[Redex]

Same old, same old.
You have to address the biggest causes of most accidents. Don't blame vehicle construction, road defects and poor design, weather, daylight, other drivers, obstacles, cows, pedestrians, cyclists, rickshaw drivers etc.
The biggest issue is speed. How often do you see a parked car crash into another vehicle. Inappropriate speed takes away your thinking time, braking time and avoidance time.
Following too close, same as above.
Distraction/lack of attention. Same as above.
Poorly maintained vehicle.Same as above.
Overloaded vehicle. Same as above.
Too fast. Too close. Not concentrating. Not practicing defensive driving.

If you want to reach your destination sooner, leave earlier, slow down and keep your distance. Concentrate. Stay alive. Simple.

Drive safe, drive slower, stay calm.

[Gamemaztr]

This happened with a near one in 2015. By god's grace, all 5 occupants came out with minor injuries.

Some dumb trucker had parked his gigantic multi-axle almost in the middle of the road on a dark night (the night of Holi). Even with my uncle's headlights on the high beam, he couldn't see the multi-axle and rammed into it. Unfortunately, the trucker took advantage of the night and ran away. Hence, couldn't make a complaint.

I never tailgate a truck after this. This photo remains in my phone and whenever I feel excited, I look to it and drive safely. It takes nothing to drive safely and reach your destination albeit late. Takes everything once you die.

[DHARM]

Originally Posted by chaitanyakrish

[b]Avoiding Truck Underride Crashes

Can ADAS help in such scenerios?

[drGicher]

A great thread giving the safety tips on driving.

Some of driving thumb rules around big vehicles I have been following from my day 1 of driving:

a) If someone starts racing, let them win.
b) Never be near any big vehicle (truck, bus) on highway, overtake if can or slow down and increase gap to at least 50 meter.
c) On single roads, never risk an overtake. Only if it is very very safe like no oncoming vehicle or its very far.

[prajwalmr62]

Originally Posted by DHARM

Can ADAS help in such scenerios?

It should, yes. Accidents happen mostly due to human error. Anything that can reduce human error will definitely help to reduce all accidents including under-rides.

While people on this forum mostly bash ADAS implementation, and say that is the first thing they turn off once they turn on the car, usefulness of this technology has been proven in all markets. It is wiser to keep such tools turned on and drive safer.

[anjan_c2007]

The OP is well researched and written describing vivid details that could be causative factors and the safety precautions to avoid such crashes.

We need to presume that a majority of trucks don't have either proper and safe underriders, or working taillights with even dirty or unreadable number plates. These are usually overloaded and many of them move on the roads like supreme entities much like elephants do in the jungles. With all such realities in the backdrop, defensive driving is called for.

Firstly, I will stress that we need to keep a safe braking distance with any vehicle moving ahead, while trailing. More so if its a truck. These usually move sluggishly and our charged adrenaline keeps prompting us saying "overtake that truck fast". And an impending disaster awaits should we ignore what our conscience says at that moment.

We need to always prepare for the worst and hope for the best while out on the road by practicing defensive driving. On the roads, when its the callous truckers versus we car guys, there are no winners, only losers that are mostly from the latter category. There is no way out should we compete and try to outdo a truck. Its a challenge we try to face with an eight to twenty plus tonnes monster versus our one to two ton cars. Might has been Right since the Stone Age till the present day with humans. No doubt, laws have been codified and the justice dispensing system has evolved. But laws and justice are for the later succeeding months and years. While instantly, on the roads we shall be the losers should something happen by way of some unfortunate incident involving us and a truck.

[chaitanyakrish]

Originally Posted by Gotcha

Can Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) can help prevent such crashes?

Originally Posted by DHARM

Can ADAS help in such scenerios?

Originally Posted by prajwalmr62

It should, yes.

Radar based ADAS might be better than Vision based ADAS as during dense fog, if the driver chooses to use highbeam, due to scattering of light, vision based ADAS might not be effective.

Also, having ADAS might be good but driver should not take extra risk just because he has ADAS.

Anything with technology has limitations and there's no guarantee that, it works 10/10 times.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Gaur

Not correct, there are very specific requirements for Front, Side and Rear under-run devices covering the above points you have mentioned.

Infact these Indian requirements very closely resemble ECE requirements for under ride protection.

Could you please share the data, or share a link describing the Indian specifications (and also the ECE requirements if possible)?

[chaitanyakrish]

Another video clip showing the risk of having an underride, if we do not observe the wheels.

https://youtu.be/F38OE88nitg

[Chhanda Das]

My Grandfather used to say "Never buy a car whose bonnet's height is lower than the ladder-frame chassis of a truck" for precisely this exact reason, that is to minimize the damage in case of underride crashes. Hence, most sedans, hatchbacks and MPVs in India are automatically out of consideration.

Also, the distance between the lower end of the windshield of the car and the front crash bar of the car is a major factor for the safety of the car occupants, larger the distance the better. Hence, most sub-4 metre cars are out of consideration too.

There can be exceptions based on a few variables but from a safety perspective in case of underride crashes, the stacks are overwhelmingly in favour of SUVs and crossovers above 4 metres in length

[vinya_jag]

Thanks, this article is another reminder for me to drive safe, and gives a lot of tips which I wouldn't have observed.
On the tailgating aspect, I wish the government makes Adas like system mandatory on every vehicle in India. It is too much to ask the government to educate us all about the safe distance to be maintained. Less than 50% of drivers or riders maintain a safe distance. A vibrating steering/ handlebar if you are driving too close to the vehicle in front can be an excellent deterrent.
Also, blinking lights (Or even a light which lights up tailgating) on Government buses behind them can educate if some driver/ rider is very close to the bus from behind.

These days, I drive on some of the slowish to medium fast roads in Bangalore and almost daily, I see folks hitting vehicles in front. Albeit slow speed incidents, I wonder how close everyone rides (Specially 2 wheelers)

On highways, I follow another rule. If I see a new vehicle approach me from behind in my rear view mirror (Whom I have not overtaken), I assume that this person is faster than me, and give way, or let them overtake me, even if I have to slow down or lose time.
Many a times, road rage starts from people not letting faster vehicles move past them, and the vehicle behind tries a dangerous overtaking, or intimidate by driving too close or honk.

[Rohitthebest]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PjxKNpHyYA

Fantastic observations and lessons to be taken as precautions especially driving in our part of the world with ever increasing Expressways but with no awareness.
If you observe our dash cam video, my wife was doing 100+ KMPH coolly on our way to Bangalore from Pune two years back. She even overtook the truck from left side as the guy is driving on extreme right side since it comes in our vision. As she tries to go back to extreme right lane which is supposed to be the overtaking as well as faster lane, the small carrier on the centre lane decides to take the right lane without indicating or any need to go in that lane.
If you see the highway ahead it is all clear and later on when he stopped after we hit him from behind, he mentioned that " I was going to stop on the right side to drink water". Can you believe that? Right side and not extreme left. We approached the police right one KM ahead and looking at our MH12 Number he asked us to go on with our journey without filing complaint as we won't be able to attend the enquiry / court going ons in case it goes ahead. I too realised that I believe the cops with harass him for quick buck than actually doing anything about it.
Lesson learnt: Always analyse the intention of the vehicle moving ahead of you to know in which direction they can move in the Free Highway World of ours and move accordingly.

[wooka]

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

My Grandfather used to say "Never buy a car whose bonnet's height is lower than the ladder-frame chassis of a truck" for precisely this exact reason, that is to minimize the damage in case of underride crashes. Hence, most sedans, hatchbacks and MPVs in India are automatically out of consideration.

Absolutely agree and this is why I've dropped my swift and sunny from highway driving altogether. I'm now solely a BOF car guy.

The one question I have is this - how does one tilt the odds? What kind of setup will let me drive with confidence? An external roll cage or rather something reinforcing the A to B pillar only?

I've also been looking at (a rather permanent) adding of structural PU foam via cans to the A and B pillars but I doubt it'll help too much unless I can reinforce the roof between the two. Like what the old thar had in the 2015 refresh, a metal X across the roof, maybe a good starting point. These 2 ton cars see tremendous forces that I really worry about when on the highway.

Alternatively, take off the panel plastic covers, TIG weld some square channels and put the panels back?

Looking at Volvo impact testing, they're really tough! But I doubt anyone is throwing cars off cliffs to see how they survive?
Links:
https://www.compositesworld.com/arti...-for-a-pillars

https://youtu.be/fdkM-MR1yPU?si=AR7CqxyfElca0FvH

[chaitanyakrish]

Originally Posted by Rohitthebest

If you observe our dash cam video

Thank You.

Observe the wheels of the pickup truck, they're closer to lane markings.



Here, The truck is driving closer to lane markings and there's an exit coming on the left. He might take that exit too. I just used horn to make it clear and he corrected his position. If there are exits nearby,it's better not to have assumptions as drivers can suddenly change lanes.

https://youtu.be/a1gsGSISqvk

[RGK]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Do realize that a truck driver has bigger blind spots than any other vehicle, and in most cases, they are not even aware of the presence of a smaller vehicle trying to squeeze past them, leading to these collisions.

Absolutely true.

A few years ago at a tollgate (before Fastag), a Dzire and a Tata high truck ( think Signa Model type) were trying to enter the lane, and I was behind. Both were inching parallel, and only one could squeeze. I was desperate to stop Dzire (by flashing the lights) as he is very close to the left side of the truck and definitely the truck driver cannot see the left bottom corner. As expected, carwala tried to cut slightly on the right to enter, and the truck's bumper scratched hard on the driver's side door. The simple reason is the blind spot for the truckwala.

Their seat position does not help them as well. The Volvo bus coach mirror is quite useful with respect to front side corners.

I treat the truck on a highway with respect. I never honk when they drive in parallel on a highway and wait until I get enough space. Likewise, I also agree that there are morons who never obey any type of traffic rule, and we need to be very careful.

Very informative thread Chaitanya on safety