[ghodlur]

@Jignesh,

Thank god that all the three of you survived this accident. Aslo good to know that you did not panic and retained your composure despite the incident.

Were you driving too close to the road's edge? All I would say is there is a lot to learn from this incident and pls dont lose your confidence in driving since as you said it wasnt your fault. I wish you and your family a speedy recovery from the trauma.

[revintup]

So glad you came out fine.

Just a query here. Where was your daughter seated? Was she wearing seat belts. The seat belt would be across the neck of a five year old and not chest so was any special harness used.

Usually young kids either sit on lap in front seat or are fast asleep lying on the back seat, both not safe.

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Thank God you are all fit and fine, despite toppling sideways!
Further, the car does not look like a total loss, though the damages were heavy, but I may be wrong.

Thank you Vnabhi,

The IDV of the Car was Rs. 2.5 lacs & the repair estimate given by Chamunda Motors, Borivali, Mumbai was approx Rs. 2 lacs. Now the scrap quote was Rs. 1.3 lacs, so Royal Sundaram had to pay only Rs. 1.1 lacs to me. Thus they went for a total loss.

Originally Posted by Off Roadie

Firstly I am glad that all 3 of you are safe and that your confidence for long drives is on the upswing, kudos to your family for being supportive.

Thank you Off Roadie,

Yes I genuinely appreciate my family for being supportive, because I know of many parents who, after such incidents will not allow children to drive the car again in life.

Even my wife deserves more appreciation because after the incident she was never afraid of my driving.

Originally Posted by pganapathy

Wow, it is a good thing that all of you are fine and got away with minor injuries.
The good thing is that you are back to driving and the confidence is there.

Thank you Pganapathy.

Yes the Confidence is back, but now I am even more careful & the terrible image is hard to go off the mind.

Originally Posted by harishnayak

Good that all of you escaped unhurt and specially your daughter.

Thank you Harishnayak,

Yes. I am really happy that my daughter escaped unhurt.

Originally Posted by mango_pal

Looks like you got a pretty hassle free and reasonable claim out of the deal too. Not that anything's more important than your lives.

Thank you Mango_pal,

Yes. THe Insurance process was smooth, though it was little delayed. IT took almost two months to arrive at a Total Loss decision & receive full payment from Royal Suindaram.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Glad that you lived to tell the tale. The car is damaged quite a bit and I am guessing all of you were wearing seatbelts which is what saved you from any major injury.
People who drive in and around Rajasthan roads would probably be able to relate to what I am trying to say.

Thank you Drmohitg,

I drove to Rajasthan during winter months so melting roads may not a possibility. Even in afternoon climate was quite normal & there was no sign of excess heat.

Originally Posted by dockap

Something like this almost happened to me on 19th of this month. It still scares the daylight out of me when i think about how close we were to getting killed.

Hello Dockap,

Feelings mutual.

Thank God that you & yojur family are absolutely safe. May be I too may have dozed off. These things happen in split second & those moments are hard to recollect.

Yes. Even I get scared many time when I think of that incident.

Originally Posted by negativeH

Wow, that's a lucky escape for you; particularly for the person sitting behind (I assume your daughter) cause rear seat belts are rarely used.

Thank you NegativeH,

Yes my daughter was sitting behind, without seat belts, but somehow she was unhurt. Probably God saved us.

Originally Posted by Jet-thrust

@Jignesh : first and foremost it is very fortunate that all three of you escaped without major injuries.Your experience is a learning lesson for all of us and by sharing it you have added to our safety. Thank you.

Thank you Jet-thrust,

I will be really happy if someone is more careful after reading about my incident.

Originally Posted by akas_chauhan

How did you ended up on the right side of the road? Good to here that mental trauma is gone.

THank you Akas_chauhan

The mental trauma is gone, but sometime the thought of the incident still scares me.

Originally Posted by 1self

I think this is where...Stopping is obviously THE BEST option. Slowing down is BAD because it comforts you & makes you even more relaxed...NOT GOOD.

Thank you 1self, those are good tips.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

@Jignesh,
Thank god that all the three of you survived this accident. Aslo good to know that you did not panic and retained your composure despite the incident.

Thank you Ghodlur.

Originally Posted by revintup

So glad you came out fine.

Just aquery here. Where was your daughter seated? Was she wearing seat belts. The seat belt would be across the neck of a five year old and not chest so was any special harness used.Usually young kids either sit on lap in front seat or are fast asleep lying on the back seat, both not safe.

Thank you Revintup

My daughter was sitting behind & she was not wearing seatbelts. We still cannot believe that she emerged scratchless in this incident. Probably someone's good wishes saved us at that moment.

Hello Everyone,

I honestly do not remember what happened at that moment & after eight months I am still trying to recall the incident frame by frame. I remember talking to my daughter & wife & the next scene I can recall is loud thud noises & my wife asking me "Jignesh what is happening..."

But I take the full blame on myself. Probably I dozed off for a second or two. Probably I lost my concentration or my eye - mind - body co-ordination failed for a second. I sincerely do not remember how I landed on other side of the road.

But the most important thing, despite the mental trauma & little financial loss, my family is absolutely safe & there is absolute no blame game played by my wife. I sincerely appreciate her.

I still remember me checking that my wife & daughter are safe & then hugging them, which brought all of us to tears. I & my wife were in state of shock for couple of days, but my daughter was in very upbeat mood very next day. Seeing her smiling face, we were motivated to forget everything & enjoy the present moment.

Also I just heard that Sam Kapasi passed away yesterday in an accident on Mumbai - Pune E'way in his Land Rover. RIP Sam & I sincerely thank God once again that we were gifted to see another day & write about this experience.

Thank you all once again.

[sudev]

@Jignesh - Wide straight roads with open shoulders to help you see afar without any intrusion - all this lulls you in to a state of confidence and you tend to doze off - some times with eyes wide open!!

I have done that stretch numerous times and two things I practice :
Once in a while take a stop to "P" or just stretch. Benefits are obvious as this restores circulation and keeps you awake.
Keep changing speed consciously. This forces you to stay mentally alert. Normally all of us tend to stick to a speed and everything starts appearing in a safe state. I am not advocating jerky progress but changing speed every five ten minutes or so. Say 80 to 100 to 75 to 110 whatever.

God was on your side. Take care.

[SDP]

Jignesh, just read through your ordeal a few months back. That's a nasty crash. Glad to hear that you and family came out with only minor bruises.

I don't want to ask questions and get into analysis mode. Pretty sure that you just want those memories buried as deep as possible. One way of doing that is to lay layers and layers of happy memories on top. So, please do hit the road once in a while. Start small and slowly build up to the mega-drives.

PS: Appreciate your family's support!

Drive safe.
SDP

[sgiitk]

Very lucky you.

I got a bit from a relative - ex-Army. What he said was after two hours stop, walk up and down the road for say 50m each and do some stretching. Then restart. Makes perfect sense to me. This will barely cost you five minutes.

[carwatcher]

Thank God that you are all safe.
I have a similar experience and today I am sharing it with someone. Four years ago when returning from Fatehpur (Raj) to Jaipur in my humble M-800, at around 3.00-3.30 AM, I dozed off for a split second and car kinda skidded on the road. I regained the concentration almost immediately and continued safely after that but still curse myself till date for the carelessness. I had 4 friends with me who were all asleep and didn't realise what happened. I was the only driver and their life was depending on me. I had a tea at the nearest possible dhaba and continued safely thereafter.
We had a puncture at 12.30 AM with a spare wheel that was also punctured. Finally when everything sorted out in the middle of the night, I was tired but had to drive as they all had to catch a train at 6.00 AM and we reached the station at 5.40 AM.
The distance from Fatehpur to Jaipur (my native) is not much but I was driving slowly and it was peak summer and road condition is okayish. It is a 4 lane highway but with and without divider.

I don't want to be analytical but would definitely like to share one link to T-BHP thread especially useful for daytime driving on highways.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post2748671
I know that this has nothing to do with Jignesh's case as no other vehicle was involved but still...

[Jet-thrust]

In long and monotonous trips the risks of loss of attention or dozing off are very real.
Among the list given by @1self, I have found Red Bull to be very effective. I always keep a couple during long drives.
Other than that chewing gum also works.

[SmartCat]

Jignesh,

At many places in Rajasthan, the sand encroaches the road because of heavy winds. Something like this -











I'm 90% sure you were a victim of the above situation. Driving over these at anything over 40 kmph causes you to lose control. Even at 40 kmph, you have to wrestle a bit with the steering wheel to make you are going straight.

On your future road trips, ask either your wife or your daughter (she will love the extra responsibility!) to watch the road for you. Things you have to watch out for, especially in the dark -

- Large potholes
- Cyclists
- Parked trucks with no tail lamps
- Pedestrians
- Under construction roads

Ask them to either warn you about impending dangers or just scream out something like "slow down, slow down" or "brake, brake".

[ultimatechamp]

Nothing helps actually until and unless if you had a good nights sleep the night before your journey.
I have tried stopping for a break,taking a walk,drinking tea,smoking endlessly - but if you are really tired,better not to drive yourself or take a nap and let somebody else drive you around.
Full stomach and alcohol are definitely two of the main reasons drivers tend to doze off at the wheels as well.

I have miraculously averted major incidents on two occasions I remember,I dozed off while driving,in the early hours with too much fog all around,on endless stretches of highway. Just lucky,I pulled back on the road in time.

Please guys,do get adequate rest/sleep before your journey.

[Ajitsingh208]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Jignesh,

Things you have to watch out for, especially in the dark -

- Large potholes
- Cyclists
- Parked trucks with no tail lamps
- Pedestrians
- Under construction roads

Ask them to either warn you about impending dangers or just scream out something like "slow down, slow down" or "brake, brake".

I would add cows and Neelgais to this list too, all across Rajasthan cows seem to love sitting in the middle of the road.

[arup.misra]

Jignesh, I'm glad you and your family have escaped this nasty crash.

No need to get into post mortem now. Just think of the happy times and your latest Lavassa drive to let those ugly memories fade away.

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by sudev

@Jignesh - Wide straight roads with open shoulders to help you see afar without any intrusion - all this lulls you in to a state of confidence and you tend to doze off - some times with eyes wide open!!
God was on your side. Take care.

Thank you Sudev for your suggestion.

Yes. God was & is still on my side. Next time I will take care to drive at different speeds to keep my self alert.

Originally Posted by SDP

Jignesh, just read through your ordeal a few months back. That's a nasty crash. Glad to hear that you and family came out with only minor bruises.

Thank you SDP,

You Duma Travelogues are a motivation for me. Yes I recently undertook a 540 kms road trip to Lonavala & Lavasa. Only after this recent trip, I am feeling confident to drive again & also gathered strength to post this accident thread.

Indeed the Lonavala / Lavasa trip was good & once again special thanks to me family for motivating me to drive again.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Very lucky you. I got a bit from a relative - ex-Army. What he said was after two hours stop, walk up and down the road for say 50m each and do some stretching. Then restart.

Thank you Mr. SGIITK,

Yes. that makes perfect sense to me too. Infact I ensured to take regular breaks in my recent trip. In future I will also ensure to walk 50 - 60 meters to stretch myself & break from routine.

Originally Posted by carwatcher

Thank God that you are all safe.
I have a similar experience and today I am sharing it with someone.

Thank you Carwatcher for good wishes & the link.

Thank God that you & your friends were absolutely safe. May be I too was
victim of motion blindness.

Originally Posted by Jet-thrust

Among the list given by @1self, I have found Red Bull to be very effective. I always keep a couple during long drives.
Other than that chewing gum also works.

Thank you Jet.Thrust,

I have never tried Red Bull, will try sometime in future when I am not driving. But yes the chewing gum suggestion seems good.

Originally Posted by smartcat

At many places in Rajasthan, the sand encroaches the road because of heavy winds. Something like this -
I'm 90% sure you were a victim of the above situation.
On your future road trips, ask either your wife or your daughter (she will love the extra responsibility!) to watch the road for you.

Thank you Smartcat,

I sincerely your effort in posting 6 year old pictures suggestin the encroachment of roads by sands. It seems you may have hit bulls eye. Desert land had just begun & sand on road may have impacted my judgement of road ahead.

That suggestion is very valid. Infact my Daughter is always willing to accept some responsibility in Car.

Originally Posted by ultimatechamp

Nothing helps actually until and unless if you had a good nights sleep the night before your journey.

Thank you Ultimatechamp.

But during those days, I ensured seven hour sleep every night. Anyways good suggestion though.

Originally Posted by arup.misra

Jignesh, I'm glad you and your family have escaped this nasty crash. No need to get into post mortem now. Just think of the happy times and your latest Lavassa drive to let those ugly memories fade away.

Thank you Arup.misra,

Yes. No point thinking about it again & again, but atleast I should atleast take utmost care in futrure.
We did enjoyed our recent Lonavala / lavasa trip.

Hello Everyone,

I regret posting the once again, but I am really upset after hearing sad demise of Sam Kapasi yesterday on Mumbai - Pune Expressway. I wonder why God takes away wonderful people early.

Thank you everybody,

[Farukh]

Sab uparwale ki meher hai. We all are glad that you lived to tell the tale.

Reminds me of an incident happened with me. I was with my family coming back from a out station funeral. It was my maiden attempt of long drive. The 4 lane highway from Nizamabad to Hyderabad is probably one of the best roads I have seen and as some of us may call it, "ekdum makkhan". It was around 11 pm in the night and I was driving with my family with my Dad in the co-passanger seat (Dad has a vast driving experience). He was chatting with me to make sure that I am awake. I was not even sleepy, but at one moment, my eyes were shut for half a second and I open with my eyes with a a jerk and I saw that I was mildly drifting towards the divider but I had it under control. It scared the Sh*t out of me. Didn't take long for my dad to notice. He asked if I was sleepy, how could I say yes? I know I was stupid to have lied. But after driving for another 10 kms, I asked him to take over and after sometime I confessed. He smiled and didn't speak a word. He had conveyed his message. From that day on, I still have the fear of doing long drives when I am the only driver in the car. Been doing smaller trips to overcome it.

Stock few Chocolates with high calories. Intake of sugar keeps you active. Not advisable for diabetic people though.

[vigneshnr]

Originally Posted by 1self

I think this is where...
1. Strong Coffee after a meal
2. Redbull
3. Moving ones eyes all round, ie. looking at left OVRM, right OVRM, overhead mirror in turn

Stopping is obviously THE BEST option. Slowing down is BAD because it comforts you & makes you even more relaxed...NOT GOOD.

Would love to add few tips which I follow - Should be helpful for fellas

- Good soothing music. Though I listen to varied genres. I feel Classical / melody genre keeps me alert
- car perfume - citrus fragrance is very helpful - works like wonder
- mints & gums - polos, happydents
- A companion preferably who is nocturnal on the navigator seat (Though this has been happening in Jignesh's case)
- slightly upright but comfortable seating posture
- On the road I choose a car in front of me as my escort & put my car behind it. So that I can trail safely at a distance.