[JS Kwt]

What happens when a small car is sandwiched between two trucks in a collision

DEKRA Crash Test Center tests what happens when a heavy goods Truck travelling at 43 Km/h hits a Skoda Octavia which has stopped behind another Truck.

https://youtu.be/rigwDNizd_o

Reminds us of the numerous scares we get in the relentless traffic on Indian Highways, when we stop or hard brake behind one heavy vehicle with another one tailing close behind
Especially those risky overtaking manoeuvres in between trucks on roads and slopes busy with heavy vehicles like the scene at Ghodbunder slopes after 10pm.

Importance of maintaining your safe distance from heavy vehicles reiterated.

Also highlights the importance of Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) in vehicles and the need for AEB to be made standard in all new cars and commercial vehicles.

[Thermodynamics]

Originally Posted by JS Kwt

Also highlights the importance of Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) in vehicles and the need for AEB to be made standard in all new cars and commercial vehicles.

Thanks for sharing, momentum of trucks are humongous no matter how slow they be. That makes us think AEB should be made mandatory for heavy vehicles.

A real world example, similar to the test

https://youtu.be/OtzpftdNda0

[Motor_Nut]

Originally Posted by Thermodynamics

Thanks for sharing, momentum of trucks are humongous no matter how slow they be.

A real world example, similar to the test

This is weird if it is a real life example, trucker must be seeing the stationary car from quite a distance. From the video, it looks like that driver made no attempt to slow down or change the lane.

This video is an eye opener for the people who talegate heavy trucks (for that matter, any vehicle) in an attempt to overtake. Even I have done this in the past on few occasions, silly thing! Its always advisable to keep a safe distance from heavy vehicles. Even if anyone hits from behind, there is some room available to let the car drag along for some distance. Better than going under a truck and getting sandwiched.

Thanks for bringing up this thread.

[Santoshbhat]

Real scary video this. This is one of my biggest fears whenever I venture out on highways. In our country we have a culture of jugaad and disregard for safety. We don't fix things until they stop working. Can we really expect those beleaguered and exploited truckers to maintain and look after their brakes?

Advice to car drivers : Never ever (or avoid as much as possible) stop or park your car in such a way that a vehicle moving on the highway has to change lanes to get past you. Find a turn off or a service road. Also as car drivers we need to respect the size and limitations of heavy goods vehicles. They can't stop, accelerate, change direction or have visibility in the same way that we can or do. We (four wheelers) are to the big trucks what pesky two wheelers are to us. (No offence to two wheeler riders ).

[Geo_Ipe]

Wow!! That's a graphic video!

One strange thing I noticed is that the YouTube channel has 42 subscribers and all other videos have less than a 100 views! Does anyone have any idea about DEKRA??

Quick Wiki search reveals this:

DEKRA is a European vehicle inspection company founded in Berlin, Germany in 1925 as Deutscher Kraftfahrzeug-Überwachungs-Verein (German Motor Vehicle Inspection Association). With approximately 45,000 employees and revenues of roughly €3.3 billion, DEKRA is the largest inspection company in Germany and the third-largest in the world. By its own account, it is the European market leader. The group focuses on the inspection of vehicles and technical systems, but also offers other services. DEKRA has had its headquarters in Stuttgart since 1946. Business operations are carried out by DEKRA SE, which is wholly owned by DEKRA e. V.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dekra

[Thermodynamics]

Sorry for the graphic content, I only intended to emphasize seriousness.

Avoid tailgating heavy vehicles. Imagine, in the above case, if there were light vehicles ahead of victim’s car, the impact would have not been this severe.

May be we can exercise caution whenever possible, for example in toll gates we have choice to pick lanes.

more reasons to avoid tailgating
1. Heavy vehicles tend to recede by a feet or so in bumper to bumper traffic (especially around speed bumps of toll gates).
2. Tire burst of heavy vehicles are literally explosions, could potentially kill motorcyclists in close range.
3. They block our view of road ahead and many times we have no clue what’s happening ahead. This could lead to serious judgmental errors.
4. There was a thread wherein a BHPian rear ended a truck because, the smoke expelled by truck blinded him. I think it was night when it happened.
5. Sometimes, potholes or even boulders pass easily beneath a truck but come as a real surprise to tailgaters, potentially fatal to motorcyclists.
6. During rains, the truck tires splash mud generously. Headlights pickup mud and visibility goes for a toss in the night.
7. If you are driving in ghat sections, heavy vehicles lack power, some of them breakdown and roll back. I have personally experienced when a truck broke down a hairpin bend and rolled reverse. I literally had to maneuver around the edge of the cliff. It was a close shave. I have heard a bunch of similar horror stories from friends.

[black_rider]

Originally Posted by Geo_Ipe

Does anyone have any idea about DEKRA??

People who've followed F1 in mid 90s would definitely remember this name.

[ramzsys]

Is the body-on-frame chassis UVs better in this situation?

[anjan_c2007]

Another one from May 2016, from Telangana, where five were killed. Here the video clearly shows the car driver risking himself and all the passengers lives by taking the right turn alongside the truck ( foolishly adhering to the old adage "don't follow me or don't lead me, but let's walk together") and getting hit by another oncoming truck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0ybkH6EWXU

The catchwords commonly painted at the back of the trucks like "Keep safe distance" or "Sound horn" or "Wait for side" are not applicable for car drivers, who get sandwiched between two trucks. Rather "King of the road" (for whom might is right) could apply. Getting sandwiched is rare, but on a crowded highway cannot be avoided as beggars (read we car drivers) are not the choosers. We jostle for space and very commonly land between two trucks. It could very well be that we are halting behind a truck or bus , waiting for the traffic to clear and some truck comes from the rear and the inevitable happens !

Well, on roads where there is ample scope for getting into safer slots, it will always advisable to avoid getting near trucks and not spending longer times in their company. We should safely exit away from these beasts, just remembering that it weighs a minimum of seven and a half tonnes legally when loaded, but overloading makes it carry 10-11 tonnes or more of goods. And those multi-axle and/ or articulated trucks are much more mightier. Plus, it could have drivers who could be even drunk, cranky and who have a devil-may-care- attitude towards smaller cars . Our cars on an average weigh 700 Kgs (the smallest ones) to 2000 Kgs or a little more (the SUV's and the larger cars) which are tiny tots before such beasts.

[Maverick5490]

One of the biggest fears when driving between trucks and came across these pics just yesterday. Looks like Mumbai Pune E-way, don't know the details though.

[adi.mariner]

Originally Posted by JS Kwt

[b][center]
What happens when a small car is sandwiched between two trucks in a collision

That Skoda and it's passengers wouldn't have a chance of surviving such a crash . All the NCAP Ratings and Airbags would be of no help in such an event. Thank you for starting such an informative thread.

Originally Posted by Maverick5490

One of the biggest fears when driving between trucks and came across these pics just yesterday.

We have to be super careful of the trucks specially in the Ghat sections. The container and car trailers have to take a wide turn while negotiating a bend and it is very easy to mistake that for a gap. Also tail gating/driving in the blind spots of the trucks/buses should be avoided at all costs.

[srishiva]

I always keep looking at my rear view mirror when parked or moving slowly. In 2003 or so, a truck rammed into many cars at toll booth in Chicago and people died for no fault. A fast tag (we should really support faster speeds at tolls) would be little comforting. Not sure if something like that has happened in India too. Also, changing lanes in multi lane highways when very close to the rear and vehicles in other lanes is also dangerous.

There should be some simulation kind of environment where drivers learn real traffic nightmares. One can keep updating the simulations based on real world data.

[Nitish.arnold]

Thanks for this reminder, that we need to be cautious around these heavyweights.

I read somewhere on this very forum, that a gentleman was saved when his old Merc was sandwiched between two trucks, and due to the built quality, he came out almost unscratched.

Now I also know the significance of the crash guards, that are installed at the rear and sides of the trucks, so that a car doesn't go under.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

Well, on roads where there is ample scope for getting into safer slots, it will always advisable to avoid getting near trucks and not spending longer times in their company.

Golden words and I swear by this rule, whether I'm in my Fortuner or Celerio or City.

My wife has been taking driving lessons from me and when on the highway I tell her to keep ample distance from big vehicles, never drive alongside bus/truck as their upkeep is anybody's guess and a simple tyre burst could land us in sandwich situation.

[RaviK]

Originally Posted by Thermodynamics

..
2. Tire burst of heavy vehicles are literally explosions, could potentially kill motorcyclists in close range...

Yes, one has to experience it to realize how dangerous it can be. I suffered it 1st hand more than a decade back on my bike. I was stuck in traffic in GGN, parallel to a truck. I was at 10 feet+ distance from truck, when its tire exploded. Thankfully I wasn't hit by a piece of tire, but the concrete chips hit me with a brutal force on my right side. Was left with several minor wounds, marks on my bike's tank & helmet. My friend (pillion), too suffered suffered some minor injuries. Was not a major accident, but definitely made me alert towards the phenomenon.

The other one was bit more scary (involved my brother), though luck was on his side. He was driving to somewhere, and was crawling thru traffic. A tire burst on the other side of the median sent a piece of rubber flying towards car's front windows, just missing him and other occupant, breaking both the front window glasses !! They too, got some minor injuries however were lucky that the rubber missile missed both the driver and occupant.!!