[arvind71181]

Originally Posted by aargee

Attachment 2103471
Couldn't help thinking...

What caused the XL6 owner to commence their trip at whatever time they choosed to? What could've happened if they started few seconds earlier or later? Or rather what caused those 2 cyclist to start their journey some 10-15 seconds earlier? What caused you to delay the same 10-15 seconds later?

Strictly Off Topic: Butterfly effect, Chaos Theory

[Lobogris]

Actually it was the safe driving practice of slowing down for the cyclists that helped in avoiding a head on collision as it delayed you by a few seconds. A lot of people in India do not slow down when there is a person or an obstacle on the road. Your son’s slowing down in a cautious manner delayed you enough for the crash to happen before you. An example of being rewarded for good behaviour!

[Roy.S]

Originally Posted by Lobogris

Actually it was the safe driving practice....

Apart from the round of applause OP and his family deserve for taking charge of the situation, his son needs to be commended for his mature driving style and cool head. I would have never guessed it was a 20 year old behind the wheel.
I can't help wondering why the driver of the XL6 was injured. The cabin was intact and airbags deployed. A seatbelt issue perhaps? Just speculating.

[comfortablynumb]

Dear sadnabrina,

Like others have said, you and your family are heroes indeed. But more than that, you are role models, whose actions speak a lot more than just words.

You have made a cynical & jaded misanthrope like me think that there still might be hope for our country.

May your tribe increase!

[shancz]

Respect and Thanks to Sadnabrina and family for the actions taken.

It isn't just the gesture itself but also the timings and nerves.
This will also calm down any anxiousness in anyone's mind about the issues in helping anyone out.

Can't say enough for you and your family's actions.

[gururajrv]

It is acts like this that shows the humanity is still present. Hats off to you sir and your son for cautiously braking seeing an obstacle which is a good driver's behavior!

I am overwhelmed by the fact how everyone gathered to help the injured and our soldiers who not only help us by keeping us safe from foreign intruders at the border, but also dive into help as soon as they see something like this. Thanks to Soldiers, good samaritans and most of all you and your son for taking care of the family. I hope they are doing well as head injuries are pretty scary.

Thanks again sir! Please drive safe.

[viscosity]

Take a bow, have no words to express my sincere gratitude & feelings for you.
Utmost respect for everyone (Sadnabrina, Anirban & Family, locals, soldiers) who helped the family in need. In my heart I have deepest respect for such folks i.e. who help road accident victims as we know this act of kindness can cause some troubles to the person helping. So this is way beyond usual act of kindness, help and support.

As someone has mentioned, may your tribe increase !!!

[shaheenazk]

Originally Posted by sadnabrina

My dashcam recorded this incident last week in WB, NH 314 - Purulia to Bankura.

May we know which dashcam you use? The footage is good and jerk free.

[rsanthosh]

Thanks very much for the post. These are the moments one is pulled into different directions when one encounters such moments and kudos to your clarity of thought and willingness to help. I have long made it a point to insist all back seat passengers to buckle up when we are on a highway.

[anjan_c2007]

Congratulations for a noble job done ! It's a marvellous gesture on your part sadnabrina to take spot decisions in moments to save the trio. Of course, the lady on the back seat, who according to your statement was not wearing a seat belt, needed the maximum medical attention apart from the other two passengers. The driver's complain of pain in the waist/ hip region also needed attention.

It is most likely that the gentleman was driving as you say at a stretch since many hours and could have dozed off.

Luckily your car was trailing by a few seconds. Also luckily, there was no other vehicle on the Ertiga's path an it landed on the shrubs and maybe, not so grown up trees. Else had there been a roadside obstacle like a tree, civil construction or something else, the result could have been worse.

[chetancm7]

Kudos to you sadnabrina. Very thoughtful of you helping a fellow human being, there have been several instances where people just stand by and watch the show rather than step up and assist. The reason most of us do that is to avoid being entangled in unnecessary enquiries and questions by police specifically incase of accidents.

We need to bear in mind that God forbid some of us can also be in such similar positions.

Few things I ensure before a road trip:
1. Have a good nights rest with adequate sleep.
2. I always try to drive during day time or start early to reach early types.
3. Ensure you have at least one passenger to interreact to keep yourself active but not over indulge in distracting conversations.
4. Loud music is a strict no, soothing music might push one to droop or lower your guard, well its left to an individual's choice of music but it is very essential to ensure it doesn't distract
5. Having a heavy meal before you drive can also induce sleep, so we need to keep ours meals light and less oily.
6. Better to be adequately hydrated. Coconut water also is good (personal choice)

[suvrog]

Massive respect. We need more people like you. Kudos to your quick thinking and good samaritan attitude.

On a different note, I see a lot of people filled with rage, specially on road, nowadays. They tend to fight/quarrel even in the smallest of incidents. We need to be more patient, humble and show a bit of humility and respect towards everyone.

[rkw]

Originally Posted by sadnabrina

Lessons learnt -
1) Seat belts - must be worn even for rear seat passengers.
2) Sleep and fatigue can be a killer. Never drive when you are tired or didn't have enough sleep. Even if you may not feel it, it is always recommended to ensure you have had at least your usual hours of sleep on the previous 24 hour period before starting for a long drive.
3) Take a break after every 3-4 hours of driving.

Firstly, appreciate your noble gesture of taking the injured to hospital.
Very insightful lessons indeed especially about seatbelts. Sadly, many still see the seatbelts as a matter of just abiding by law & not as one for safety. Strangely, the law also states only driver seatbelt compulsory. Don't know why is it so.
I like the seatbelt warning in my Creta for front passenger seat also which beeps unless seatbelt is worn. I feel it should be there for rear seats too.

[landcruiser123]

Thanks for sharing, sadnabrina! Kudos to you & your family for your great presence of mind and willingness to help. Our country needs more good samaritans like you.

I wish the family well in their speedy recovery.

Originally Posted by sadnabrina

On our way to the hospital, I enquired if the man remembers what had happened. He said - "My head was reeling and then I don't remember". Seeing his otherwise stable condition after the accident and at the hospital later, I think the "head reeling" part of his statement may not have been the most truthful one.

I'm no medical professional, but this "My head was reeling..." part could be anything from a mild heart attack to Trauma. Only a trained medical professional can come to a conclusion on what might have happened.

[ScorpioYadav]

Rear seatbelts are there for a reason & they do serve their purpose.
Gopinath Munde’s death was a wake up call for all in our family to start wearing rear seatbelts on our highway trips. Come to think of it, here was a Union Minister, who couldn’t survive a side-on collision despite all his security cover only for the reason that he didn’t have his rear seatbelt on, then, what can be the fate of average citizens like us !!

And thanks to this being a habit, my mother, wife & daughter had come out scratch-free from the backseat when my father’s EcoSport has landed on its side in 2016, around 110kms out of Leh on the Leh Manali highway. How that happened & what followed is a story in itself & warrants a post of its own.

But the bottomline is that all the 5 occupants survived that day without a scratch only because everyone was wearing their respective seatbelts.