[TurboGuru]

Originally Posted by hemanth.das

From the horses mouth - The Guy behind the wheels was pushing hard on a S shaped curve, hit the outer line while entering the curve and shifted towards the right lane, and we were headed straight into an oncoming lorry,the driver tried to correct it at that speed, flicked left and slammed the brakes and the car started fishtailing, and knocked a concrete pole (Broke it) and flipped on its side. !!

Senior meembers ignore my ignorance but isn't ABS (which i suppose was equipped in this car, as it is with Air bags) was supposed to take charge of such situation
Thanks god no one was seriously injured !!!

[naga.sid]

This post got me to renew my password and start active response!

Good that there was no fatality and the person/s are safe.

I personally think that such irresponsible behaviour by the driver needs stringent action, including suo moto action of cancellation of his license for 5 years (wonder if that is possible? Evidence is all over this forum!)

Driving in safe vehicles is no excuse for taking others' lives for granted. If someone wanted to "push" a vehicle to its limits, he needed to take it to some test track or equivalent and do it. Not try stunts of break neck speeds on public roads. Whether Ford invited him or otherwise is irrelevant. Free will is the domain of the individual.

Which state's jurisdiction did this accident take place? Was any FIR filed? Such drivers need to realize that their right to swing their arms grinds to a halt where the other person's nose starts. Afterall, doesn't power come with responsibility? Not every civilian is walking around with an airbag and auto dial to 108!

I might have ruffled feathers over this post, but its time that we get grounded in perspective, even if it means grounding a few drivers.

Regards,
NS

[Steeroid]

If you were not there, did not see it happen or were not part of the accident or the team investigating it - avoid commenting upon the driver's capabilities or lack thereof.

This is the same mentality that you see amongst the jokers who magically appear at any accident site in India after the event, only to pass judgement on something they never saw - until you ask them to help with carrying the victim, which is when they slink away.

New car, new roads, s**t happens - thank god everyone is safe. It could happen to you or me tomorrow, and then suddenly you're the subject and not the expert commentator audience.

[thoma]

If I'm not going OT.

Originally Posted by Steeroid

If you were not there, did not see it happen or were not part of the accident or the team investigating it - avoid commenting upon the driver's capabilities or lack thereof.

Can we only discuss about things that we have been witness to? We never see it happen when we are born and we still believe those two lovely people to be our dad and mom!

Moreover, why should we disbelieve those who have given first hand information:

My friend who was the co-passenger and the Ecosport Driver Mr.Yash a technology blogger are unhurt.

From the horses mouth - The Guy behind the wheels was pushing hard on a S shaped curve, hit the outer line while entering the curve and shifted towards the right lane

The stretch where this appears to have taken place is a narrow road with loads of curves, including innumerable blind corners. I know because I drove on this patch just a week back.

[powerband_rider]

This incident once again brings to the fore the fact that people on the roads in this great country are totally on their own and responsible for keeping themselves safe from such dangers. Drivers are free to drive like it's their own backyard and the government assumes its job is done by putting up road-safety messages and meaningless speed-limit signs along the roads.
I see no point in blaming Ford or any individual for this accident. It's a free-for-all out there. I'm sure the driver, while "testing" / "pushing" the car did not have the slightest of fear that he may be caught for rash driving on a public road (Don't know if the car was even properly registered with the RTO or running on just a temporary number! ) Even if one is caught, a little chai-paani and you are free to be the local Schumi again, showing-off your cornering skills on the local "track".
It's just a way of life here. Nobody cares.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by TurboGuru

Senior meembers ignore my ignorance but isn't ABS (which i suppose was equipped in this car, as it is with Air bags) was supposed to take charge of such situation
Thanks god no one was seriously injured !!!

ABS does not whisk one away from a potential accident. It's merely a driver aid. It prevents the brakes from locking up in crucial situations. However, it cannot help you if you're a nitwit behind the wheel. Nothing can.

[TurboGuru]

@Suhaas307, Thanks for the reply, studied the same about ABS in degree college . however do not have first hand experience of ABS in action, My concern " slammed the brakes and the car started fishtailing" shouldn't this NOT have happened with ABS working

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by hemanth.das

I have been informed that the roads were very narrow.

And when the driver tried to correct by flicking to the left and hitting the brakes, a slight fishtail and went straight into the pole, actually the pole saved them. If not, they would have just taken off into the wild. Guess its a strong car because after breaking the pole, and a few flips, the guys walked away unhurt.

Why should the car fish tail when under panic braking? After all is the ABS supposed to prevent exactly this kind of fish tailing/loss of traction? ABS is supposed to allow one to steer and brake at the same time.

Originally Posted by vikram_d

All accidents are driver errors.

No!! How will you classify a crash because of tyre burst? Is it a driver error?

Originally Posted by asr245

If he was my friend I would have given him a piece of my mind for such reckless driving.

You (or your friend and his companion in this case) maybe an auto-journalist out to TD the car but no one gives you the right to push hard on the road. Instead of a concrete pole (which they broke), it very easily could have been an innocent by-stander and would have very easily been dead!

Not sure where this happened, but if this had happened in my city, I would have asked for strict action like arresting the driver for reckless driving.

Shame on such auto journalists.

Who decides what speed is safe/unsafe fast/slow on any particular road/curve? Had the jurno taken the curve without any accident/there was no truck or had he saved himself and the truck , then the same co driver may have sung praises about how skilled the driver was. It is easy to blame someone without seeing/or having proof. If I crash my car trying to save a jaywalking kid, some people might blame me for poor driving and speeding, others might praise me for saving a life, some might blame the jaywalker.

That aside, what I am surprised to see is complete lack of underbody cladding, for what is touted to be a SUV. Secondly wonderful response by Ford and the 108 team and glad to see that such technology works.

[asr245]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

Who decides what speed is safe/unsafe fast/slow on any particular road/curve? It is easy to blame someone without seeing/or having proof. If I crash my car trying to save a jaywalking kid, some people might blame me for poor driving and speeding, others might praise me for saving a life, some might blame the jaywalker.

Did you even read the first post? It is stated that the driver was pushing through the S curves so much so that he moved to the right side of the road to probably straight line it. And then an emergency braking where he loses it completely (fish tails, knocks a concrete pillar & rolls over).

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

Had the jurno taken the curve without any accident/there was no truck or had he saved himself and the truck , then the same co driver may have sung praises about how skilled the driver was.

Yeah, unfortunately in India, speeding is seen as a "skill" by many and safe driving is thought to be for beginners/incompetent drivers.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by asr245

Did you even read the first post? It is stated that the driver was pushing through the S curves so much so that he moved to the right side of the road to probably straight line it. And then an emergency braking where he loses it completely (fish tails, knocks a concrete pillar & rolls over).



Yeah, unfortunately in India, speeding is seen as a "skill" by many and safe driving is thought to be for beginners/incompetent drivers.

If you read the first post, correctly instead of merely reading it, it never mentioned speeds. What is the definition of 'too fast'? Is it too fast as per the narrator? as per road conditions? as per the driver? as per you/me? When we have such gut feel accusations, its best not to suspect/put the driver down, unless facts emerge. Emergency manuever was conducted because of the truck on the opposite side, it can happen to anyone.
I am not supporting the driver here, but public lynching based on heresay of the co driver is not mature

[asr245]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

If you read the first post, correctly instead of merely reading it, it never mentioned speeds. What is the definition of 'too fast'? Is it too fast as per the narrator? as per road conditions? as per the driver? as per you/me? When we have such gut feel accusations, its best not to suspect/put the driver down, unless facts emerge. Emergency manuever was conducted because of the truck on the opposite side, it can happen to anyone.
I am not supporting the driver here, but public lynching based on heresay of the co driver is not mature

So what exactly does "pushing" it mean? Does he mean he was actually physically pushing the car through the 'S' curves because he was afraid of them? Or does it mean he was trying to take them as fast as he could (obviously he never thought that their might be other vehicles on that public road.

A person can be driving at 30kmph, but if he's inside a residential compound (where there are pedestrians and kids playing), it will be speeding. On a highway he would be too slow. Safe speed depends on the road & vehicle combination. I take "pushing" it as trying to go as fast as he thought he could.

BTW, please do read GTO's post on this as he had driven through the same road earlier -> http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post3125341
From that & the 1st post, I think that makes it clear that the driver entered right lane/side of the road (meant for traffic coming from the opposite direction) because he was pushing through the curves.

I am done talking.

[vikram_d]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

No!! How will you classify a crash because of tyre burst? Is it a driver error?

Oh it absolutely is. The driver should be aware of the tyre condition and health. There is a reason so many people say that you need to look after your car's tyres. Why do you think we place so much emphasis on correct tyre pressures, routine visual checks of the tyres for thread depth and other damages?

The only scenario in this case where it would not be driver error is that if the tyre had a manufacturing defect which was not visible to the naked eye.

Either way, we are going off topic here as in the case of the accident in this thread, tyre burst was not the cause. The idiot behind the wheel was.

[sharoncr_17]

Sure it seems like driver error. As seen from the pics, it's a new machine and maybe the driver didn't know the limits. The post says that the speed was on the higher side.
Know your machine and the roads....don't push it beyond the limits.

[ACM]

Have experienced driving around and with Auto Journalists and they are overall just the kind type casted in this thread. Yes would also have to acknowledge that there are a few really sensible ones who value their and others lives but a large portion of the auto journalists indeed don't drive too sensibly.

Have had the occasion of seeing a journo take a 4X2 crossover on to a sandy beach (and get stuck) to see if a 4X2 itself can do the job with big tyres (normal HT tyres that too) rather than requiring the 4X4 variant. It would have been ok if he had taken the vehicle with 4x2 switched off and then had the option to switch it on if it got stuck, but to take a vehicle with the option just not available was absurd. The journo joked about it but the organizers were just not impressed. (They are the ones who have to sort out the mess the various individuals get into.) On the same trip the Photography Crew vehicle too had an accident. The pace at which the Journos drove the vehicle inspired even the regular participants of the drive to drive faster due to the poor example being set.

Will avoid mentioning which company / vehicle / place that drive was to but it did give me a very different view of auto journalists driving abilities from what we would expect.

The Goa route indeed requires sensible driving.

Don't blame Ford for this in anyway.

[ViMo]

Why cant we view it as just another accident and give the benefit of doubt to the driver. I assume that he is well qualified to do his job.
All I would want is to hear him on how the car performed during the accident.