[sierrabravo98]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Disheartened to post picture of my own car here. Got rear ended by a Tata Safari on NH48, near Beawar. More details
here: (Volkswagen Polo 1.0L TSI : Official Review)

Attachment 2220773

Attachment 2220774

Read the complete account on the VW Polo thread. Thank your foresight for purchasing a relatively strong/safe car and your guardian angels for protecting the rear occupants. I shudder to think of the outcome had the Safari been doing even 20kmph more. I see that your Polo is only 2-3 months old. This makes it even more heartbreaking.

Coming to the actual reason for the accident. These giant speed-breakers which are present on almost every intersection on highways in Rajasthan are a HUGE safety hazard. During the time my father was posted in Ajmer, we always discussed that such gigantic speed-breakers placed abruptly in the midst of a smooth 6-laned highway are fatalities waiting to happen whats-more with the extremely high truck-traffic in that sector. A single brake-failure or (as in your case) drowsiness behind the wheels is all that is needed to trigger such an incident.

Hope your family is coping well with the accident. The psychological aftermath of an accident on the survivors is often underestimated/ignored in our country. Take care.

P.S: I assume no-one apart from the front 2 occupants of the Safari were wearing seatbelts? That would explain the injury to the other occupants.

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

I slowed down for speed breaker and he rammed into me at high speed.

This is my worst nightmare on the highways here too. Some brainless maniac decided to put a set of 4-5 small speed breakers (but not rumble strips) all over on a state highway near my place where I go cycling.

Almost everyday I see people screeching to a halt because they did not anticipate a speed breaker on a highway and then people behind them had to brake hard too.

Scary.

The problem arises when some people, especially the ones in SUVs and MPVs want to glide over them at full speed and expect people in front of them to do the same too. And its too late before they realize that with our typical Indian style of driving bumper to bumper even on high speed highways.

[skarface]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Disheartened to post picture of my own car here. Got rear ended by a Tata Safari on NH48, near Beawar. More details
here: (Volkswagen Polo 1.0L TSI : Official Review)

Glad to know that you and your family are safe and also that the Safari driver has owned up to his mistake, seldom we see that on our roads. Hope the service guys get your car back up to good shape.

[Rohan265]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Disheartened to post picture of my own car here. Got rear ended by a Tata Safari on NH48, near Beawar. More details
here: (Volkswagen Polo 1.0L TSI : Official Review)

Attachment 2220773

Attachment 2220774

Good to know that you and your family got out safely. You and the Safari driver handled the situation really well. I am also impressed by the response time of the NHAI team. I have rarely seen any emergency response team reach the site within 15min from the crash.
I have a couple of questions that you may choose not to answer (I apologize if the questions sound interrogative. I am just curious.):

1. I assume that your mother was seated in centre/right side seats? Did she have to injuries due to the crash? Not even superficial injuries?
2. Do you often start on long-distance journeys at 5am? I ask because, statistically speaking, the time period a couple of hours before sunrise is the prime-time to encounter sleepy drivers.

P.S: Looking at the damage on the vehicles, I believe that the Safari's driver did try to avoid the collision at the last minute.

[sinharishi]

Originally Posted by sierrabravo98

Hope your family is coping well with the accident. The psychological aftermath of an accident on the survivors is often underestimated/ignored in our country. Take care.

P.S: I assume no-one apart from the front 2 occupants of the Safari were wearing seatbelts? That would explain the injury to the other occupants.

Thank you. The injured passengers in the safari were seated in the middle row. The last row was occupied by 3 kids.

Originally Posted by Rohan265

1. I assume that your mother was seated in centre/right side seats? Did she have to injuries due to the crash? Not even superficial injuries?
2. Do you often start on long-distance journeys at 5am? I ask because, statistically speaking, the time period a couple of hours before sunrise is the prime-time to encounter sleepy drivers.

P.S: Looking at the damage on the vehicles, I believe that the Safari's driver did try to avoid the collision at the last minute.

1. She was doing all well till Sunday morning when she started complaining about back pain. Took her to the doctor and got her scanned, nothing to worry about. The pain is related to the sudden jerk she felt.

2. Yes, I usually start at 4am. I agree, no more early morning starts.

Yes, either that or he kept driving straight. The road curves towards the right where the speed breaker is located.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Yes, either that or he kept driving straight. The road curves towards the right where the speed breaker is located.

Glad you are all safe.

The road design is also a secondary factor so it is also quite possible that Safari driver easily missed spotting you when he crashed. Even then, he should have been more alert

You are very lucky that the Safari driver has been co-operative. However, it ain't over until the settlement is completed.

Ideally this should have been sorted out between the respective insurance companies and not the individuals.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by AutoNoob

Punjab Woman Run Over, Cop Arrested, Chilling Hit-And-Run On CCTV
Though a police officer running away from accident spot is definitely criminal, but, IMHO, the victims are also equally responsible for the accident. They are crossing the 6-lane highway (jaywalking) through a solid barrier

I faced an exactly similar scenario this morning, with a female in typical car showroom Attire. It's just that I was driving in a sane manner, so no one was hurt. I was in the overtaking lane, and this female was comfortably walking in the direction of traffic, parallel to the divider, while talking on phone.


Will We Ever Learn????

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

I was in the overtaking lane, and this female was comfortably walking in the direction of traffic, parallel to the divider, while talking on phone.
Will We Ever Learn????

This is something which is quite common even in the city limits here. Nice footpaths on both sides of the main roads, but some people just prefer to walk in the middle of the road next to the small divider.

I really cannot begin to fathom just what goes on in their heads.

[airbus]

Not sure how the truck ended up there. Saw while driving via Shirady ghat on 13 Oct.

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

this female was comfortably walking in the direction of traffic, parallel to the divider, while talking on phone.


Will We Ever Learn????

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

This is something which is quite common even in the city limits here. Nice footpaths on both sides of the main roads, but some people just prefer to walk in the middle of the road next to the small divider.

I really cannot begin to fathom just what goes on in their heads.

Very common here in MH. People cross highspeed roads without looking at vehicles, intentionally staring ahead, walking slowly, talking on phones, doing gestures with their hands.
It is their ego and style.

I have seen people doing a "STOP" sign with one arm, holding phone in other and glaring at the cars/trucks giving a visual F-U. If you honk, they even turn around and raise arms in question or spit. Good luck, if they spot a lady is driving the car.

Have learned to just ignore all the nuisances and absolute idiocy that goes on here on the roads before it infuriates me and robs of any peace of mind, spoiling my mood.

We have truly horrible road culture. Possibly the stupidest pedestrians ever, and its getting worse.

[JoshMachine]

Another fatal accident on the Pune-Mumbai expressway.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...w/87102358.cms

As many as three people died and six were injured after seven vehicles rammed into each other on Monday morning near Khopoli on Pune-Mumbai Expressway, informed police. According to the highway police, the incident took place around 5:30 am in the morning where a truck carrying chicken was dashed from behind and later other vehicles collided with each other

[androdev]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Yes, everyone came out safe. I slowed down for speed breaker and he rammed into me at high speed.

Glad everyone is safe, though it hurts to see the beautiful Polo in such bad shape. Good luck with insurance and next steps.

I developed a habit of doing a fake/pilot braking few seconds before real braking to alert absentminded drivers behind me. If I see a truck/bus behind me as I approach traffic signals, I stop once and move a bit forward and stop again to avoid being rear-ended by trucks. In fact, my muscle memory is to look into my RVM as I reach for brakes. Sometimes I worry that I am not focusing enough on what is ahead of me due to my preoccupation with RVMs :-)

[akshay4587]

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ch...rajpura-325974

3 Young Lives snuffed out in the Wee hours two days ago near Chandigarh.
I use this road fairly often, and it's a 4 Lane Highway. Look like another case of falling asleep at the wheel, since the car rammed into a Parked truck.
I see many people starting their long drives late at night/midnight or very early in the morning. Roads are not safe to be out driving at these hours, you may be safe with enough sleep, but you cannot be sure about other sleep deprived drivers on the road.

May the Departed Souls, Rest in Peace!!!!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by androdev

... Sometimes I worry that I am not focusing enough on what is ahead of me due to my preoccupation with RVMs :-)

One of my father's regular lesson tests was, "Without looking in the mirror now, tell me, what colour is the car behind?" We are supposed to always know what's behind us.

I think it is a great lesson and a great habit. And, yeah, if he was alive today and tried it on me, many times I would fail his test.

[StopUnderrides]

Originally Posted by androdev

Glad everyone is safe, though it hurts to see the beautiful Polo in such bad shape. Good luck with insurance and next steps.

I developed a habit of doing a fake/pilot braking few seconds before real braking to alert absentminded drivers behind me. If I see a truck/bus behind me as I approach traffic signals, I stop once and move a bit forward and stop again to avoid being rear-ended by trucks. In fact, my muscle memory is to look into my RVM as I reach for brakes. Sometimes I worry that I am not focusing enough on what is ahead of me due to my preoccupation with RVMs :-)

Please be careful. Studies have shown that glances off the forward roadway even for 2 seconds increase the likelihood of rear ending a vehicle many fold.