[AYP]

Did someone see the Amaze hanging from the left side pavement of the bridge just in front of the Ghansoli station? I could not believe the height at which the car was. I guess the driver got confused as to which side to take(over or under the bridge) and the car went straight up after hitting the pavement.

[Torqy]

So, apart from panicking, what can be done in the event of a tyre burst? What should be done? What should not be done? Experts, please.

-- Torqy

[bharat4ever]

Originally Posted by Torqy

So, apart from panicking, what can be done in the event of a tyre burst? What should be done? What should not be done? Experts, please.

-- Torqy

This article can help I hope.

[Equus]

Sorry I dont have much info yet but he was an auto enthusiast and has extensively driven/riden across the country (and Bhutan also I think).

Here is probably what happened - front left tyre burst; probably he over-steered right and hit/crossed the median and bumped into the van from the opposite side. The van driver also died.

It was a Safari LX - i guess this doesnt come with airbags or even ABS?

PS: He may not have been very fast as one of the ladies in the car was 4-5 months pregnant.

[humyum]

Originally Posted by Torqy

So, apart from panicking, what can be done in the event of a tyre burst? What should be done? What should not be done? Experts, please.

-- Torqy

Don't make sudden steering moments and don't stomp on the brakes. Easy steering moments, ease off the accelerator and you should be fine. If the car has already lost control, in that case, try to counter correct with hints of braking when you feel you are getting back in line.

Whatever happens, no sudden moments. That will surely make the situation worse and if you have not lost control, make you loose control.

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by Equus

He was a very experienced driver with a few hundred thousand kms done.

Not doubting his experience of driving. Unfortunately the place where accident occurred can not be but for over speeding & losing control, hitting the median and tyre burst happening. This is a small junction with shops on either side and bus stops which means that there is considerable people movement on Sunday. I passed through the place after the incident occurred but at that time i did not know it involved a colleague. Incidentally, i work in same company and i was helping his folks through evening yesterday after i got the news through my counterpart in another company.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Seek

The grille pattern isn't very clear to figure out if it's the refreshed one or the pre-2015 storme.

I am going to be out on the highway in may on a long road trip in my storme and this has shaken me up a bit.

It is pretty clear from the grille pattern itself that this is a pre-facelift Safari Storme. People need to understand that tyre blowouts can occur. Just go through the thread that deals with tyre blowouts, and take all the preventive precautions but also understand what needs to be done if the worst occurs

Originally Posted by virgopal

Doctor rams his Merc into three cars, two motorbikes, kills one in Bengaluru
Mar 28, 2016, 06.47 AM IST
Bengaluru: A doctor at the wheel of a brand new Merc first rammed a Maruti Swift near Ashoka Pillar but did not stop the car. Moving towards Madhavan Park, Shankar turned left after the park and hit a two-wheeler and two cars, an Indica and a Zen.
The doctor continued to drive and entered Byrasandra Main Road, where he rammed a scooter. With the scooterist clinging on to the bonnet, the Benz ploughed into a makeshift house on the left side of the road, where it ground to a halt.

"All I remember is I dashed some vehicle. After that, I lost consciousness. I woke up when people began banging my door and shouting," he said.

Oh my god! This is just the worst! So shameful for a Doctor to lie like this. He should have stopped and sorted things out when he rammed the Swift near Ashoka pillr itself. It's not like he cant afford to pay for damages or anything like that. Such people make me sick. Unfortunately this illness plagues even the well heeled and most educated folks in our society too. Absolutely pathetic human being.

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

However, I am extremely annoyed with Michelins and will never ever buy them again. My new tyre (3000 km) almost burst yesterday after a 4"X1.5" large and blunt steel piece went thru the side wall on a highway.

Be mad at the people in our country that allow things like this to lie around on our highways whether by accident or on purpose. What more do you want from your tyres boss? You should probably go for something with a stronger sidewall but then don't expect the same performance from them.

Originally Posted by Equus

He was a very experienced driver with a few hundred thousand kms done.

I guess Dry Ice was talking about the driver of the Mercedes if you read his post properly. Which incidentally is not a brand new car it is the previous gen W204 C-Class

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Be mad at the people in our country that allow things like this to lie around on our highways whether by accident or on purpose. What more do you want from your tyres boss? You should probably go for something with a stronger sidewall but then don't expect the same performance from them.

Something that does not allow blunt objects to enter. My last set was ZLOs and I was happier with them than XM2. I may have got lucky in this case though.

Coming back to case, we all must maintain proper tyre pressure and keep them in good shape as long as we are using them. People tend to use the tyres way beyond their life to extract more than the worth and sometimes paying with the lives of the dear ones.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

... ... ... I am waiting for the ban to get over to get a Storme and now I too am worried after looking at this car. However,annoyed with Michelins and will never ever buy them again. My new tyre (3000 km) almost burst yesterday after a 4"X1.5" large and blunt steel piece went thru the side wall on a highway.

I think you need to adjust your expectations. Tyres are not unbreakable. Any tyre will puncture with just one simple nail in its path. Such a puncture may, or may not, be repairable. Many of them are, but not all, especially if it is close to the edge.

You were unfortunate that this happened to your almost new tyre. It is so frustrating to have to lay out the money again. But... don't blame the tyre.

[Nikhilb2008]

Originally Posted by sourabhzen

Something that does not allow blunt objects to enter. My last set was ZLOs and I was happier with them than XM2. I may have got lucky in this case though.

Coming back to case, we all must maintain proper tyre pressure and keep them in good shape as long as we are using them. People tend to use the tyres way beyond their life to extract more than the worth and sometimes paying with the lives of the dear ones.

Your expectations are too high. I'm pretty sure you will be disappointed a lot in the future.

Your expectations are unrealistic. No tyre would have survived a metal piece.

[Santoshbhat]

About the tyre burst accident, I wonder whether tyres with higher profile sidewalls are more likely to cause the vehicle to go out of control when they burst.

Safari's tyre must be something like a 235/70 profile.That's about 5 inch of sidewall. Now imagine if the tyre bursts and there is rapid loss of air pressure. The tyre will go flat quickly and one side of the vehicle will drop 5 inches instantly. Controlling the tall Safari, at speed, in such a situation is not going to be easy.

Its important to maintain correct inflation in the tyres. Our public is just blind to this very important life threatening aspect in their cars. I've seen MUVs and SUVs overloaded to its gills and running on near flat tyres on the highway.

We have useless headlamp leveling devices in our cars which no one uses. Instead Govt. has to make TPMS mandatory.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

And even be prepared to stop. Sometimes I like to try to show to my wife that driving is not just about twiddling the wheel like someone in an old film, by telling her what is in my mind.

Yesterday, stopped at a signal with a largre vehicle on my left, I told her, "I would like to accelerate away quite hard, to be sure of getting in front of that vehicle, but I can't, because what if a pedestrian or other vehicle is crossing," Driving is about noticing and computing as many as possible of the things that might happen.

It is all about observation. I had a girlfriend in London who was so much better at it than me: I was in awe of her driving skill. The fact that she would not drive larger or unfamiliar cars, and shied away from auto gear box is nothing: observation makes the better driver, not technical ability.

Agreed - this is something which amazes me on the road every single day. Folks don't want to stop / pause to assess the risk of the maneuver they are about to undertake.

Kinda like "fools rush in where angels fear to tread". People just plunge in - whether it is overtaking on a blind curve, jumping red lights, or joining the main road, or assuming that the other driver will move out of the way to let us overtake, or (not) slowing down at intersections when your view is obstructed (like Tanmay's example) etc. Many do not do defensive driving - we have forgotten the "look left right left" kind of basic principles!


Yesterday while riding back from Himachal - at many intersections on the Delhi highway, I saw folks just blitz through by honking / flashing lights at vehicles trying to cross / join the road. Ironically what surprises me more is that many of these drivers are actually "sedate" drivers - some of those folks were not doing more than 70-80!! I was at 100 kph and managed to stop fully safely, only to see these geniuses fly through causing a near-accident.

Similarly, some folks simply crossed six lanes of traffic (3 each way) from a side road to join the highway in their direction unmindful of the massive bouts of panic breaking by almost a dozen vehicles on each side. They didn't even pause in the median gap to gauge the oncoming traffic. But they were at 20 kph only!!

PS: I may surely have some observation bias - possibly I think many other drivers don't pause enough. Maybe some other drivers find the same flaw in me - but I think my observation holds overall, even though we may differ in our assessment of severity of the problem.

[virgopal]

HASSAN, March 28, 2016
Bengaluru biker dies in Belur accident
A Bengaluru resident died and another was injured when their two-wheeler rammed into a tree near Belur on Sunday.

The deceased has been identified as Harshit (25). He was one among nine bikers who were on a trip to Kemmanagundi in Chikkamagaluru district. Harshit met with the accident near Sankenahalli in Belur taluk. Likhith, riding pillion, was injured.

Both Harshit and Likhith were taken to Hassan Institute Medical Sciences in the ambulance that was following the bikers. Harshit died on the way to the hospital. Likhith is undergoing treatment. The Belur police have registered a case.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...gn=WidgetPromo

[poloman]

Originally Posted by humyum

Don't make sudden steering moments and don't stomp on the brakes. Easy steering moments, ease off the accelerator and you should be fine. If the car has already lost control, in that case, try to counter correct with hints of braking when you feel you are getting back in line.

Whatever happens, no sudden moments. That will surely make the situation worse and if you have not lost control, make you loose control.

If you are moving parallel to a trailer and your left tyre burst, will this warrant quick steering movement in the opposite direction? This can turn disastrous if you are in the right most lane.
I had experienced a tyre burst on a two lane road. A rock protruding on the road kerb, slashed my left front tyre side wall.I was driving at around 50-60Kmph. I only noticed the steering turning out a little heavy, there was no loss of control and stopped the car only after a good 200m. So unless if you are doing insane speeds or negotiating a curve, a tyre burst is always manageable.

[nkrishnap]

Power at Affordable prices, with minimal or no riding skills is a disaster in the making, proved time and again with the higher powered 2 wheeler accidents. Hassan-Belur-Chikamagalur has some lovely roads with nice twisties, but it comes with its own share of dangers. I have personally witnessed bikes taking it too aggressively and ending up crashing.

Let the departed souls RIP.