sure who to blame for the kuthiran accident. Its unfortunate and hope the family gets the support to move on. May the souls RIP. Saw a pic of the car under truck and it looks so horrible. Looks this happened because of some confusion seeing the broken down truck coming back.

We lost a close family friend and his nephew way back in 90s in a mishap like this. My dad and the uncle were very close and dad was shocked for a long time. This was between a brand new amby nova diesel and a truck. The National Permit truck went over the ambassador crushing it. Brake failure was the reason !

While it might not help in all cases, arent trucks equipped with some emergency stop mechanism (in cars last resort of hand braking might work) ? And wouldn't frequent and correct maintenance of vehicles reduce accidents to a greater extent ? And looks this truck did not have the iron bar at the rear that can reduce the impact.

Who to hear !!!!

True, from the other pic, it is observed that the front portion of the car has no or minimal damage. The body of the truck went straight into the cabin which does not stand any chance against tons of truck and material when its only support is the feeble A pillars. If there was an iron bar at the lower part of the rear(under run protection) or if the bodies of the trucks were built in such fashion that smaller vehicles would not go straight through, the result would not have been like this for sure. Similarly the passenger car A pillar strength also needs to be relooked into by the car companies.

Who does not know this better than the people who look after road safety. But who cares? Money rules over safety.

[tbppjpr]

If I become transport minister than first thing I will do that I will ban the old design trucks to be sold and will only allow to sale the new design trucks like Prima, Navistar etc. Its very tuff to completely remove the existing trucks from the roads, so would make a rule to modify those trucks by adding all-around skirts to bring down the body height to a safe level. Cars known for their safety like Mercedes, BMW or Volvo etc can't even remain safe car in case of collision with our Indian trucks. I would employ a road side safety cell who will keep patrolling to make sure that rules and laws are followed in right way.

I agree with other BHPians who say that most highway truck drivers are safe driver, very few of them are drive risky. But dampers, pick-ups, trucks working on construction sites etc are most dangerous vehicles on roads.

I think now the time has come to protest for demanding better road and vehicle safety rules & regulations.

[AlphaKilo]

So sad! Another MTC mishap!

There is a MTC driver, who says the brake efficiency is reduced to improve efficiency.

Drivers such as P. Bhagawanth, who has 30 years of experience, say that the braking efficiency of most buses is kept around 35-40 per cent, against a requirement of 70 per cent. This is done to improve the mileage.

When 70-year-old Ganapathy stepped into a bus terminus on Monday morning, little could he have realised that he may not be able to do so again for a long time. Around 11 a.m., a Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus ran over him right inside the T. Nagar bus terminus. He swerved at the last moment and managed to survive, but is fighting to save his legs. Currently undergoing treatment at the Government General Hospital, he said: “I was just waiting for a bus. The terminus was very crowded and the bus came out of nowhere.”

The Hindu : Cities / Chennai : Septuagenarian's legs injured by bus at T. Nagar terminus

[mannubhai]

On the kuthiran accident, what i read was that, the truck went dead, and started rolling back. Seeing this, the car guy who was behind, tried to move to the right. The truck guy apparently saw the car in the back and he too moved to the right trying to avoid the car. Unfortunately by the time they realised, they were in for a collission, it was too late, and the truck rammed the car sandwiching it.

Having driven that road umpteen times, i was always wary of the Trichur-Palakkad buses, who fling a coin at the ayyappa temple, before taking off like a MIG than a Tata or leyland bus. They are the most reckless creatures I have ever seen on the road. My mom used to travel to work from Palakkad to trichur daily in one of these buses long back, and for that 70 kms stretch, they have clocked even 1.10 hrs. If you have been on the road then, ie, 15 years back, you would know, what that would have meant.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by mannubhai

They are the most reckless creatures I have ever seen on the road. My mom used to travel to work from Palakkad to trichur daily in one of these buses long back, and for that 70 kms stretch, they have clocked even 1.10 hrs. If you have been on the road then, ie, 15 years back, you would know, what that would have meant.

100 % agree with you. I used to take these private buses during 90's and they used to do entire stretch even at 1.20hrs after going through Wadakkancherry and Alathur town! Even now, they are not bothered about descending heavy vehicles and their braking inefficiency. They are still practicing the same and driving anywhere close to them is a nightmare.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by mannubhai

They are the most reckless creatures I have ever seen on the road...

Originally Posted by coolclouds

...driving anywhere close to them is a nightmare.

These days, they go offroad as well - not that there is much of a road, still, these guys go to places that other vehicles would call a road. Earlier, they used to have 120bhp engines, but now, I think they have 160 or even 180bhp engines! It's really risky to take any small car along Kuthiran, unless it's during the late night or early morning hours.

[libranof1987]

What the hell is this non-sense?!

Pune bus driver goes on a rampage; 40 vehicles crushed, 7 dead: Reports

Was the man drunk/unstable?

[sajo]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

What the hell is this non-sense?!

Pune bus driver goes on a rampage; 40 vehicles crushed, 7 dead: Reports

Was the man drunk/unstable?

If he had not been stopped at Neelayam theater (a couple of KMs away from the place where it was stolen), he would have continued his rampage!
He stole the bus and started driving on the wrong side crushing things that came in his way.