[AirbusCapt]

Simple application of wheel chocks on all parked showroom cars can eliminate this problem for good? A wooden chock costs pretty little by the way.

[centaur]

Originally Posted by (Alok)

Keys are never provided to customer.

I think this too defers from showroom to showroom. Some have the keys in place so that customers can turn on the ignition and see how the electronics light up. With the advent of digital meters and MIDs, they generally leave the keys in the car or provide it when asked by a customer, so that the customer can take a look at the console and the cabin lighting.

[toppor]

Looks like the SA had the keyfob in his pocket, and while the girl was sitting alone inside, decided to fiddle with a few buttons. She could have just wanted to start the ICE display but instead started the car and literally drove off.
Thank God that no one was hurt, however damages to the tune of approx 5 Lakh is what I heard on a news channel.
Just a question, how much of it (if that amount is correct) will be passed on to the customer, considering showroom is also at fault here?

[Indicruz]

Originally Posted by ashish2135

The engine was running when the driver got off. I do feel that the engine should stop once the key is not detected.

This does not happen in my Baleno with the same feature. The engine gets killed once the key is taken out of the car range.

If the engine is running and the key is not detected inside the vehicle, Creta beeps continuously and the sound is annoyingly loud. So anyone who is used to the vehicle can immediately figure out what the issue is. I have noticed the same in other Hyundai models too that has keyless entry.

[superbad]

Dealer & driver both at fault.
1) Dealer - With countless customers including kids sitting in driver's seat, it's but natural for anybody to press buttons / pedals, thus a ready-to-drive vehicle on display is a disaster waiting to happen. Also what was the SA doing when the vehicle was cranking (unless it was already running when the customer got in, in which case - more stupidity from his side).
2) Customer - Need I elaborate.

IMO, the lady & SA should split the cost between them

[asingh1977]

Originally Posted by ashish2135

My parents were travelling in my friend's Creta Automatic Petrol (Facelift) with the Keyless drive system. The driver who had the keyfob in the pocket left the car at Kharagpur, the car continued to travel on the highway to Kolkata.
I was astonished to hear about the incident. I was very surprised that

Did not the Creta start to beep like hell once the key was a few meters away? Also a red-sign comes up on the driver dash. If not: something is wrong with the vehicle. This basic safety feature (though not a kill switch), should be always functional. It has happened to me. My wife was driving, and at a basement parking, I got off to scout for a space. Key was in my pocket. It starts the alert sound.

Irrespective automatic/manual: Plain dumb and stupid of the showroom to allow vehicles to be turned on in a "room". Either keep the vehicle disabled, by having the battery removed OR just keep the key isolated. How simple can it be? If someone wants the X-mas lights on, "sir you can see it in the test drive vehicle", should be the answer. Really: someone not seeing gizmos on, will have them decide no/yes.

[PetrolRider]

Originally Posted by pavi

As per my understanding, an automatic car will start only in Park and Neutral. So unless and until someone start the car by pressing brake pedal and gear lever in neutral and park, then move the gear lever to D, the car won’t move. Someone having an automatic car can shed more light on the same.

A Hyundai AT needs to be slotted into "P" or "N" to start the car. Hence, against the popular believe, I suppose, the car is a MT one. Here is my highly speculative theory.

Car was a delivery car suggesting battery connected and also some amount of fuel. Car must have been parked with gear at 1st and handbrake disengaged. SA might have been bloating about the smoothness of engine or something else instigating our lady to start the car.

Now, Hyundai MTs require the clutch to be fully pressed to start engine, no matter what the position of gear. Unaware of gear position, Lady leaves the clutch after ignition. And as the car starts moving forward, Lady got panicked and pressed A pedal instead of B pedal.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by Nonstop-driver

The article mentions that it was a CVT. Maybe the lady considered the second pedal the brake and pressed hard upon it?

Also, is it just me or the airbags didn't deploy at all?

Impact speed was low and also the force, the airbags might have deployed when hitting the other cars.

Originally Posted by (Alok)

First thing is that showroom persons never ever allow an outsider to drive the car inside showroom (even not in outer compound). Keys are never provided to customer.

But the common root cause here is that vehicles are automatic.

Originally Posted by Indicruz

If the engine is running and the key is not detected inside the vehicle, Creta beeps continuously and the sound is annoyingly loud. So anyone who is used to the vehicle can immediately figure out what the issue is. I have noticed the same in other Hyundai models too that has keyless entry.

My guess would be the SA might have pressed the start/stop button to activate the electrics (ACC mode) and stood nearby, the lady must have pressed the button once again and gone all the way

[ani_meher]

Thank God the SA was standing behind the car, running after it. Had he been standing in front of the car, the scene would have been ghastly.

I think the lady should be stopped from any driving, if not prosecuted. Idiots have no rights to buy a car, irrespective of their capacity to purchase it. Car ownership should be treated like a gun ownership, and it should be handed over only to responsible persons. After all it is a one ton machine easily able to kill.

Additionally, the unregistered cars would be uninsured too, no? Or is there is separate insurance covering unsold cars and damage caused by them?

[sagarpadaki]

In a few showrooms that i have visited in Bangalore - Tata/Hyundai/Maruti/VW/Skoda, the keys for the display cars are not kept inside the car. It will always be with a reception person or someone responsible for the keys. In a few cases , i have even seen the battery terminal has been disconnected. I guess it is precisely for such reasons,not to mention starting the car in an enclosed Air conditioned area is not exactly a pleasant experience for the people in the showroom especially if the car is a diesel.

[rrsteer]

For the gentleman with a scarf wrapped around his head, it was business as usual. He didn't move a step and hardly any movement except from a turn of the head and back.

[pavi]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

I think the lady should be stopped from any driving, if not prosecuted. Idiots have no rights to buy a car, irrespective of their capacity to purchase it. Car ownership should be treated like a gun ownership, and it should be handed over only to responsible persons. After all it is a one ton machine easily able to kill.

Going by your logic, we would not be having an accidents thread. I don’t think everyone who create accidents are idiots. Who knows I, you and any bhp member can be at the wrong side on a very bad day. It was a bad day for her, errors happen, and it can be intentional or accidental. Remember how you learned riding a bicycle, there is always a ‘learning curve’ for everything.

[ani_meher]

Originally Posted by pavi

Remember how you learned riding a bicycle, there is always a ‘learning curve’ for everything.

Difference between erring while riding a bicycle vs driving a car is the possibility of getting hurt. In a safe cocoon like a car, the responsibility of the driver is multi-folds than on bike/two wheeler because the damage to driver vs recipient can be un-proportionate. Besides, it is of no business of a non-confident / learner driver to floor a car, especially in a showroom. This shows the sheer lack of awareness if one can't tell the car is ON and accelerator shouldn't be touched.


Accident means no-one is responsible, it is purely by chance. Incidence means someone will be held responsible.

[Ram78]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Somehow this seems like a deliberate attempt by the customer/driver. ....

At this point i do not know if it was a deliberate attempt or not.If it is Yes,then as ani_meher was stating,the lady should not be allowed to drive anymore.But i think we are reading too much into the 'on purpose' possibility.I really doubt it.

Originally Posted by dailydriver

While I do sympathize with the owner of the showroom and even the SA, my heart goes out to the lady who seems to be a victim of ignorance and half knowledge on one hand and an unwitting perpetrator on the other.

+ 1. Unless it was someone who was trying to show-off her skills to the people around,I too empathize with the lady.No one goes into a show-room with an intention to cause harm.Ask me.In the past one month i would have visited showrooms at-least 10 times. Going into a showroom alongwith family, shopping for a car is a pleasant exercise.My hunch is that this lady knew how to drive a manual car but had no clue on how an AT works. She activates the ignition and got confused on the position of the Brake pad as the AT has only 2 pads as against the 3 of the manual. She would have pressed on the Accelerator-> car moved and she panicked.Instead of moving her foot from the 'A' pedal and pressing the brakes,she would have moved it from 'A' and again pressed the accelerator. Remember,all this happened in a matter of seconds.Are the Accelerator and brake pad assembly positioned a bit to the left in the AT i20?

I do feel for the SA as well.Never would he have thought that he will land up in this situation. Only hope it has no serious consequences for him.If you were to ask me,the blame falls squarely on the dealer. They should have taken adequate precautions.

Originally Posted by centaur

I think this too defers from showroom to showroom. Some have the keys in place so that customers can turn on the ignition and see how the electronics light up. ...

If a few showrooms do indeed place the keys for the customer's use,then i think it surely is a foolish act.In such a case,instances like these are bound to happen.
Oh my God! Just last week i was at one of the showrooms and my 12 year old kid was sitting inside another car checking the interiors,turning the steering wheel and all the while i was like ..let her enjoy the moment.Now i understand.I was being plain stupid ! For sure the keys were not inside the car and neither was it an AMT.

Originally Posted by ani_meher

Thank God the SA was standing behind the car, running after it. Had he been standing in front of the car, the scene would have been ghastly.

Seriously.Thank God all are safe.

Originally Posted by ani_meher

..I think the lady should be stopped from any driving, if not prosecuted. Idiots have no rights to buy a car, irrespective of their capacity to purchase it. Car ownership should be treated like a gun ownership, and it should be handed over only to responsible persons. After all it is a one ton machine easily able to kill....

I think this is taking the issue a bit too far. Should the lady be stopped from any driving ? I don't think so.Somehow ensure that she gets to be at the steering wheel only after proper training. Should she be prosecuted ? Unless it was a 'on purpose' or a 'show-off' case,i think the lady has been mentally tortured to last a lifetime. Should the car ownership be treated like a gun-ownership? Not a bad idea

[emkay.india]

Originally Posted by cp171185

Hope nobody is injured. But the footage of 2nd camera is just like the scene of a typical movie..

Just my thoughts when I watched it first time. I went back and replayed the jumping part alone multiple times So will the customer be charged for all the damage? Showroom will have everything insured. How does one handle these scenarios? Not planning to ram a display car, just curious