[harry10]

No matter how safe the car is, if an irresponsible person is driving it nothing can save him or the others along. Doing speeds of 210 on an indian road is actually beyond stupidity and complete recklessness. That too in rainy conditions. People just don't learn from others mistakes.

[JediKnight]

Originally Posted by IN07KL0484

Spot on! 70's design to be precise, with upgrades here and there. But it's still heartbreaking to actually understand the implication of an old design through an accident like this.

I guess nothing beats XC90 when its comes to the safety aspect.

Not spot on at all. The G wagon is as safe as it gets. Don't mistake the retro look of the car with a retro vehicle. It gets the entire Mercedes safety suite. It has NHSTA 5 star rating.

All said and done do remember most crash tests are done at around 50-60 kmph. If you are stupid enough to ram your car at triple digits to a concrete pole the results will most likely be fatal whatever car you drive.

[anvara]

Originally Posted by Kiterunner

I am assuming this was the speed during the crash.

Will remain that Kiterunner, an assumption

Originally Posted by n_naik

The second pic with the needle stuck at 200+kmph mark explains everything.

Or nothing. Again, it is only an assumption.

Originally Posted by IN07KL0484

Spot on! 70's design to be precise, with upgrades here and there. But it's still heartbreaking to actually understand the implication of an old design through an accident like this.

I guess nothing beats XC90 when its comes to the safety aspect.

Agree to your first point.

On the other hand, do you really think the Volvo could have survived this any better? I doubt that. The only variable would have been a different badge with a similar result.

One does not win an argument with a concrete wall / pillar or trees or other immovable objects. Period.

Originally Posted by Hickstead

Video of the damaged vehicle and accident spot.
Source: Youtube.

In this video around the 1:08 mark if one were to look at the road, it is quite narrow and approaching a curve a little further up. Don't know how the approach to this is and if it would actually allow cars to build speeds being discussed here. We can only speculate the speed.

And as IN07 says, there seems to be no effort at all from the driver in terms of recovery - no brakes (considering the brake lights did not light up) / change of direction. Or maybe he knew what he was up against..

It definitely made no sense to carry those speeds and I guess the departed have already paid a heavy price. RIP.

I would certainly consider the bikers very lucky (from the first video). Can't even imagine their plight if the car was aimed at them.

[wannabelean]

Originally Posted by n_naik

The second pic with the needle stuck at 200+kmph mark explains everything.

I live less than one km from the site. There is no way any car can do 200 plus on that road. It has to be wrong. The pillar is at a bend of about 30-45 degrees and 50 meters before that bend there is another 45 degrees bend which they crossed.

Around the accident time, the city was experiencing heavy thunderstorms and rains. Infact if you look up the news, you'll see reports of hailstones all over the city last night.

Check attached image

[audioholic]

Gory accident, the G class. I am not sure even if a modern car like the S Class would have held its occupants safe when driven into a Concrete pillar at 200+ kmph. Maybe a brick wall would have given away and caused lesser damage to the car, but this is a pillar raised up with RCC whose foundation will be drilled quite deep into the ground. Hence, it cannot dissipate any energy and everything is transferred to the car to do what it can.

I wonder what will happen to the pillar now. The G itself is a structurally solid vehicle and at such a speed, it will be like a battering ram being rammed into the pillar. Any news on what the Metro authorities will be doing? I am not a civil engineer, but from basic understanding, such an impact will require the structure to be examined for any cracks or dislocations isnt it?

[Chetan_Rao]

Nothing short of GPS data can definitively settle the speed debate, but the video is evidence enough that the vehicle was going much faster than the driver was capable of handling. There does seem to be an attempt at braking (unless G-Class has really bright tail-lamps), so the car arguably shed some speed right before impact.

It takes considerable impact force to make the rear of a multi-tonne SUV lift off like it did in the video, and I'd be hard pressed to believe an accident at sane speeds could cause that much damage either.

That pillar needs an inspection for structural damage.

[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by n_naik

The second pic with the needle stuck at 200+kmph mark explains everything.

I am assuming that he was doing more than 210 as this looks like the impact speed. Even if he hit the brake for a second the car would have lost some speed.

I guess all these cars are electronically limited to 250 kmph top speed.

[Hickstead]

Originally Posted by wannabelean

I live less than one km from the site. There is no way any car can do 200 plus on that road. It has to be wrong. The pillar is at a bend of about 30-45 degrees and 50 meters before that bend there is another 45 degrees bend which they crossed.
Check attached image

Yes. But the vehicle is travelling in the opposite direction compared to what you have shown in your map pic. Vehicle is travelling from Jubilee hills check post towards Pedamma temple and while manipulating the 'S' curve, the driver rammed into the pillar 9. Even I can not imagine the possibility of touching the speeds of 200+ on that road. The speedo might have jumped forward and struck due to the impact of the collision.

[wannabelean]

Originally Posted by Hickstead

Yes. But the vehicle is travelling in the opposite direction compared to what you have shown in your map pic. Vehicle is travelling from Jubilee hills check post towards Pedamma temple and while manipulating the 'S' curve, the driver rammed into the pillar 9. Even I can not imagine the possibility of touching the speeds of 200+ on that road.

You're right my bad. Got the direction wrong. Nevertheless, I feel its still unimaginable to achieve a speed of 200kmh on that road.

[Santoshbhat]

From the video it does not look like the car was moving at 200 kph, more like 100 kph. These cars hit 100 in a blink of an eye. Looks like the driver missed the curve and mistook the road to be straight.

Most crash tests are at 60 to 80 kph and that itself looks bad. Fifth gear crashed a Ford Focus at 120 mph or 190 kph. See the results

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7dG9UlzeFM

[IN07KL0484]

Originally Posted by JediKnight

Not spot on at all. The G wagon is as safe as it gets. Don't mistake the retro look of the car with a retro vehicle. It gets the entire Mercedes safety suite. It has NHSTA 5 star rating.

Actually, the retro/boxy look of the car just adds to the solid feel. It's a solid car and I am no way denying it but at the same time, G's issues during rollover incidents are well documented and the fact remains that no major structural changes has been done to the car from the 70's. From my research on G, I am yet to see it being tested by NHSTA. I would be more than happy to stand corrected if you could share your source.

Agree to your first point.

On the other hand, do you really think the Volvo could have survived this any better? I doubt that. The only variable would have been a different badge with a similar result.

Even I doubt that but it's more of a hope that a well-tested product like XC90 might have just saved the day for these guys. I say this cause if you see the video, after the initial crash the car elevates and takes a great impact on its roof as well. Now given that this is a weakness of G and a strong point of XC90, don't you think this might have made a difference.

[Jaggu]

From the looks of it- vehicle has taken relatively high speed (read 120~150 kmph) head on hit into the pillar. Don't think the chances of survival are high in such a scenario, even in the safest car (rating wise) under full safety compliance (seat belt usage etc).

Sad to see two lives lost, may their soul rest in peace.

[SmartCat]

Guys, if you think the G Class couldn't have hit that pillar at 200 kmph because of that turn, just remember that this is AMG model - and it can hit 100 kmph from standstill in around 6 seconds.

On a lighter note, it looks like EuroNCAP guys were unable to crash test the Mercedes G Class - because they faced unexpected problems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p1c8d_Hieg

[rav11stars]

Death on the road doesn't care..
if you're rich or poor, good or bad; It doesn't give a damn who you are..
For all that I know, no matter how much you pamper your car,
or for that matter how much you love it, Death on the road really doesn't care!

All it might care is for some common-sense, a sense of care of one's life and maybe not get carried away in the mood.
In the end all that we're doing is travelling in a metal container on wheels and there are laws of Physics and a hell number of external factors that cause Death on the road and it doesn't care who you are..

Drive safe guys and look out for the mistakes of others too. We get to live once.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

... ... ... Fifth gear crashed a Ford Focus at 120 mph or 190 kph. See the results

"Maybe, it'll make you think twice the next time you want to put your foot down"

Too right, it will!

Originally Posted by smartcat

On a lighter note, it looks like EuroNCAP guys were unable to crash test the Mercedes G Class - because they faced unexpected problems.

Thank you for the lighter moment. Needed it.