[Turbohead]

So will the vehicle owner be liable if they are run over? Would like to hear the perspective from the legal side. Can this be termed as attempt of suicide by these miscreants?

Chances of these guys getting killed are ridiculously high!

Edit: I know what I said above is quite cruel but I don't wanna be jailed because a bunch of guys thought it's cool to collect money on a fast highway.

Shows the state of affairs of our economy. They're definitely of employable age and look at the stuff people are forced to do/end up doing.

[asmr]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

So will the vehicle owner be liable if they are run over? Would like to hear the perspective from the legal side. Can this be termed as attempt of suicide by these miscreants? ... They're definitely of employable age and look at the stuff people are forced to do/end up doing.

That's the real question. While in the driver seat, we can never be sure who those people are or what they are doing on the road or why they are blocking the road. They can be simple idiots trying to get money in the festivals. Or they can be bandits/dacoits that mean real trouble. Especially with women and children in the car, any sensible driver would be weighing the risks and mostly err on the side of protecting family.

[Rahul Rao]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

So will the vehicle owner be liable if they are run over? Would like to hear the perspective from the legal side. Can this be termed as attempt of suicide by these miscreants?

Chances of these guys getting killed are ridiculously high!

A bus driver I know was involved in an incident where a dacoit got killed.
He did not stop there but drove on to a police station about 15 km away.
On paper he was arrested and released on bail, but actually it was just paper work with him and a few supporting passengers sitting in the police station for about two hrs. Police had called a local magistrate and lawyer, and his co driver had to sign as surety.
Next day he had a court appearance along with the insurers lawyer, and the bus was released. The case dragged on but he only had to attend twice in 8 years when the ruling were
1.) That he was not at fault for the run over, as accident was not avoidable.
2.) The hit and run was removed from charge sheet as he had voluntarily reported to nearest police station, and stopping in isolated area / area with hostile crowd along with women passengers was not practical and safe.

Rahul

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

So will the vehicle owner be liable if they are run over?
Chances of these guys getting killed are ridiculously high!

Edit: I know what I said above is quite cruel but I don't wanna be jailed because a bunch of guys thought it's cool to collect money on a fast highway. .

Absolutely stupid to do this on an NH Expressway. I have however observed this on rural roads and must confess that I almost ran over two such guys on purpose since I had already stopped and paid twice a few kms earlier. So in the third such setup, since I'm quite used to last minute braking (as a part of my work), didn't budge and there were two guys in the middle of my path. They scooted off noticing me not slowing down and I ripped their rope into two pieces. Just carried on my journey and noticed that they got a life lesson there and stopped holding the rope across the road.

[electro-monk]

Originally Posted by Bhargav7

I had a similar incident a few years ago on the Bangalore to Hyderabad highway. There were around a dozen people who were holding hands and blocked the entire road. I slowed down (did not stop) and all of a sudden, they surrounded the car and started knocking on the windows.

Two decades back, at many places on interior places on Patna to Rajgir route, localites used to block the road to collect petty cash - anything over 20 Rs or whatever they could exhort.
Rajgir being a peaceful and serene place, we used to visit in our M800 frequently and get fed up of this.
They wouldn't spare even the buses and regular commuter jeeps/Scorpio/Sumos which used to be aplenty being a very popular tourist place. This was a characteristic of what people refer to as jungle raj in Bihar.

Thankfully some semblance of order has befallen in last decade and half.

[unoczar]

Wow! When I saw the rope, I was shocked!

I wouldn't stop for anything in that situation. Whatever it takes!

But when I think about it, I have come across boulders and tree branches blocking the road. I made a U-Turn, traveled some distance wrong side and took any way available through nearby villages etc. But avoid such hooligans at all costs.

[Aj_Pod]

Such a scary thought this. If one stops, these guys can go to any extent to extort to their content specially if they see that it's a family travelling. This route thing to stop can be dangerous too them as well as the vehicle. Hope better sense prevails.

The authorities should take strict action against such miscreants as they are a danger to human life !

[mithun]

Originally Posted by anb

The bike is coming on the wrong side on a sharp turn. I managed to stop the car in time to avoid a collision.

https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=AKaL5Gch7JQ

Just curious...Could you decipher the number plate of the rider from the original video?

I've seen similar bad riders at Cochin so if the number plate is not readable would that help in a hit and run case?

[100Kmphormore]

Similar experience on Saturday while on a ride to Sangama/Mekedatu. These rascals don’t come on to the road for the fear of being run over, but hold up a wire high enough to graze a sedans roof or throw a rider off his bike. It was in the afternoon and my friends encountered them while going. They said we had no cash and passed on. I met the wire guy first while coming back and warned them in Mandya style Kannada if they stopped me or my friends illegally like this, that they were going to be reported to the Forest department. It worked like a charm and all my friends passed by without that wire coming up.

[prasanna_indaje]

Keep some change in the car. Possibly Rs 20 denomination. When stopped, if stopped, slip one bill into the hands of these kids and move on. It is not worth to risk their life or our peace of mind for the wrong deeds of these people.

Also, if we get into an argument, chances are high that it will get escalated and we will be forced to spend unwanted time and effort on the spot, no matter how local or influential we are.

Is this act wrong ? - Yes. 100%
Is it worth to get into an argument or plough through them risking many things over few rupees ? - No. Absolutely not

[chinkara]

3 incidents:
1. Pune: In one of the downhill roads coming down to the main road in Aundh, a scooter lost control and hit my Wagon R and the 2 riders went under. It was a T junction, they were coming downhill into the main road and just lost control / could not brake. Due to some intuition, I braked and thus the wheel did not go over the pillion rider who went under the vehicle between the wheels.
2. Bhorghat, idle afternoon with no cars. A swift living up to its name suddenly saw a curve tried to brake, took an 180 degree spin and came in front of me. Stood on the braked and avoided hitting by 2-3 inches.
3. Gurgaon, GCR underpass: A BMW speeding tipped over some stone, took a summersault and came to my lane facing me. Again avoided by inches.

[bhushan08]

Originally Posted by prasanna_indaje

Keep some change in the car. Possibly Rs 20 denomination. When stopped, if stopped, slip one bill into the hands of these kids and move on. It is not worth to risk their life or our peace of mind for the wrong deeds of these people.

Also, if we get into an argument, chances are high that it will get escalated and we will be forced to spend unwanted time and effort on the spot, no matter how local or influential we are.

Is this act wrong ? - Yes. 100%
Is it worth to get into an argument or plough through them risking many things over few rupees ? - No. Absolutely not

I could not agree more. However, it is still risky to stop and roll down the windows. You never know if the guys are after Rs 20 or after something more. I was in this situation during a recent Hampi drive and I was scared enough to not stop a few times and then forced to stop and pay up. I was glad it turned out to be a money matter and nothing more.

[sagarpadaki]

I would prefer paying 10 or 20 bucks and move on, especially if I am with family.

One of my relatives got into an argument with such road blockers in rural north Karnataka. The road blockers threw stones at the car shattering the rear glass and damaging the paint. And they ran away.

Such things can turn ugly and we will be at the receiving end of damages.

[maverickNerd]

Originally Posted by ajishanand

Not an accident video, but something that could have caused accident. We were passing through Kudligi bypass on the Hosapete-Chitradurga stretch of Hampi - Banglore highway. A group of people were blocking the road with a rope and attempting to stop the trucks in front of us, probably to collect money, not sure their motive though. The truck in front of us just zoomed past them and through that gap we were also able to pass. A dangerous act by miscreants on the highway which could lead to accidents!

https://Youtu.be/HErmB_4ZN4E

Ohh i just completed my Hyderabad-hampi-dandeli-gokarna-goa trip last week, and during my return through hampi, 3 guys on the middle of the highway having a decorated monkey on the chair in the middle of the road tried to stop me, i slowed down as i thought may be some accident and someone is sitting on chair who need help, but as i came closer to them, saw a monkey on chair in a sitting position (most probably died) and these 3 guys tried to stopped it, i smelled that this seems not right and speed up soon after reaching them.

Problem is we don't know what they will do, it might be a gang who can put a pistol on me and ask anything they want.

[Vijin]

On my drive from Hampi to Hyderabad a few months back, my dashcam captured these 2 trucks narrowly avoiding each other. I was driving behind the loaded truck and looking for a chance to pass, but I decided against it when I saw a T-intersection up ahead. Probably a wise decision.

https://youtu.be/SQSlW7l-pqs

When I watch the video again, I can see people on foot fleeing as the other truck enters the main road from a side road (possibly accelerating suddenly). I'm not sure what that driver was thinking at the time.