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Old 2nd March 2015, 22:11   #1
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Windshield stoned on the Highway

This happened yesterday on the Hyderabad -Bangalore highway.

We were driving pretty late (around 1 am) and were approximately 250 kms from Hyderabad.

I was doing moderate speeds of around 110kmph and was on the right most lane.

Although the roads were tolled. This stretch was particularly isolated.

A man (probably In his late 20s) was walking on the left side of the road . he had a rock/half broken brick in his hand and as I approached closer he took aim and cracked my windshield.

I did not stop immediately under the assumption that this might very well be a robbery.

We travelled for about a km to assess the damages. Luckily no damage to the body work except for a small crack on the fender mirror.

We travelled for another 40kms and signalled the toll officer that such a thing happened. He radioed the previous toll booth to have a look into it.
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Old 2nd March 2015, 22:24   #2
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re: Windshield stoned on the Highway

Quote:
Originally Posted by vinaydas View Post
This happened yesterday on the Hyderabad -Bangalore highway.

A man (probably In his late 20s) was walking on the left side of the road . he had a rock/half broken brick in his hand and as I approached closer he took aim and cracked my windshield.

I did not stop immediately under the assumption that this might very well be a robbery.
Glad to know everyone is safe. This looks like a one odd incident. I'm a frequent user of the hyd-blr highway and never did such a thing happen to me or any of my friends who use that road often. Since this has happened. we shall be extra more cautious while travelling on this stretch of the highway.

Were you between kurnool-anantapur stretch?

Last edited by Technocrat : 5th March 2015 at 02:37. Reason: Please quote selectively as a large quoted post causes inconvenience to our mobile readers, thanks
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Old 2nd March 2015, 22:32   #3
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re: Windshield stoned on the Highway

Vinay,

Let me congratulate you first.

First of all, for having the sanity of not stopping immediately and running behind that moron (my first reaction, would have been this).

Secondly, for being able to control the vehicle after the impact. Even if the impact is not great, it is a reflex action to swerve the vehicle away from an object. You did great under the circumstances.

Good to know that you are safe !
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Old 2nd March 2015, 22:35   #4
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@kingofmyworld this was around 100 odd kilometers from ananthpur. Not sure of the exact name.
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Old 2nd March 2015, 23:22   #5
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re: Windshield stoned on the Highway

That looks like a dangerous strike and it is fortunate that no passenger was injured.
Very soon Gorilla Glass, which appears in our smartphones, would make it to automobiles - a little bit of added safety on our dangerous roads.

Last edited by Nissan1180 : 2nd March 2015 at 23:24.
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Old 3rd March 2015, 11:21   #6
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re: Windshield stoned on the Highway

Good you didn't stop and managed to retain control. Sounds like a robbery case in the making. I always thought BLR-HYD is a safe stretch
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Old 3rd March 2015, 12:51   #7
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re: Windshield stoned on the Highway

Has happened to me, but the brick didn't land on my car, instead, the guy ran away with that brick.

I saw that urchin aiming at my car, checked all the RVM's and aimed the Storme I was driving, at him. It worked.

Disclaimer :- Exercise caution, may back fire as well. Check surroundings too.

Last edited by Sheel : 3rd March 2015 at 13:03.
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Old 3rd March 2015, 13:12   #8
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re: Windshield stoned on the Highway

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Originally Posted by itwasntme View Post
Sounds like a robbery case in the making.
Doubtful regarding the robbery motive, looks to me more like the person was not in sane mind, a drunkard probably or was a frustrated soul in need to vent out frustration and the OP became the victim for the same.

What efforts would have been taken by the Toll operator other than radioing? Do toll operators have a patrol vehicle which can drive down to trace the chap?

It is commendable that Vinaydas did not lose the composure while driving and stopped to accost the person. It was particularly good that Toll operator was informed who did take some action.
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Old 3rd March 2015, 17:23   #9
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Re: Windshield stoned on the Highway

Hat's off to your presence of mind & keeping the car / its occupants safe. Most drivers would try to 'steer away' from the stone, thereby creating a dangerous situation.

Hope you already claimed insurance. You get 100% for glass. The only out of pocket expenses will be some marginal depreciation for the rubber beading.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nissan1180 View Post
Very soon Gorilla Glass, which appears in our smartphones, would make it to automobiles - a little bit of added safety on our dangerous roads.
I doubt that. Automotive windscreens are designed to shatter into tiny pieces so they don't injure you (with large pointy pieces). Plus, if a pedestrian hits the windscreen, it's better for it to crumple than stay put and cause greater injury.

Windscreens are easy to replace. Body parts aren't .
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Old 3rd March 2015, 18:55   #10
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Exactly my thoughts. If the man had struck any one of the body panels or even my light force lamps or the stock lamps :( .It would have been an expensive affair as I had chosen to ignore zero dep insurance.

Anyways, I've dropped the vehicle for its 20k service and the windshield replacement.

on a lighter note,
On The return journey from Hyderabad, i achieved the best mileage figure on my car
An average of 570 kilometres returned a fuel efficiency of close to 12KMPL with 8 passengers and additional luggage on board.
Compared to my average of 8.6 (with 5 passengers) en route to hyderbad (spirited driving at blame here).
Maybe ill write a long term(1year) report once she's back.

Last edited by vinaydas : 3rd March 2015 at 19:03.
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Old 3rd March 2015, 23:24   #11
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Re: Windshield stoned on the Highway

Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO View Post
I doubt that. Automotive windscreens are designed to shatter into tiny pieces so they don't injure you (with large pointy pieces). Plus, if a pedestrian hits the windscreen, it's better for it to crumple than stay put and cause greater injury.

Windscreens are easy to replace. Body parts aren't .
I don't see why it is not on the cards. It would be nice to have tougher, lighter, more scratch resistant windshields and I don't understand why that means that they cannot be designed to shatter into tiny pieces when they reach their breaking point. There is no correlation between shatter patterns and strength here.

So you're saying weaker windshields are better because of pedestrian safety? In that case we should be applauding Maruti for cutting back on impact beams and sheet metal gauge on locally manufactured cars we might as well go ahead and make everything out of plastic

Quote:
Originally Posted by vinaydas View Post
on a lighter note,
On The return journey from Hyderabad, i achieved the best mileage figure on my car
An average of 570 kilometres returned a fuel efficiency of close to 12KMPL with 8 passengers and additional luggage on board.
Compared to my average of 8.6 (with 5 passengers) en route to hyderbad (spirited driving at blame here).
Maybe ill write a long term(1year) report once she's back.
Like a few have said, I admire your presence of mind in the situation. I frequent the Hyderabad-Bangalore highway several times and have never even thought things like this might happen. Though I travel only in the morning and afternoon hours.

That's funny you should actually be getting more mileage as you travel towards Hyderabad since Bangalore is more elevated. I once recorded 15kmpl even with high speed driving.

Mod Note: Team-BHP strongly discourages unsafe driving practices that put yourself and other road users at risk. Please do NOT post about illegally high speeds on public roads.

Last edited by Rudra Sen : 4th March 2015 at 07:30.
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Old 4th March 2015, 12:42   #12
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Re: Windshield stoned on the Highway

Quote:
Originally Posted by IshaanIan View Post
In that case we should be applauding Maruti for cutting back on impact beams and sheet metal gauge on locally manufactured cars we might as well go ahead and make everything out of plastic
Pedestrian safety has little to do with impact beams, although after-market impact beams (aka bull bars) can have a detrimental effect.

It's a science in itself : read for more information

Also, on the windscreen point:

Quote:
Most pedestrian deaths occur due to the traumatic brain injury resulting from the hard impact of the head against the stiff hood or windshield

Last edited by GTO : 4th March 2015 at 13:25.
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Old 4th March 2015, 20:50   #13
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Re: Windshield stoned on the Highway

Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO View Post
Pedestrian safety has little to do with impact beams, although after-market impact beams (aka bull bars) can have a detrimental effect.

It's a science in itself : read for more information

Also, on the windscreen point:
Perhaps my remarks on impact beams were exaggerated but what I'm trying to say is that in that case we ought to all applaud companies like Hyundai and Maruti for the less solid feel their locally built cars have due to scale backs on steel, we should also ideally be driving cars like the Sipani Dolphin and have plexi-glass windshields. Armoured vehicles must also be illegal to drive on streets because they are too well built and strong to be safe for a pedestrian. And that makes absolutely no sense to me. If you want to be driving a car using fragile body panels and windshields, just to save pedestrians who have no business being hit by a car and only do so in accidental situations, then go ahead, but I wouldn't and I guess no one else would. That is why the solution to such issues are regulations like minimum clearance between the hood and engine components, calculated bumper geometries and Volvo's pedestrian airbags not something like weaker windshields.

Last edited by IshaanIan : 4th March 2015 at 20:52.
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Old 4th March 2015, 21:55   #14
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Re: Windshield stoned on the Highway

This thread came up at the right time. My dad, kaka and 2 fui's were returning from Junagadh yesterday. They left at 8 in the morning and were near Virar by around 12 in the night. Someone flung a stone at my Kaka's Swift and it hit the front window, broke the glass and injured my dad who was sitting in the front. Imagine the hit was so HARD, that the metal part above the door caved in like 3 inches inside the Swift.

The car almost crashed as after the impact the stone hit my Kaka too as he momentarily was in a daze and ended up almost going off the road. They were at around 95 to 100 kmph then as roads were blistering empty. Imagine this, this was our entire family in one car.

Immediately my 2 Fui's flagged down some truckers and some passenger cars who were passing by and all of them stopped seeing 2 women waving for them to stop. The 2 truckers who stopped along with a Swift and an I10. The truckers had one big rod and a bat which they got out with and stood alongside the Swift till the malam patti happened for my dad and uncle. The I10 guy and his co-passenger even went inside the jungle to look if they could find anyone.

These stone flingers want people to die so that they can loot petty things like a radio, tyres or maybe some jewelry of someone. Hideous thought process with no compassion for humans at all. I tell you, if someone ever tries to stop my car on the highway, the only thing my foot is pressing tight is the accelerator pedal.

Last edited by humyum : 4th March 2015 at 21:57.
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Old 4th March 2015, 23:01   #15
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Re: Windshield stoned on the Highway

Mod Note : Slang and SMS Language are STRICTLY prohibited on Team-BHP. Please type in full and proper English for the benefit of other community members.

We advise you to read the Forum Rules before proceeding any further.

Last edited by noopster : 5th March 2015 at 10:46.
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