[finneyp]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Just like it is so difficult for some people to understand that a 1-ton hatchback is no match for a train weighing many thousand times the car.

When did anyone tell you that a 1-ton car is a match for the mammoth train?
What I stated earlier was - in this particular accident, it was the Build quality of Palio that saved the occupants.
If the train was in speed, no car would stand a chance.

And as far as giving credit is concerned, it has been given - to the train driver.

You can give the credit to anyone you want.
But, the driver/owner of this car who escaped this mishap along with his wife has given the credit to the car (Palio) for their great escape.

[Ice]

Originally Posted by finneyp

When did anyone tell you that a 1-ton car is a match for the mammoth train?
What I stated earlier was - in this particular accident, it was the Build quality of Palio that saved the occupants.
If the train was in speed, no car would stand a chance.

You can give the credit to anyone you want.
But, the driver/owner of this car who escaped this mishap along with his wife has given the credit to the car (Palio) for their great escape.

Finney has a point. European cars in general use thicker gauge metal. This has many pros and cons.

Pros:
1. Better stability at higher speeds
2. Greater resistance provided in accidents

Cons:
1. HORRIBLE fuel efficiency (remember the Astra?)

Japanese and Korean manufacturers use a lighter gauge of metal in their cars.

Pros:
1. Cheaper/Easier to fix
2. Lighter car results in better fuel efficiency

Cons:
1. Apart from the impact beams, the other panels of the car are not as resistant to collisions. Try punching the door/hood/top of a Japanese/Korean car and there's a greater chance of denting it than with a heavier car. There are even people on this forum who own Swifts and have complained about their cars getting dented by even small impacts.

Bottom line: The kind of car you buy is a personal choice. Different cars have different benefits on offer. Detractors should be gracious enough to acknowledge the fact that the Palio probably took the hit better than, say, a M800 - and only because its made of heavier gauge metal, and not because its a Palio

[lordofgondor]

Originally Posted by lohithrao

Yea he has to cover or justify his stupidity some way!

This incident again highlights the growing lack of concern for oneself (forget the others) that people depict just to save an insignificant amount of time (as compared to life).

I really fail to understand why so many people totally lose road & civic sense when driving. Now I ain't saying that I'm a perfect driver or never make mistake, just that I do everything humanly possible not to hassle my fellow drivers and try to be polite if any altercation does occur.

[supremeBaleno]

@Ice, no one is disputing that the Palio uses thicker steel sheets than an M800. The huge kerb weight disparity between the 2 cars is enough for anyone with an iota of common-sense to make out that. But when you bring the Swift into the picture along with the Palio, the kerb-weights are more or less the same and I really do not see much difference here.

And all real-life accidents (not talking about crash tests done by rating agencies) are unique in the sense that it would be tough to re-create the exact same Palio-train accident with another car to check if an M800/Swift would have helped the occupants live to tell the story.

There was an accident involving a Palio and Swift (+ some other vehicles) in Mumbai and reported on the forum. One of the guys in the Palio died. Does it make the Palio an unsafe car ? No. Because the accident involved high speed driving, non-usage of airbags by the deceased etc.

Similiarly in this train incident, factors that matter are speed at which the train hit the car, which part of the car was hit by the train etc. IMO in the exact same conditions, it is perfectly possible for people in a Swift or Santro or U-VA to emerge alive after being hit by a train. But does that make them safe cars to tackle trains?
No Sir. Leave the tracks for the trains - stick to the tarmac in cars.

[architect]

Initially I thought this thread title was a joke. Now the entire thread seems really funny.

Park your Tank (a real one, not the F-one) in front of a moving train. You might not survive that one either. These people in the car were plain lucky. And stupid.

One thing about unmanned crossings. You look before and you cross quickly. May God give me presence of mind to do that every time I encounter one!

Even on a manned railway crossing (which are usually choc-a-block with traffic after the train's just gone), I stop before the tracks and don't move until the guy in front has moved enough to let me cross the tracks clear in one go.

P.S. The Swift Diesel is 5 kgs (or was it 10?) heavier than the Palio Stile Multijet. Food for thought?

[hillram]

This is simply amazing and unbelievable.
I always knew that Palio was strong as an elephant but not this strong to restaint a Indian train.
I guess this must have been at MarutiSeva nagar levle crossing.

[lohithrao]

Originally Posted by architect

Initially

Even on a manned railway crossing (which are usually choc-a-block with traffic after the train's just gone), I stop before the tracks and don't move until the guy in front has moved enough to let me cross the tracks clear in one go.

Even i do this and i guess its a very good approach, not because i do it

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by architect

Even on a manned railway crossing, I stop before the tracks and don't move until the guy in front has moved enough to let me cross the tracks clear in one go.

That's something I never thought about. Like they say, you always learn something useful on tbhp. Will try to follow this henceforth.

@hillram, tell me you were joking about the "strong enough to restrain an Indian train" bit.