Horrific accident in the GQ between Chennai-Bangalore

mjothi · 27th March 2008, 12:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surprise

Deccan Herald - Largest number of road accidents in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra

I was under the impression that most of the accident occur during early morning 3 a.m to 6 a.m

Interesting. Me too was thinking that these happen in early hours of the day when we have lot of travel buses and trucks enter the city.

O.T. another good reason to have a nap after lunch

Surprise · 27th March 2008, 12:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopinathann

My advice would be when travelling in GQ road, always try to stick to middle lane even though the road is clear, so that you have enough time to react and to move either left or right.

I have not traveled on this GQ extensively. Are not only two lanes available?

As you rightly indicated always I prefer the dotted marking stay right in the middle of my car tyres. But keep an eye on rear view mirror to move left for fast moving vehicles.

opendro · 27th March 2008, 12:32

Recently, probably last week, I was told that a family in my layout died in Krishnagiri. The car rammed into a bus. I don't know the full details as I don't know the family. And yesterday again two college students going to Chennai test match.

In the eye of law, we are wrong to drive so fast. Pedestrians are also wrong to cross the highway so carelessly.

This is what I do. I try to read the mind of the pedestrian, even those standing in the median or anybody moving. I read the mind or body language of the bikers or slow moving vehicles. I ensure my inner self that the bikers or the pedestrians have seen me by seeing their body language. If I'm not convinced, I honk, slow down and fully prepared to halt even if they come all of a sudden.

Of course if they had seen me coming fast and stay away, but decided to jump on me in the last minute I won't be able to help it.

I have had many experiences where all of a sudden a bullock cart is trying to cross the road in an almost pitch dark night without any light. This is really dangerous for villagers.

In another incident recently, on the same road Krishnagiri to Chennai, in one toll booth, a new Scorpio, looked fully loaded with a full family was right in front of me. The driver picked up some argument with the toll guys. Then he suddenly started the vehicle. One of the toll guy who was in front of the vehicle jumped aside and threw one of those big conical plastic stand in front of the scorpio. The driver didn't stop, the plastic stand went below the car, hit the side of right front tyre and the car was pulling it with some noise. For a moment the evil mind in me was praying that the car should run on the cone and topple for all his attitude. About half a kilometer away, he stopped, pulled out the cone and drove very fast.

diabloo · 27th March 2008, 12:43

Scorpio driver has set a bad example for his family. How kids in the Scorpio picked up this attitude?

Quote:

Originally Posted by opendro

In another incident recently, on the same road Krishnagiri to Chennai, in one toll booth, a new Scorpio, looked fully loaded with a full family was right in front of me. The driver picked up some argument with the toll guys. Then he suddenly started the vehicle. One of the toll guy who was in front of the vehicle jumped aside and threw one of those big conical plastic stand in front of the scorpio. The driver didn't stop, the plastic stand went below the car, hit the side of right front tyre and the car was pulling it with some noise. For a moment the evil mind in me was praying that the car should run on the cone and topple for all his attitude. About half a kilometer away, he stopped, pulled out the cone and drove very fast.

LandCruiser · 27th March 2008, 12:59

Yet again! I had witnessed this too! Yesterday I was going to Erode via Krishnagiri with a friend. We were crossing this accident location around 7AM. I enquired one onlooker and he mentioned these:

1. The accident happened in the early morning.
2. Car was traveling from Bangalore to Chennai.
4. Atleast 4 people were there in the car. 2 guys died and 2 girls are fighting for their lives. (May be the newspaper will be more accurate).

Now coming to how it has happened. The car was anyway going in straight line but at high speed. The bus takes a right and in the process cutting the lanes going in the opposite direction. I don't think the bus was traveling in the opposite direction in GQ.

The way vehicles were there to see was the car was in parallel to the bus and sticking to it. The top of the car above the waist line was shaved off. The front was broken and sticking to the car. It suggests that the car was really doing extreme speeds and the collision was like plunging into the bus. This mistake of the bus driver would be not to have waited and watched before turning right into the street (or road) on to the right.

It is a 3 lane + 1 service lane and the bus driver cant expect to turn just like that and that is what he has done. And it would be happening routinely with every bus and vehicle entering the city. At least there has to be some signal or red light or something. Nothing there.

After having seen this I was about to write this once again to warn fellow-bhpians to try to be safe in GQ. Just a Km ahead towards Chennai if you see in a intersection you see red cat-eyes and red light blinking non-stop At least that gives you a chance to expect something. And again please please it is not a access controlled road so no speeding during the night or day!

Had taken couple of snaps with my mobile cam. But I think some picture was removed earlier so not posting them. Anyway they are of poor resolution and a shot from a distance. Attached a illustration instead.

tsk1979 · 27th March 2008, 13:15

Whats too fast? Is 100kmph on a 4 lane expressway too fast?
IF you hit a bus at 100kmph, and go under the bus, you won't survive. The A Pillars do not have crumple zones.
The bus is at fault here, and definitely does not have the mandated bar in front(to prevent smaller vehicles from going under).
A law was passed which requires all new CVs to have a bar in front rear and sides to prevent cars from going under.
This looks to be a vehicle of older manufacture.

LandCruiser · 27th March 2008, 13:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjothi

yes. I agree. I do travel this GQ often. And i have noticed that the BUS fellow usually go on the wrong side when there is a eat out on the other side. So, these guys (usually the regular bus service like vellore, kanchi etc) know very well where these eat outs are. So, they take the wrong side before that to avoid doing a U-turn.

The police guys patrolling on the GQ seems to be very lethargic and dont care about anything. If they counter the vehicles that come from the opposite side they should charge sheet them and fine heavily and take strict actions. As of now what they do is have food, take a nap and wait for phone calls on accidents. Complete non-sense! Day by day the number of vehicles traveling in the opposite side is increasing right from Tvs50s to heavy earth movers.

sammyboy · 27th March 2008, 13:18

This is really sad. The worst part is that even after reading/seeing such accidents people just dont seem to learn. Its just like the eternal question, "why did the chicken cross the road ?"

I was travelling to dehradun(my hometown) from delhi once and we were cruising at about 80 kmph on the highway ,suddenly out of no where this guy on a cycle comes through a broken road on the left side(perpendicular to the highway) and just whizzes across the road to the otherside. It happened so fast that it was over before we could even react. I guess we missed him by a couple of cms.

We were so shocked that we actually stopped for a couple of minutes after that to digest what could have happened.

When will these people learn? i guess this is just a rhetoric all of us ask ourselves.

LandCruiser · 27th March 2008, 13:30

And moreover the GQ seems to be just designed to be pothole free and nothing at all about being safe. There are numerous blind spots, signal less intersections, flyovers that bend so acute that you cant keep your line even at speeds less than 80, occasional bumps, bad road bridge seems that bounce you off and make you fly in the air for a while, passing through villages and cities without proper sign boards warning you. The information boards showing distance and direction are mostly too small to read while driving except the ones over the head. Way too many distractions.

What they have done now is to put lot of boards like "if you drive like hell you will be in hell" etc.

esteem_lover · 27th March 2008, 14:02

Excellent recreation LandCruiser. I would say both were at fault for this. the bus driver for not waiting for the car to go through & the car for not anticipating the bus' turn.

tsk1979 · 27th March 2008, 14:05

From the pics of the damage to the bus it appears to be a head on collision not a T-collision.

diabloo · 27th March 2008, 14:06

There was no signal at the junction. Why should a car anticipate the bus turn? Its bus's 100% responsibility to ensure that while getting into highway its safe for everyone. This country will go no where by blaming the car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

Excellent recreation LandCruiser. I would say both were at fault for this. the bus driver for not waiting for the car to go through & the car for not anticipating the bus' turn.

finneyp · 27th March 2008, 14:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

I would say both were at fault for this. the bus driver for not waiting for the car to go through & the car for not anticipating the bus' turn.

I don't think we can come to any conclusion without being sure of how exactly the mishap happenend, but having seen how rashly these private TN buses (DTS Dolby DVD) are driven on Hosur Road, am sure the culprit is the Bus driver, he would have taken a blind turn caring a damn for the oncoming traffic!

esteem_lover · 27th March 2008, 14:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by diabloo

There was no signal at the junction. Why should a car anticipate the bus turn? Its bus's 100% responsibility to ensure that while getting into highway its safe for everyone. This country will go no where by blaming the car.

diabloo baba, even a little driving experience in India will teach you to anticipate anything. Anticipating a vehicle to come out of nowhere into the break in median is just a small thing. Always better to slow down when you see a break in the median or your visibility is not more than 400m (app) or when you see some uncertain elements not knowing what they want to do. Yeah, you are right, technically & legally the car driver is not at fault, but who has paid for that ? Better to be a safe driver & protect yourself than to expect others to be safe drivers. Just my .02

bblost · 27th March 2008, 14:17

Yeah right its the bus drivers fault.

How many times do we take a U-Turn after letting every incoming vehicle pass.

I usually wait but I dont drive the whole day with a bus load of people who will get angry if there is a delay.

A car travelling at 120kmph will be covering a km every 30 seconds.
Most busses would take a U-Turn slow as the body roll is a problem.

The bus would have been at that area for close to a minute atleast.
more so if its an old bus w/o power steering.

So when the driver checked the car would have been about 2 kms away.
Maybe he thought the car will shift lanes or brake.

27th March 2008, 12:32	#108
opendro BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: NA Posts: 824 Thanked: 108 Times	Recently, probably last week, I was told that a family in my layout died in Krishnagiri. The car rammed into a bus. I don't know the full details as I don't know the family. And yesterday again two college students going to Chennai test match. In the eye of law, we are wrong to drive so fast. Pedestrians are also wrong to cross the highway so carelessly. This is what I do. I try to read the mind of the pedestrian, even those standing in the median or anybody moving. I read the mind or body language of the bikers or slow moving vehicles. I ensure my inner self that the bikers or the pedestrians have seen me by seeing their body language. If I'm not convinced, I honk, slow down and fully prepared to halt even if they come all of a sudden. Of course if they had seen me coming fast and stay away, but decided to jump on me in the last minute I won't be able to help it. I have had many experiences where all of a sudden a bullock cart is trying to cross the road in an almost pitch dark night without any light. This is really dangerous for villagers. In another incident recently, on the same road Krishnagiri to Chennai, in one toll booth, a new Scorpio, looked fully loaded with a full family was right in front of me. The driver picked up some argument with the toll guys. Then he suddenly started the vehicle. One of the toll guy who was in front of the vehicle jumped aside and threw one of those big conical plastic stand in front of the scorpio. The driver didn't stop, the plastic stand went below the car, hit the side of right front tyre and the car was pulling it with some noise. For a moment the evil mind in me was praying that the car should run on the cone and topple for all his attitude. About half a kilometer away, he stopped, pulled out the cone and drove very fast.
	() Thanks

27th March 2008, 12:59	#110
LandCruiser BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chennai Posts: 712 Thanked: 51 Times View My Garage	Yet again! I had witnessed this too! Yesterday I was going to Erode via Krishnagiri with a friend. We were crossing this accident location around 7AM. I enquired one onlooker and he mentioned these: 1. The accident happened in the early morning. 2. Car was traveling from Bangalore to Chennai. 4. Atleast 4 people were there in the car. 2 guys died and 2 girls are fighting for their lives. (May be the newspaper will be more accurate). Now coming to how it has happened. The car was anyway going in straight line but at high speed. The bus takes a right and in the process cutting the lanes going in the opposite direction. I don't think the bus was traveling in the opposite direction in GQ. The way vehicles were there to see was the car was in parallel to the bus and sticking to it. The top of the car above the waist line was shaved off. The front was broken and sticking to the car. It suggests that the car was really doing extreme speeds and the collision was like plunging into the bus. This mistake of the bus driver would be not to have waited and watched before turning right into the street (or road) on to the right. It is a 3 lane + 1 service lane and the bus driver cant expect to turn just like that and that is what he has done. And it would be happening routinely with every bus and vehicle entering the city. At least there has to be some signal or red light or something. Nothing there. After having seen this I was about to write this once again to warn fellow-bhpians to try to be safe in GQ. Just a Km ahead towards Chennai if you see in a intersection you see red cat-eyes and red light blinking non-stop At least that gives you a chance to expect something. And again please please it is not a access controlled road so no speeding during the night or day! Had taken couple of snaps with my mobile cam. But I think some picture was removed earlier so not posting them. Anyway they are of poor resolution and a shot from a distance. Attached a illustration instead. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

27th March 2008, 13:15	#111
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,813 Times View My Garage	Whats too fast? Is 100kmph on a 4 lane expressway too fast? IF you hit a bus at 100kmph, and go under the bus, you won't survive. The A Pillars do not have crumple zones. The bus is at fault here, and definitely does not have the mandated bar in front(to prevent smaller vehicles from going under). A law was passed which requires all new CVs to have a bar in front rear and sides to prevent cars from going under. This looks to be a vehicle of older manufacture.
	() Thanks

27th March 2008, 13:18	#113
sammyboy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Ggn/Dehradun Posts: 1,842 Thanked: 521 Times View My Garage	This is really sad. The worst part is that even after reading/seeing such accidents people just dont seem to learn. Its just like the eternal question, "why did the chicken cross the road ?" I was travelling to dehradun(my hometown) from delhi once and we were cruising at about 80 kmph on the highway ,suddenly out of no where this guy on a cycle comes through a broken road on the left side(perpendicular to the highway) and just whizzes across the road to the otherside. It happened so fast that it was over before we could even react. I guess we missed him by a couple of cms. We were so shocked that we actually stopped for a couple of minutes after that to digest what could have happened. When will these people learn? i guess this is just a rhetoric all of us ask ourselves. Last edited by sammyboy : 27th March 2008 at 13:18. Reason: spelling
	() Thanks

27th March 2008, 13:30	#114
LandCruiser BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chennai Posts: 712 Thanked: 51 Times View My Garage	And moreover the GQ seems to be just designed to be pothole free and nothing at all about being safe. There are numerous blind spots, signal less intersections, flyovers that bend so acute that you cant keep your line even at speeds less than 80, occasional bumps, bad road bridge seems that bounce you off and make you fly in the air for a while, passing through villages and cities without proper sign boards warning you. The information boards showing distance and direction are mostly too small to read while driving except the ones over the head. Way too many distractions. What they have done now is to put lot of boards like "if you drive like hell you will be in hell" etc.
	() Thanks

27th March 2008, 14:02	#115
esteem_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madras/Py Posts: 7,556 Thanked: 502 Times View My Garage	Excellent recreation LandCruiser. I would say both were at fault for this. the bus driver for not waiting for the car to go through & the car for not anticipating the bus' turn.
	() Thanks

27th March 2008, 14:05	#116
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,813 Times View My Garage	From the pics of the damage to the bus it appears to be a head on collision not a T-collision.
	() Thanks

27th March 2008, 14:17	#120
bblost Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 11,000 Thanked: 15,305 Times View My Garage	Yeah right its the bus drivers fault. How many times do we take a U-Turn after letting every incoming vehicle pass. I usually wait but I dont drive the whole day with a bus load of people who will get angry if there is a delay. A car travelling at 120kmph will be covering a km every 30 seconds. Most busses would take a U-Turn slow as the body roll is a problem. The bus would have been at that area for close to a minute atleast. more so if its an old bus w/o power steering. So when the driver checked the car would have been about 2 kms away. Maybe he thought the car will shift lanes or brake.
	() Thanks