[gbpscars]

hi team mates,

am posting this after going through a harrowing weekend filled with accident news and sights of blood, 2 of them concerning whom i know quite well.

friday evening started it all,...
5 of a family (far relative to mine), travelling in an Indigo, the driver, one of my relatives, lost control after trying to avoid a bike coming out of Karave junction and the car rolled and went into a 15 ft 'nullah'. My relative's one eye poped out of the socket and was damaged to an extent, it had to be removed, his lower jaw is fractured / dislocated, still in ICU at MGM, Vashi. His close family suffer from minor fractures, deep serations, bruises and trauma, all admitted to the same hospital. the kid, only ~3 years old is totally shaken up with some bruises.

saturday mid-day,... a family friend of mine, trying to avoid a car not respecting the signal, coming out of nerul junction lost control of his bike, he and his wife (riding pillion), fell into the centre divider full with decorative plants. thanks to the plants, their fall was not bad, they escaped with few bruises and a twisted ankle for the lady. the bike is not road-worthy now :(

sunday morning, as i went out for my routine shopping, i saw a silver swift probably dragged over to its current place by the road clearance team after the accident, was almost folded in half from the left side impact, didnt bother to ask around much as i was too intoxicated with accidents and blood already by then. this mornings news says the occupants of the swift were 4 docs from DYPatil, Nerul, all injured.

By posting this, i have a sincere request to all team-bhp members atleast to respect life and limb while driving. "India Shining" has given us great big roads that were not dreamable even 10 years before, but along with it comes too much power under the hood and irresponsible drivers.

Mechanical faults and punctures and tire blasts may play a big role in accidents, but there are also a lot of human error, egoes (power under the hood / power of money) that maim / kill many an innocent person.

The Palm Beach road has really become a highly accident prone zone. I live just off the great big, beautiful road. I was once proud of it, but now feel a lot vulnerable to someone else's mistake. During my casual drives on this road, I come across many a rash driver, many a rule-breaker, and of course a few cars now and then pulled on the shoulder of the road, that have gone through some accident or the other.

Fellow team-bhpians please drive with care. The relative who lost an eye was an architect. You realise the importance of that organ for his life. Carelessness (sometimes from other's end) can lead to such a situation for anyone of us.

[mobike008]

That was a very touchy post.

As you rightly said, India shining has definetly given a lot of powers to most of us individuals and we need to enjoy that responsibly without causing damage to any life or property

[rks]

This post is a timely warning for me. I have noticed that in the last couple of months or so, the Mumbai-Pune route has been diverted from the Sion-Panvel highway to the Palm-beach road after Vashi toll gate. One turns left from the Palm beach road to the road towards Nerul and then re-joins the Sion-Panvel highway after Nerul flyover. I take this route usually at 8-00 AM or thereabouts and I noticed the high speeds (120+ kmph) plus violation of signals at this time. Hope some idiot doesn't mess up my life during the short period (< 5 mins) I am on the Palm beach road.

[triggercool]

True cause of some rash drivers this road has become real vulnerable. Very risky to drive late night on palm beach road because of unofficial racing.

[drifter]

Im sorry for your friend's loss, but it has been my observation, people driving in new bombay are just plain idiots atleast some of them. No regards for rules, safety of themselves or others. No offence meant to anyone from the area. But that's just my observation. Im not saying Mumbai is any better, we have our own share of idiots.

The traffic police are quite a few in number for new mumbai, and that is something the government should take a serious look at. Patrolling should be increased and they should be provided with speedguns to check erring drivers.

Also the signals that have been recently installed at the junctions on this particular road are plainly cosmetic as nobody really follows them. The police need to keep a check on this as well. Large amount of police presence might atleast force some drivers to follow the rules.

Cant believe we have to force people to stay safe.

Drifter

[emkay456]

I now say a silent prayer before entering Palm Beach (which is quite frequent). The mess is created by a combination of factors :

a) Police constables total idiots. Once I saw a cop at the Moraj junction near Vashi chewing pan and gawking at a broken down auto (safely parked out of any traffic path) ignoring the chaos created at the junction with vehicles going in all directions, which he was supposed to control !!
b) the motorcyclists in Navi Mumbai are a very dangerous breed especially the Gaonwallah youngsters. They come in the path of our four wheelers at different angles in suicidal fashion hoping to provoke a fight !! Frankly I mantain more distance from these bikes than probably a ST bus !!
c) On sunday I had to accompany a friend to extricate himself from a relatively soft accident ( 800 car reversed into a bike hurrying to cross before the reversal operation, pillion rider got a deep cut on his lower leg). Ended up spending 5000 grand (first-aid at MGM Belapur and bribes).

[nitroxx]

I'm really sorry to hear what happened bro, one things for sure the palm beach road has taken a toll on many drivers mainly coz of human error.I've seen guys who speed past me when I'm doin a 100km/h and then since they dont have enough breaking distance for the signal they just tend to cut across,infact I know this one dude who has a getz and knew he wasnt gonna stop before the signal but went ahead and still jammed his breaks and ended up a few feet after the signal...luckily no bikers or drivers there a the time.

[amit]

Thats sad. I am really sorry for what your friends had to go through. Most of these accidents are driver error.

Originally Posted by gbpscars

sunday morning, as i went out for my routine shopping, i saw a silver swift probably dragged over to its current place by the road clearance team after the accident, was almost folded in half from the left side impact.

Was driving past that signal on sunday evening and saw the car too. It was in a real bad shape.

Also the signals that have been recently installed at the junctions on this particular road are plainly cosmetic as nobody really follows them.

Signals everywhere have become cosmetic. No one bothers to even look at signals nowadays. Even during day time people drive through with no care in the world. And those driving towards Vashi, please be careful at the signal near Sterling hospital. You have to take a curve and then stop at the trafffic lights. Since most drivers don't bother stopping, they could bang into you from the back if you end up stopping. Today morning, I stopped at the lights and a ST bus and a Skoda Octavia zoomed through even as pedestrains had started to cross! The ST was behind me and actually shifted lanes and drove through. What I find amazing is that drivers block you out forcing you to stop even when your traffic light is green and when you honk and squeeze in they give you the glare!

Police constables total idiots.

no one gives a damn for them. Nowadays, most of the auto drivers don't bother stopping when they are asked to by traffic cops! The cops meanwhile merrily stand looking at the auto driving past him at 30kmph.

I drive the entire stretch of Palm Beach road twice everyday, one stretch I do around 9.15 pm and it's scary even at that time. Apart from pathetically stupid drivers, the road has some stretches that have no proper signs.

[manaa45]

i am using the palm beach on daily basis for last 4 years and the usage has tripled in these many years. secondly now that the turbhe flyover is closed, it is making things worst. all huge vehicles right from ST's, errant volvos, dumpers, trucks, MSRTC buses. all of them are nothing but stupid people who drive in the right lane, cutting across the lanes like maniacs, no lane discipline at all. i really feel scared for myself ( i atleast drive a car) and my husband who uses an activa. infact when these busses drive at a higher speed, you actually feel the tremors. but nothing is being done by the traffic cops. they just stand there for some days of hte month and collect fines. nobody is interested in the speed limit or for that matter control of accidents.

once a beautiful road, it is now nothing less than a road to hell.

god bless all who have lost their lives due to their own or somebody elses stupidity.

Mansi

[aZa]

During my 3-day stay in Nri City, for the speedrun 2007. I saw 3-4 Accidents on the palm beach road. It was like everyday while on the palm beach road we used to come across an accident. Once while returning from Sector 17 we saw lots of dust around 50mtrs ahead of us, it was a bolero which lot control due to a puncture and it had rammed into the divider and then gone ahead and hit the street light. There were two couples inside and the drivers nose was bleeding.

We were driving around at 3AM and its an amazing stretch of road but during the day time the whole palm beach stretch is full of cars speeding and motorists jumping the lights... its scary!

[normally_crazy]

OK finally the cops and government have woken up. Palm beach road will now have cops with Speed guns and there is proposal to have spy cameras fitted on the entire stretch too. The Speed Guns are going operational by 19th March 2007.

But has anyone actually noticed the reason why these accidents are taking place ? palm Beach road was planned as a high speed highway. And looking at the popularity of the road, the builder mafia got into action and now there are hoardes of building all along the road. Adding to this menace is the Dumper trucks carrying construction material and spilling them all over the road.

Now has anyone seen how the people living in these buildings walk on this road early in the morning during their jogs and walks ? They occupy the left most lane and go along merrily while cars and trucks speed by inches away. Don't they know that all cars speed by early in the mornings ? ( these speed maniaca are another bunch of fools) Add to that some smart gaon wallas who sit on the centre divider with their legs hanging out in the fast most lane cms away from speeding cars.

What do these people think ? They are studs and they expect cars and trucks come to a screeching halt from 80 kmph when they cross the road ? Why don't we the people as pedestrians think for our own safety ?

And when the accident happens - the car guy is the guy to blame , SIMPLE.

Why cant we think for ourselves and take precautions while walking / driving ?

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

[emkay456]

Today's Navi Mumbai supplement of Times of India carries the pic of the Swift accident on Palm Beach referred in this thread. The picture of the wrecked car is of academic interest in terms of the damage. Seems the pillars of the Swift have taken the impact quite well considering the fact that the vehicle had turned turtle. Seems unbelievable that Swift could turn on its head. !! Must have been travelling at its max speed !!
For a flimsy body of Swift, damage is not much !!

[gbpscars]

Thanks to all who shared the feelings for my relative. He is out of the ECU since yesterday and is recuperating. Still a long way to go, no idea what else is his loss. Other family members admitted are recuperating as well after minor corrective surgeries on 2 of them.

It is no surprise that so many from this forum use this road. All the points mentioned by most of you (daily travellers / visitors) happen almost everytime, everyday.

The surprise is that why the cops have not taken this to task even a wee bit.

As "normally_crazy" says that speed guns will be put in place, I hope it stays forever, which I doubt, this will be hot for a day or 2 until the local media flashes "Palm Beach road under speed scanner"

Lots to be done before this road gets its peace back.

[amit]

Saw a Indica lying with it's nose down in the central divider near NRI complex at 7 pm yesterday.

Also, apart from speed guns, Navi Mumbai cops will also be armed with breath analyser's. Apparently, one of the analyser will be used for the Palm Beach road while the other will be used to check people leaving restaurants and bar's at night time. But I agree with gbp. I don't expect the speed gun project to last beyond 7 days from March 19. In a week, either the cops will move on because by then most driver's know that speed guns are in effect and therefore the earnings of the cops would have gone down or the cops will manage to conk off the guns and the government authorities will claim that there is no money to repair them. Also, they can't stand on that road with speed guns 24X7. These measures are reactive. I am sure 95% of drivers on that road don't know the official speed limit. When they are flagged down for over speeding, most will think that the cops are trying to make some money by needlessly harassing them. Every problem that we have on our roads has it's root in one problem. The distribution of driving licences like they are candy. Until that and the attitude of the people in this country changes, things will never improve.

[hvkumar]

Why do motorists always carry the burden of blame for these accidents? Pedestrians don't cross where they are supposed to. They do not look around before they cross. They jaywalk, ignoring the pavements, wherever available. The basic rule of walking facing the traffic (for maximum safety, so that you can see the oncoming traffic) is not observed. There is no lane discpline - how can a slow vehicle and fast vehicle go on the same lane, should a bike not stick to the left-hand lanes and leave the extreme right lane free for overtaking? Will someone tabulate how many accidents happen because of unmarked road deviations, obstacles like stones/ debris strewn across the road and breakdowns. And when an accident happens, the larger vehicle always gets the blame! Instead of installing speed guns, let them install CCTV cameras so that you can photograph how the accident happens so that the innocent can be protected. Of course, speeding vehicles are also part of the problem, but it is unfair to damn them just because they are going fast. Many accidents happen even when vehicles are well within the speed limits, not just when they are fast