[chaitanyakrish]

Mercedes Benz submits interim report on the crash. As per analysis, the car was doing 100kmph before 5 seconds from crash and speed reduced to 89kmph at the time of impact.

https://www.cartoq.com/mercedes-benz...-before-crash/

[theabstractmind]

Originally Posted by chaitanyakrish

Mercedes Benz submits interim report on the crash. As per analysis, the car was doing 100kmph before 5 seconds from crash and speed reduced to 89kmph at the time of impact.

https://www.cartoq.com/mercedes-benz...-before-crash/

It is strange how different people report it differently. most reports say that car was traveling "at" 100 kmph five seconds before the crash. The above link says "over" 100 kmph. But what's more constant is the speed at impact and mention of brakes being applied 5 seconds prior.

However, 5 seconds is a lot of time for the car to slow down only 11 kmph after braking, if braking was to avoid a collision or take an evasive maneuver. At 100 kmph, a car travels around 28 meters per second. That gives a distance of over 100 meters from time of braking to point of impact.

Need to see if an actual extract from MB is made available with a full analysis.

[unoczar]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

In car driving most of us get over confident and careless as our driving hours of experience increases.

That can be said about those who drive as a part of the requirements of their jobs/businesses. So called "drivers" - cabs, buses, trucks.

I'll have to respectfully disagree when it comes to people who drive white plate cars. As far as I've seen and experienced, we get better with age. More relaxed, more caring and more worrying about ours and other's safety. Like wine.. If I could say.

[ashokabs]

Looks like everyone has a view on this accident. Having worked in industries like Explosives and Fertilizers - which are extremely hazardous - I would just state the basic principles of accidents and mishaps. We were trained to recognize two factors 1. Unsafe Acts and 2. Unsafe conditions.

Not wearing a seat belt, exceeding the speed limit are unsafe acts. No one can really protect us against these. Mostly these factors are taken care of only by extensive training, repeatedly giving people information on how to remain safe and policing. Policing alone cannot eliminate unsafe acts as these are random events. However, a strong deterrent does help. Would like to see videos on TV, adverts in newspapers and even on social media sites. Re-certifying licenses through fresh driving tests can also be looked at.

Unsafe conditions relate to poor design of a car, the road which includes road signage, surface quality, banking, etc.

In this case both are contributing factors and it is high time that action was taken on the road design and maintenance as this is a danger for all cars and not just for some. Even in the event of an accident human life should be protected by safe design of the road. Of course there are limits to this. This is entirely the purview of the Govt - Central or State as the case may be. Unfortunately, the perpetrators of poor design get away.

There should be a set of standards for road safety. Before a road is opened for traffic I do not know what is the process by which it is declared safe to be commissioned. Proper inspection of such roads before they are opened must be carried out and certified. Rectifications of faults must be certified as having been done before opening of the roads. This is meticulously done for the railway tracks so why not for roads? Probably that is why more people die in road accidents than in railroad accidents. Railways have a safety wing for ensuring everything is as per standard before opening of tracks. Thereafter there are inspections of the track at regular intervals.

I don't know much about NHA nowadays but my experience of many years ago was that the codification of road safety standards was not up to the mark. Obviously neither is the safety inspection before commissioning a highway.

[RJK]

Originally Posted by navin

Agreed. About 2 weeks ago, 2 tyres (left front and rear) got damaged on this section of road. My car has 235/45 R18s and no one knew how to fix them. Eventually, we got the car towed to Mumbai.

Can you link me to your post on the other thread? Thanks.

I’m guessing the car in question is the new (post 2019) Camry. I had a similar fate with mine though in the city itself. Cost was a horrendous 80k for replacing a bent rim and torn tyre of the same size.

Never ever will I skip tyre protect option in the insurance henceforth!

[Guite]

Originally Posted by ashokabs

I don't know much about NHAI nowadays but my experience of many years ago was that the codification of road safety standards was not up to the mark. Obviously neither is the safety inspection before commissioning a highway.

This thread has been very active over the last one week. We are all concerned about highway safety. On the other hand, the officials who designed, supervised and commissioned that stretch of highway probably just saw this accident on the TV news once and forgot about it.

NH 24 starting from Delhi is fairly new. The road looks smooth but there are a lot of uneveness. Speed limit is 100 kmph, but even at 80 kmph, some dips on the road almost launch you momentarily into the air. We as a country lack the meticulousness required to execute quality work. In case of roads, that quality should translate to safety.

[LokiPilaniya]

NHAI Project Director Speaks on the Cyrus Mistry Accident:
- Speeding was the main reason for this accident
- Maybe, the driver could not manoeuvre the turn where the 3-lane road merged into a 2-lane bridge
- If one drives at 80 kmph, the maximum permissible limit, then one can easily manoeuvre the turn
- Police have asked for rumble strips at 12 places on the NH48 (even though there are rumble strips but adding more may push drivers to further slow down)
- Rumblers reduce the speed of any vehicle by 10%
- Road designed for a maximum speed of 100 kmph, Speed Limit is 80 kmph
- Not a design fault

https://indianexpress.com/article/ci...ector-8143639/

[novice]

Originally Posted by LokiPilaniya

NHAI Project Director Speaks on the Cyrus Mistry Accident:
- Speeding was the main reason for this accident
- Maybe, the driver could not manoeuvre the turn where the 3-lane road merged into a 2-lane bridge
- If one drives at 80 kmph, the maximum permissible limit, then one can easily manoeuvre the turn.
https://indianexpress.com/article/ci...ector-8143639/

I don’t know what to say. I read in a TOI article that 106 people died on the 52km stretch, where this accident occurred, in the past 18 months. That’s an average of 6 deaths every month just on a 52km stretch.

We can’t expect anything to change, such people will always blame the drivers. I guess they might even say that the accident and resulting death was caused because they were traveling in a vehicle and that they would have survived had they walked. Morons!!

TOI article
http://m.timesofindia.com/articlesho...gn=cppst_prime

[shancz]

Originally Posted by theabstractmind

However, 5 seconds is a lot of time for the car to slow down only 11 kmph after braking, if braking was to avoid a collision or take an evasive maneuver.

Seems like it but the mild deceleration and the subsequent crash profile indicates that the deceleration wasn't for the structure. The driver just didn't see the structure at all.

Won't guess the reasons but will wait for the investigation to conclude to paint the accurate picture.

[Innysta]

An article on road accident in India in today's paper The Hindu reveals surprising facts:

In 2021, TN and Chennai have the highest
1) Accidents in a state and city (TN: 55k, Chennai: 5k)
2) 2nd in Fatal accidents next only to U.P.
3) Day time and early night (6pm-9pm is the highest, 26% of accidents, 3pm-6pm has 19%)
4) Over speeding accidents (74% of accidents root cause)

I thought TN is a better place to drive as well as night drives has more chances of accidents but data shows otherwise..

[WorkingGuru]

Originally Posted by Innysta

....I thought TN is a better place to drive as well as night drives has more chances of accidents but data shows otherwise..

Tamil Nadu doesn't have compulsory helmet rule AFAIK. Also although their roads are surfaced well, they could do well if better marked.

Traffic police are hard working, IMO, given the climatic conditions. Further infrastructure & systemic improvements, along with a public outreach program can drastically reduce accidents.

My 2¢.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by LokiPilaniya

- If one drives at 80 kmph, the maximum permissible limit, then one can easily manoeuvre the turn

Perhaps they are considering the rest of the road to be empty. If it is not, then traffic must be sparse to merge lanes at 80kph.

One also needs to know about and be prepared for the road to narrow and the lane to disappear. And, whilst acknowledging the road deficiency, bottom line is that drivers must be prepared and look and respond accordingly.

A couple of days ago, someone posted an aerial picture of the site. One thing amazed me: just before the bridge, there is a pedestrian crossing marked on the road. I wonder how many people dare use it!

Originally Posted by WorkingGuru

Tamil Nadu doesn't have compulsory helmet rule AFAIK.

Indeed we do. It is a national rule, as I understand it. The water was muddied (or blooded?) by a particular chief minister (no names no politics) who told the police "not to bother the people" with it. Perhaps that confusion still lives in the minds of some, but it's days are long-since past.

The pillion-helmet rule is also recognised, and police have been enforcing this recently.

One problem is that rule enforcement here is like festivals: each one comes around, is celebrated avidly, and then forgotten until its turn comes around again. Whether it is speed, seat belts, recklessness, drink, whatever --- the police make special occasions for each, rather than enforcing all.

[MT_Hyderabad]

Originally Posted by LokiPilaniya

NHAI Project Director Speaks on the Cyrus Mistry Accident:
- Speeding was the main reason for this accident
- Maybe, the driver could not manoeuvre the turn where the 3-lane road merged into a 2-lane bridge

This report does not talk about the vehicle speed data that was shared by Mercedes. These guys were completely oblivious to the fact that speed data exists.

This guy constructed the highway and is responsible for its upkeep, he cannot say that there is a flaw in the design of the road. Otherwise, he will lose his job.

The site where it happened is shown in this video. It is clearly a design flaw; rumble strips do not exist and these guys are waking up to put them across after this accident.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=EwamYUmmNHo?feature=share

On top of that, permissible limit of 80 km/hr is in his dreams. I have driven on many highways where policeman welcome you with speed guns. They do not challan you below 100 km/hr.

A simple Google search will help.

[LokiPilaniya]

Originally Posted by MT_Hyderabad

The site where it happened is shown in this video. It is clearly a design flaw; rumble strips do not exist and these guys are waking up to put them across after this accident.

https://Youtube.com/watch?v=EwamYUmmNHo?feature=share

This video only shows the starting point of lane change and the accident spot.
Rumble strips are there some 150-200 meters before the video starting point.

Edit: I checked the video again and found that shoulder rumble strips are worn out. So the same case could be with the main rumble strips. But that can be confirmed only if someone like this guy who posted this video posts a full video or a photo of the current condition.

On top of that, permissible limit of 80 km/hr is in his dreams. I have driven on many highways where policeman welcome you with speed guns. They do not challan you below 100 km/hr.

A simple Google search will help.

Sir, I've travelled on this highway and I never saw 100 after entering Maharashtra and till I entered on Mumbai-Pune expressway. Some parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat does have the limit of 100/90/80 depending on the section.

I'm based in Jaipur and I do Jaipur-Delhi, Jaipur-Udaipur atleast once a month or two. Which is the same highway if we go by the numbers of NH. There is no constant speed limit on NH48, it changes according to different sections.

Also police with speed guns are not there to decide the limit. It's upto them to stop you or not depending on their mood

[MT_Hyderabad]

Originally Posted by LokiPilaniya

Also police with speed guns are not there to decide the limit. It's upto them to stop you or not depending on their mood

I got a challan for overspeeding on a NH and the permissible limit was shown as 100 km/hr on the ticket.

I was travelling during covid lockdown for a medical emergency and took all necessary permissions / epass.

However, my ticket doesn't prove any speed limit, a simple Google search does.
https://www.google.com/search?q=nh+s...obile&ie=UTF-8


https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1539335