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Old 17th August 2016, 16:59   #16
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

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Originally Posted by GTO View Post
Thanks for sharing, Masda! Moving your post out to its own thread; there are many who need a reminder of just how dangerous this practice is.
Manja kite strings, or standing up with head out of sunroof?

BOTH


We have had this discussion on the site before, and there are plenty of people who come forward to say that it is their tradition, their fun, and up to others to avoid the strings.

I hope they read this thread.
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Old 17th August 2016, 17:05   #17
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

Back in those days, we used to practice the rule of "put your head and arms inside the car at all times" meticulously.

Nowadays, I somehow feel this rule is being forgotten. Putting your head or hand outside a moving vehicle is very very dangerous!

No exceptions!
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Old 17th August 2016, 18:05   #18
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

I get livid when I see kids "enjoy" some fresh air by poking their heads out through the sunroof. My first thought is, are parents so dumb. They think they are smart and accidents wont happen to them but I simply dont understand it, is it really worth the risk ? Dont they understand that even if they are the safest drivers on earth, they could still get rear-ended and the child could seriously get hurt.

While this incident with manjha is really unfortunate, but can we really blame the kite-flyer.

If only people understood, things like these wouldn't have happened.
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Old 17th August 2016, 18:33   #19
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

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Originally Posted by crdi View Post
That is really saddening, but could it not happen to just about any two wheeler rider as well???
It DOES happen to a lot of two wheeler riders, people travelling on manually pulled rickshaws, and people just walking down a road or street. I still remember the cut on my throat while I was riding a scooter many years back.

The accumulated deaths would easily run into hundreds, and injuries into thousands if not lakhs. It happens predominantly in smaller town of North India, so seldom gets the attention it deserves. And the whole thing got aggravated big time with these Chinese manjhas, that's when the injuries started getting converted into deaths.

Unless the cost of storing, selling, buying or using this Manjha is made as strict as carrying illegal weapons, nothing will improve.

And in case some of you are wondering why people are stupid enough to be still using this killer thread. The reason is simply that their neighborhood kid will otherwise 'win' in informal contests these guys have over who will cut whos kite. That's the value of human life......
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Old 17th August 2016, 19:15   #20
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

What's strangely not-understandable is -
Most of the owners of these cars would be well educated, and should have understood the risk of sticking out any part of one's body out side of a moving vehicle - both in terms of restraint and also about being exposed to external risk elements.

And yet - they let their family do this.

That it was manjha, is kind of incidental. There are nylon threads which are quite strong by themselves and hence used for kite-flying. When we combine these factors- a strong thread, high speed, and the human skin (which is not very strong, and definitely only a patch when compare to these strong threads), then it is not hard to see what will give in first.

(Btw, the cost of these nylon threads is not much. And it does not need the time or effort of preparing the manjha )

Last edited by condor : 17th August 2016 at 19:22.
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Old 17th August 2016, 19:32   #21
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

Tragic...too tragic

Innocent child's life lost due to parents' lack of education and ignorance

I know there is no law specifically to address this but...

F.Seatbelt law should apply?? and cops should clamp down on this
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Old 17th August 2016, 19:39   #22
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

Unfortunately it is only the well known perils of manjha that will be highlighted and not the parents stupidity.
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Old 17th August 2016, 20:32   #23
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

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Originally Posted by Mpower View Post
Tragic...too tragic

Innocent child's life lost due to parents' lack of education and ignorance

I know there is no law specifically to address this but...

F.Seatbelt law should apply?? and cops should clamp down on this
Depends.. they may be on the rear seat. Anyway, grieving parents won't be charged.

Manja and sunroof, both come with their problems; although both are fun.
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Old 17th August 2016, 21:46   #24
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

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Originally Posted by Mpower View Post
...
I know there is no law specifically to address this but...

F.Seatbelt law should apply?? and cops should clamp down on this
When I was in the process of getting my driver's license, I distinctly remember my trainer getting me to memorize some 7-8 "Duties of the driver" which were part of some sub-rule under the Motor Vehicles Act. Don't remember the exact wordings, but one of the duties said - the driver must ensure that all passengers are safely seated inside the boundaries of the vehicle and no part of the vehicle like a running-board should be used for carrying passengers.

So as per my understanding, if someone is travelling on top of a car or standing on a running board/SUV-style ladder at the back, the driver can be booked for carrying passengers in an unsafe manner.

Allowing someone to stand in a moving car and pop the head out of the sunroof should come under the same rule (carrying passengers in an unsafe manner) in my opinion.

Last edited by SDP : 17th August 2016 at 21:51.
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Old 17th August 2016, 21:51   #25
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

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Originally Posted by crdi View Post
That is really saddening, but could it not happen to just about any two wheeler rider as well???
It happened to me a few months back. I was riding my Access in the crowded old city of Hyderabad, with an RTC bus on my tail. Suddenly i felt my chest being pulled back by a thread. I did not want to brake due to the bus behind me. In the nick of the moment, I could raise the ever-tightening thread above my head. But the manja did leave a mark on my upper arm, just below the sleeve of my half shirt. The mark is still there, despite 6 months passing by.

I consider myself lucky to have escaped with minor injuries.

I pity the grief-stricken family on the OT. I wish others learn from such mistakes.
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Old 17th August 2016, 22:16   #26
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

Just look at the Mickey Mouse hanging from the mirror and then look at all the blood inside. Can't imagine the grief that the parents are going through right now.
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Old 17th August 2016, 22:36   #27
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

This is a very tragic incident, I just hope parents reading this thread will take note and never allow children to peep out of the sunroofs of their cars.

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Originally Posted by SDP View Post
When I was in the process of getting my driver's license, I distinctly remember my trainer getting me to memorize some 7-8 "Duties of the driver" which were part of some sub-rule under the Motor Vehicles Act.
SDP - This post of yours reminded me of something from the 90's:
I'd learnt my driving in India and had my Drivers License but not much experience driving and was kind of nervous and not so confident.

A Few months later I traveled to the US and without a car I'd have ended up struggling to settle down.

A friend suggested going with a Driving Trainer for a few hours to get the confidence to drive in the US. After I got the Learners License from the local DMV, I was referred to a trainer (of European-origin incidentally) who was simply awesome. One of the things he said to me always remains in my mind - if you're driving and have passengers traveling with you, remember you are responsible for their lives as well and you must always ensure their safety and never take chances including making sure they wear seat belts and do not do anything that can be risky. Those 8 hours of driving with his guidance has definitely contributed hugely to my driving skills.

Last edited by NPV : 17th August 2016 at 22:38.
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Old 17th August 2016, 23:22   #28
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

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Originally Posted by smartcat View Post
Just look at the Mickey Mouse hanging from the mirror and then look at all the blood inside. Can't imagine the grief that the parents are going through right now.
May the parents find strength and courage to come to terms with this tragedy. Their loss is unimaginable, only made worse by the associated guilt. If only we could turn back time...!!
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Old 17th August 2016, 23:44   #29
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

Tragic incident ! In fact the Chinese manja is much more lethal. In Nagpur, many two wheeler riders have lost their lives during recent years. Injuries to humans and even birds are caused. Many birds also perish.

Maharashtra has banned Chinese manja, but thats on paper. Sometimes raids are conducted but there is no regular check.

The sunroof has been blamed as the culprit for the child deaths and within ten minutes both the incidents happened claiming the lives of two children.

The kite flier/s and the manja sellers need to be booked under the Sec 299 of the IPC for culpable homicide.But identifying them will be a Herculean task.

The appropriate Rule and Section that is relevant to the cases for the car drivers are :

Rules of the Road Regulations, 1989

Rule 26. Obstruction of driver.—A driver of a motor vehicle shall, not allow the
person to stand or sit or anything to be placed in such a manner or position as
to hamper his control of the vehicle.

Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
125. Obstruction of driver. – No person driving a motor vehicle shall
allow any person to stand or sit or to place anything in such a manner or
position as to hamper the driver in his control of the vehicle.

If the drivers are to be booked, relevant section of the IPC viz. Section 304 A viz. causing death by negligence is also normally applied.

We can only comprehend as to how safe are the two wheeler riders ?
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Old 18th August 2016, 00:34   #30
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Re: Child pops head out of the sunroof; killed by manjha!

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Originally Posted by Mortis View Post
Unfortunately it is only the well known perils of manjha that will be highlighted and not the parents stupidity.
Clearly, its the manja that is the greater evil (in this case). A two wheeler rider's neck is only a few inches lower than a kid sticking its head out of the sunroof and is just as susceptible.

How many 2W do we have in India compared to kids sticking heads out of sunroofs? 1: 1_million !!

Quote:
Originally Posted by chinkara View Post
Depends.. they may be on the rear seat. Anyway, grieving parents won't be charged
Unless its a pano roof, the kid has to have been on the F.Pass seat or the center console

Charging parents is like putting salt on wounds...

This is a systemic problem and needs a systemic solution

Quote:
Originally Posted by chinkara View Post
Manja and sunroof, both come with their problems; although both are fun
Not sure what you mean? Are you saying an incident like this is unavoidable?

Both are fun... buttt they have to be practiced and enjoyed in a safe manner

Kites should be flown in open areas/fields and sunroof should be enjoyed while seated and belted

Last edited by Mpower : 18th August 2016 at 18:52.
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