I bought the dashcam as a reversing camera that can also come in handy during my highway runs.

BHPian ph03n!x recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello BHPians and forum-readers, I am going to share an experience that happened earlier this year which underlines how essential a dashcam is - I did not pen it down for a long while owing to the traumatic ordeal the incident itself was, the PTSD-ish reaction I had afterwards, as well as considering sensitivities of others involved.

And to respect the last part, I am going to keep this narrative exclusively on the thread topic - why a Dashcam is a MUST-HAVE. I will keep details to bare minimum, and only focus on -

• My vehicle and the dashcam
• The road and the Accident
• How the dashcam helped me

I will not add details about the other parties involved in this accident, or other accentuating factors that may have led to the collision. I will also not answer any questions or address speculations on this part, and I request you to not ask/ guess/ OSINT into these aspects too.

My vehicle and the dashcam

I drive a 2020 Thar - one from the first batch. And I have a 70mai rear view mirror dual channel dashcam, so that in addition to being what it is meant to be - a dashcam, it can also replace the rear view camera accessory that I was not too impressed with (initial batch, remember!). More so because I prefer the rear view while reversing to be on the rear view mirror! My ownership thread has a short write up on the 70mai camera too - it is a full HD camera that records both the front and the rear on a SD Card, and a 64 GB card can store about 6.5 hours of driving.

The Road

The route I get home to goes through a ~2.5 KM "forest" road. No, I am not in some suburb/ mountain terrain. This is in the outskirts of the city, and is more of a green patch, and is locally addressed as the forest route. This stretch comes right after a 4-lane road, which ends with a gutter-y exit into the forest road, where one will have to brake to ~15 to 20 KMPH if you want to avoid a nasty jolt.

After the gutter-y exit, there is half a KM dead straight road - narrow dual carriage way without median or separator. This straight is then followed by left turn, and a right turn after ~350 meter - this 350 meter stretch has red stick-like lane separators, which intends to ensure that traffic in both the directions stick to their lanes in the curves to avoid accidents (this part has seen some deadly, gruesome accidents before these separators came up). Like with most intentions on our roads, this stretch with lane separator too has a side-effect - if any slow moving vehicle, like a cycle or moped, is ahead of you in these turns, there is no way you can overtake them. So some brilliant people, when they see slow moving vehicle in the left (correct) lane, switch to the right (wrong) lane before entering the curve, especially in late hours when traffic is not expected/ headlights will show the presence of oncoming traffic.

This image will serve as a reference to the Road, and the accident sequence.

The Fateful Night

Like I have done many, many times over the year when coming back from work, I enter the forest road. I notice a real bright white headlight at end of the straight that is about 500 meter ahead of me. At that time, I assumed it to be a Tata Ace (or similar sized vehicle) that is exiting the curve from the wrong side - I also notice one or two faint yellowish headlights on the correct lane, which this vehicle must be "overtaking"

I did not know that the next few seconds will be disastrous...

Let's say this image is at timed as the start/ first second of my dashcam's video. I did not have any traffic behind or besides me, and this white headlight vehicle is half a KM ahead of me, which means he will complete the curve and move back into his lane (so I assumed). So I accelerate through the gears, but at the 5th second, I see this -

I flash on my high beam as I felt the vehicle is coming straight at me - my first sense that something is wrong. In hindsight, I should have just stopped my vehicle here. The recording however shows that I have started braking (brake lights show up in he rear cam) and have slowed down almost to a crawl - am guessing I was trying to figure our what the heck is happening/ coming at me. And two seconds later this is what hurls towards me -

I am now almost standstill, expecting, praying, desperate for this vehicle to move into its track. I did not know this then - but this was 1 second before impact. It was only half a second later that I realize this is a two-wheeler - and it is headed straight to me, right at the driver side of my Thar -

I am not going to post the impact, but at this point, our fates were sealed - there is no avoiding the impact. I am not posting the impact itself, but I felt the vehicle shake like its in an earthquake. Airbags - both of them, though I was alone in the Thar - opened, and the sound and smell of that, along with what just occurred in from of me, was completely disorienting.

It was about 8 seconds before I got out of my Thar to see what has happened to person who collided with me, call the ambulance and cops. Fortunately, I was fine - I had a whiplash from the seatbelt, and my right thumb hurt because my Thar had turned in the direction of the collision violently, like how you can expect the steering to turn sharply while offroading based on the terrain. And I must have held my thumb inside the steering at the moment of impact. This is what the dashcam captured after the Thar has come to a standstill -

Here is where the third part of my narrative comes in - how the dashcam helped me. Notice the position of my vehicle (relative to the road) in the image before the impact and the one after the impact?

How the dashcam helped me

Owing to the impact, my Thar had turned sharply towards the wrong side of the road, and by the time I parked and got out, it looked like I was in the wrong lane when the impact occurred.

The person who rode the bike was briefly alive and passed away before the ambulance or cops could arrive. There was no helmet, and the impact was an a very high speed. The bike was like a mass of metal in the middle of the road, and the person riding it was on the right ledge.

The light you see in the last image was that of a person who was coming behind the bike that collided with me. He also called up the cops and ambulance.

He suggested this - please move your jeep to the left (correct lane) side of the road, this looks like you were in the wrong side and hit the bike at high speed. I saw the whole incident, and can narrate this to the police, but it is better to move the vehicle to the left. I appreciated his offer to narrate the incident to the cops, but told him I have a camera that has recorded the whole incident, and I did not want to mess with the evidence.

The ambulance arrived first and took away the injured bike rider whom they pronounced dead, and the cops also arrived. I connected my phone to the 70mai dashcam, and downloaded the video that recorded the sequence of events, and showed it to them.

This is where the dashcam proved its worth.

Considering the accident victim's stature and to avoid any kind of mob justice, the beat cops moved my Thar away from the accident spot and took me to the police station. What followed was about 12 hours of being in he police station, talking to the police personnel responsible for the area, the police's central command, sharing the video and other details with them, etc.

About 4 hours after the accident a relative of the bike rider also arrived, and asked me what happened - normally/ politely. I showed him the video too, and told him I am trying to figure out what happened too. That is the only interaction I had with the family. Couple of hours after, a FIR was filed on me by the parents (bigger vehicle), and me and my vehicle were formally taken into custody. This is not an arrest, mind you, but a formality. After all that is done, I was told I can get back home but have to return the next day.

The next day, I was explained the procedure. The vehicle will be inspected by the transport dept., and once that is done, it will be released by the cops. The family may or may not pursue a case against me/ the vehicle to claim compensations as per law. The case will proceed accordingly, and if there is no claim, it will be closed.

All through this, the cops were very professional. A few close friends, including those who came to the spot, helped me greatly to keep it together. The vehicle was released in about 5 days from the date of the accident, I was told I can carry on with what I have to do. In case it is required, I may be called to be present - but that seemed unlikely at that point.

That is how this ended. Probably.

Aftermath

I lost the ability to sleep, and whenever I do sleep, I will wake up in a hour or 90 minutes drenched with sweat.

I was repeatedly analyzing the video, asking myself why I did not stop earlier, or move half a meter to the left into the curb. I drive a Thar, it definitely could have taken the curb and even the short drop beyond the curb.

I had almost 3 seconds to react from the time I flashed and switched on the high beams and started braking gradually. Instead of assuming the opposing vehicle to correct course, I could have made allowance even if it was a very-fast moving Tata Ace (like I had initially assumed).

After a lot of counseling from friends, well-wishers and cops, I reduced beating myself up for the accident. The cops also pointed out how lucky I was - they estimated that my average speed was about 43 KMPH, while the other vehicle was averaging 135 KMPH. My Thar's damages showed how bad the impact was, and had it been any other low slung vehicle, it could have resulted in the incursion of person riding the bike and/ or the bike into my vehicle, causing injury or death to me too.

The cops - every one of them I interacted with - appreciated that I had a dashcam. The area where the accident occurred did not have CCTV coverage, and without the evidence from my dashcam, the outcome could have been very different - years of persecution, prosecution, financial burden due to compensation negotiations, etc. all could have been on the table. With the dashcam as evidence, the procedural stuff took a week or so, and the trauma is still somewhere messing with my head, the cops and legal personnel all of them highlighted that the dashcam saved me. And most of them got the link for buying one for themselves, some of them also showed me that they have installed one in their cars too.

I will update my ownership thread on my vehicle, but is it back to shape.

I bought the dashcam as a reversing camera that can also come in handy during my highway runs. Never did I ever dream that there will be an incident so huge occurring less than 3 KM from where I live, and that the dashcam will be the one that saves me out of hell a lot of trouble.

So I request each one of you. Urge you. Do not drive without a dashcam. Some cars like the XUV7OO or the Hyundai Exter come with one from the factory. I hope others too follow this, and provide dashcams as a standard equipment. Until then, please forget sunfilms, ICE, seat covers and mats - get a dashcam as your first accessory when you buy a new car.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The government’s strategy for road safety consists of 5Es - Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Emergency Care.

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) plans to introduce cashless medical treatment to all injured accident victims across India within the next 3-4 months.

The amended Motor Vehicle Act 2019 has provisions for free and cashless medical treatment to injured victims. According to Anurag Jain, Secretary, MoRTH, some states have implemented it, but the ministry now plans to roll out the scheme across India.

“It is envisioned for providing access to cashless trauma care treatment for road accident victims at the nearest appropriate hospital in the country, in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling, and by drawing its power from the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act 2019,” Jain said. “Such cashless treatment shall be extended to road accident victims, including during the golden hour,” he added.

It is part of the government’s strategy for road safety, which consists of 5Es - Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Emergency Care.

Source: ET Auto

I parked my car & shouted at them, but they didn't stop. I couldn't chase them because I was with my family and I didn't know the area.

BHPian raptor_diwan recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Recently, when I was heading towards Coimbatore, there was a sudden accident involving the car that was ahead of us, which occurred a few kilometers away. However, we didn't witness the accident directly.

We witnessed the car was already collided with the divider and crashed sideways.

We saw a group of individuals, possibly local goons aged between 28-30, quickly running away from the car after the crash. They grabbed most of the bags and luggage from inside the car and fled towards the nearby forest area. At first, I thought they were running to help, but then I realized they were stealing. I was shocked and horrified.

I parked my car & shouted at them, but they didn't stop. I couldn't chase them because I was with my family and I didn't know the area.

I stopped and checked on the driver, who seemed to have fallen asleep at the wheel is the reason for accident. A college bus pulled over a minutes later and the driver called the police and ambulance. The driver was not seriously injured, but he was still in shock and his leg was stucked due to car bonnet area came inside little bit.

I'm not sure if the driver was aware that his luggage had been stolen, but I hope he was able to retrieve his belongings. I informed the college bus driver about the incident, and he appeared to be a local resident. He assured me that he would report the theft to the police. Afterward, I continued on my way. Several kind-hearted individuals stopped to offer their assistance, and all the college students on the bus joined in the search efforts nearby. Hope that the driver recovers his belongings.

This incident took place on NH 45 somewhere before Athur.

It was heart-wrenching to witness such incidents and observe how opportunistic and cruel some individuals can be in taking advantage of such situations. I couldn't help but worry about the safety of my belongings in the car, including my laptop and other items, in the event of an accident.

Currently, I am searching for a car locker that is securely fixed and cannot be removed from the vehicle. I am looking for a locker that can be screwed into the car, similar to a seat, making it accessible but not easily removable. If such a product exists, I would appreciate any suggestions or recommendations. I have come across some options (Godrej Security launches a 'Car Safe' for Rs. 2500), but they don't seem to be practical for my needs.

Also, when I shared this incident with my friends, it seemed like such incidents are more common on highways during bus accidents or similar situations. However, this was the first time I personally witnessed such an incident. Have you ever witnessed a similar incident?

Here's what BHPian Nomad_SK had to say on the matter:

This happened with me, I was travelling with my family and was involved in a very bad crash. The car went downhill (That’s another story), luckily, we all were safe and came out almost unscathed, with minor injuries and bruises. We removed our luggage, which was a task in itself, asked for a lift from a good citizen and retrieved almost all the stuff from the car and went to the police station (Mind you it was a very small village) to register FIR. It was raining and snowing, was almost dusk time and was getting dark. We lodged the FIR and I rented a local cab for my hometown 7-8hrs away. Police guy confirmed me that there will be someone to look at the car. I was supposed to come next day with crane/insurance guy and an order from the magistrate to retrieve the car. And guess what ???

Spare Tyre/Battery/Music system/few more items which we couldn’t retrieve due to emergency, was all gone, in spite of having a police guy assurance (he took money for that too), that somebody will look over for the night. Later someone told me that these Police guys are hand in glove with the goons to carry out such nuisance.

Lesson learned – When in problem, "certain people" will be on you like vultures. I don’t want to mention who are these "certain people". And few will be there like angels.

Here's what BHPian speed_79 had to say on the matter:

In April 2022, while on my way to Delhi from Bangalore, I either slept at wheels or due to highway hypnosis 200 km 3 hours from Bangalore, I rear-ended an unladen cement truck and went down the highway into the fields. The front of the car was badly damaged, and the right side was sheared off till the C-pillar of my Safari Storme. Me and my wife were unconscious for a few minutes after the accident. My 14-year-old son was unharmed and woke up at the first impact, but was clueless about what to do. He was helped by one Mr. Syed who called our parents up north and also my friends in Bangalore. An ambulance was called and he àlong with others kept all our luggage and most of our belongings in the ambulance with us. We were also going to attend the marriage of my wife's cousin, so had a lot of jewellery and a good amount of cash. Everything was there with us. When we were at the trauma centre of Kims Savera Hospital in Ananthpur, another ambulance driver kept all our stuff in his ambulance. Nothing went missing from what people had collected from our car and loaded in the ambulance.

Two hours later my friends arrived at the accident site and collected the dashcam. By that time the shoes which my daughter had been wearing and were left behind in Storme, were picked up by someone. As I was stable for 2 hours at Kims Savera, we decided to leave for Manipal Bangalore in an ambulance. My father-in-law who reached Bangalore from Bhopal, was kept updated by Mr Syed in the meantime.

While I underwent surgeries at Manipal, the Storme was standing there in a field, open to all elements for 4 days till my father could reach there and get custody of the car after paying money. The police did not allow any local contacts to get the car towed to Bangalore as they insisted that either I or a blood relative has to get custody of the car. The things that went missing from Storme during these 4 days were:

1. Battery

2. Spare tyre

3. Harman Kardon music system along with the speakers and USB pen drive (my song collection)

4. A clutch lock (without its keys)

5. Someone broke the hatch glass

6. Floor mats

7. Multi-tool with glass hammer

8. Tools and jack

9. Power adapter of dashcam

10. A box containing medicines

Things I could retrieve from the Storme when it reached Bangalore were a wash mitt and the drying towel.

Then the Tata service centre flicked the full door panel of the front passenger door.

Mr. Syed, whom I contacted later, had hesitation in meeting me as i wanted to thank for all the help. From his hesitation to meet me, I think he was driver of the truck which I had read ended. It was a company truck and he was just a driver. He had also told my FIL that he had seen me sleep-driving, which is possible only for the driver of that truck as it was an empty highway at 7 AM in the morning.

I was lucky to survive the accident with unharmed family members, and fortunate to be helped by good people on that day and have good memories rather than the bad ones.

The Storme was scrapped and has been replaced by Hexa.

Here's what BHPian locusjag had to say on the matter:

My aunt was in a horrific crash off of the Chennai-Trichy NH. Her Ritz, driven by her driver, veered off the highway and struck a wall. It turns out that her crash occurred at a spot that's known for such crashes. Lots of village bums sit near there and wait for the inevitable to happen and they get to rummage through debris of stricken cars quite often.

After her car had overturned, she felt the bums trying to snatch her chains from her neck. Despite having a damaged spine, she managed to give them a verbal thrashing and they scampered away into the darkness. The cops who later helped her into an ambulance informed her of these bums who wait around for a quick buck to drink with.

Here's what BHPian maddyoni10 had to say on the matter:

A junior colleague of mine died in a hit-and-run accident in Bangalore on his way to HCL office in Electronic City. He was doing a 7 am to 4 pm kind of shift to be home early to take care of his ailing wife and new born kid. All valuables including purse, mobile, company laptop were looted. Since he was wearing his employee ID card, police called company number and HR swung into action.

My heart sank when I heard of this. How low can one stoop and what good will come off of exploiting people in such situations? Sometimes I feel animals are better than such humans...

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The size of your Ego increases multiple times with the Size of your vehicle, stickers, slogans.. etc

BHPian supermax recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I recently read a thread here about how highway hypnosis is being suspected to be a major cause of accidents and fatalities on Indian highways, but I think we need to consider a much more commonly found and dangerous enemy as a big contributor to road accidents and fatalities: Ego.

When trying to piece together the whys and wherefores in the event of an accident, we often come across statements which give us a clue; "A Maruti Alto dared to overtake me! How could I take that insult and let it go, when I'm driving a Tata Harrier? I had to show him his place!" and so on. In Sweden, a mandatory component of the process to obtain a driver's license is participation in a 3 hour long training session which specifically focuses on the dangers of alcohol and drug use, driving while tired or sick, and the dangers of giving in to ego, peer pressure and other social mores. It is specifically pointed out that it's silly to compete with others on the road, and several examples where such behavior have led to poor outcomes are discussed to help drill home the point. Does this training work all the time? Definitely not, but it makes it possible to recognize the signs that we are letting ego get the better of us, giving us an opportunity to overcome it, instead of simply giving into it.

An Indian expat who's lived here for a while was narrating how he lost his Swedish DL. He'd been driving slightly above the speed limit, when a Volvo shot past him, at least 40 km/h over the limit. "How dare he! Let me show him that I too can drive fast!" vowed our friend, and accelerated to over 165 km/h on a 110 km/h road, only to see the otherwise unmarked Volvo light up with red and blue lights from the inside! They were the police, in an unmarked vehicle, and our friend got a fine of around 8000 SEK (~60k INR), got his DL impounded, and sentenced to serve a 2 year ban, before he would be allowed to take the driving test afresh in order to get his DL back, a process that includes repeating the 3 hour lecture about ego clouding ones judgment!

When I drive on the motorways here in Sweden, and merge behind a car that is doing the speed limit, I just slot in behind it, ensure a safe separation, and turn on the cruise control. If the car ahead is fractionally below the limit, I turn the CC down a couple of clicks to continue to maintain the same separation. The only time I overtake a car doing a similar speed is if it is being driven erratically, if it is drifting between lanes etc. Similarly, cars behind me are happy to slot behind me as long as I'm driving safely and predictably. If I'm going over the limit, I'll have to do many overtakes, or if I'm driving much below the limit, I force a lot of people to overtake me, but when I drive at or very close to the limit, there's no display of ego like I've seen on Indian roads.

The lecture on risky behavior on roads is part of Sweden's Zero Vision (aim to achieve 0 fatalities on the road from the current 300 odd fatalities each year), and it seems to have along with the other measures, helped to bring down the fatality count steadily over the years. A course like that if made mandatory in India, to secure the learner's license, or as a prerequisite to take the driving test might ensure that at least a few more individuals drive sensibly, and leave ego out of the equation while driving on the road. Till then, we'll continue to see cases under the accidents thread here that are attributable to ego overriding common sense.

Here's what BHPian chandrda had to say on the matter:

The process of Obtaining license is a joke in India and are also the driving schools.

The size of your Ego increases multiple times with the Size of your vehicle, stickers, slogans.. etc

I would be interesting if India also includes a class on Ego management while driving. I can assure you that people have too much ego to even attend Ego Management course.

Here's what BHPian antz.bin had to say on the matter:

Different speed limits for different class of vehicles ensures that there is no *Peaceful Drive* in India. More than Ego, driving on Indian highways is like playing a racing game on a brick console.

Picture this, you are driving on a road with a 100kmph speed limit. Your speedo shows 100kph but in reality on GPS the car is doing just about 92ish. So you speed up to 110ish to stay at the actual speed limit.

It is a 6 lane highway (like the Jaipur-Delhi NH48, Erstwhile NH8). HCVs, speed-governed by law, are driving along at 70-80 (on speedo, 7-10% less in reality) in all 3 lanes based on their whims and fancies. They stay away from the left lane since commuter 100cc bikes ride on that lane at speeds that are even slower. The only thing a car going roughly 50% faster than this heavy vehicle traffic can do to maintain its speed (within speed limit) is to change lanes every 10 seconds and keep up the stressful game of constant overtaking. The only other option is to slow down and take much more time to do the same distance.

You can't possibly replicate the Cruise Control scenario that the OP mentioned in the opening post unless you are on one of the very few *newer* access controlled expressways (like the Trans Haryana, Yamuna or Samruddhi) which charge exorbitant tolls for 80+ speed limits which makes sure that most CVs stay away.

I drive very close to the speed limit on any road that I am on but Modern best selling cars nowadays are sometimes more powerful than my own and I realize that so I tend to give way if anyone wants to overtake. My car happens to be at the top of the pile when it comes to power output when it comes to comparing in the same segment so an Alto will rarely be the one to overtake while going much faster than me, especially on plain roads. If it does, I assume that the person is in a colossal hurry and let it pass.

It is a different matter on the Himalayan roads where these small cars have a big advantage and I know better than to overplay my hand on those unpredictable curves.

Here's what BHPian kadanaJ had to say on the matter:

What triggers my ego is people who break rules getting ahead of me.

Think those who cut in from the left for a right turn, blocking off those who were following rules by being in the correct lane.

If I'm in the front of the correct lane, I happily let me ego get a hold of me. On the green signal, I accelerate and adjust my turning line so that those vehicles following rules and lane discipline can turn right peacefully, those coming from the wrong left lane end up in rather hairy situations sometimes thanks to me.

Is it ego-driven, yes. I like punishing those who break rules and lack civic sense. Could it be a cause of accidents, possibly?

I will probably never be the type of person to let some get ahead of me by breaking rules, whether it's line-cutting at airport security, or lane-cutting on the streets. This is where my ego comes in. Can't say I'm ashamed of it either.

Whether what I'm doing is right or wrong, other members can decide.

Here's what BHPian MC@1986 had to say on the matter:

Thank you Supermax for bringing this much important topic to the forum. Over all Ego is driving the Indian roads in a big way.. This is much more evident on the highways where is fatality rate is very high.

Apart from the Ego factor, we should not be forgetting the Competitive mindset in the India community which at-least the current gen (including most of us) of the drivers/road users were taught since the childhood. We should be quick to grab the opportunities (Be it admissions, jobs etc..). The same competition is being demonstrated on the roads.

Third reason which I observed with my 15 years driving on Bangalore roads is the urge to get to other lanes if we see a small gap (including two wheelers and Auto Rickshaw). This puts the pressure on the driver to drive with out sufficient gap from the previous vehicle; if there is gap it will be immediately taken by vehicles from other lanes which could lead to a crash incase the previous vehicle brakes.

My commute to work had increased from 10Km per day to 40 Km since the past six months with mix of highway and city roads. This had definitely increased my anxiety in driving to avoid any my scratches/crash. Maintaining the vehicle with out an dents/scratches in Bangalore traffic is an achievement

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Defensive driving and low speed saved me from a bigger impact.

BHPian epiccross recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I hoped never to be part of this thread... and here I am  Brand new car, just been ~3 months and this

Context: Was returning from the gym, driving sedately. There are a couple of reasonably steep curves. I was completely within the lane (as you can see) and moved further towards the left once the KSRTC bus was approaching. Shockingly after the front passed, the rear just hit my side door and panel! The driver came down and although he didn't apologize, he was calm and polite enough, which is a miracle these days. He claimed that somehow since the road is narrow they have to drive over the lane a bit and there was no space.

I didn't press it enough although I was sure I was completely within my lane. I always second guess myself, so assumed maybe I didn't give enough space (I didn't have to and he's 100% at fault). Dashcam footage revealed I left acres of space for this guy and he still did this.

Defensive driving and low speed saved me from a bigger impact, thankfully. The side panel tore off completely, driver door got banged up, headlight got cracked. But didn't feel a thing in the cabin except for the metal scraping noise. No damage to the engine compartment either thankfully. Drove the car slowly to my home which was 2-3 km away and called and reported to Kia RSA. The truck reached within an hour. But the body shop is a bit too far from my place, might have to go there with signed papers.

PS: Here I guess 360 cam helped me more than dashcam, clearly shows the lane markings and how the KSRTC driver hit my car.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Worryingly, out of the 69,635 riders killed in 2021, 47,000 were not wearing helmets.

According to a report published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the number of fatal accidents involving pedestrians and 2-wheeler riders has increased consistently over the past few years.

As per government data, 56,136 people died in 2-wheeler accidents in 2019. That’s 37.1% of the total road fatalities during the year. In 2021, this figure rose to 69,635 deaths, which is 45.1% of total road accident deaths.

Worryingly, out of the 69,635 riders killed in 2021, 47,000 were not wearing helmets. Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of helmet-related deaths (6,445), followed by Tamil Nadu (5,888) and Maharashtra (4,966).

The report also details the number of pillion riders killed in 2-wheeler accidents. Last year, while 32,877 riders lost their lives, 13,716 pillion fatalities were reported. The number of pedestrian deaths also went up by 17.1% from 25,858 in 2019 to 29,124 deaths in 2021.

While it’s not surprising that overspeeding caused the most fatalities, the report also lists wrong-side driving, use of mobile phones while driving, driving under the influence and jumping traffic signals as some of the other reasons behind fatal crashes.

Mistry was in the back seat and was not wearing the seat belt.

Cyrus Mistry, the former chairman of Tata Sons, was killed in a road accident near Mumbai on Sunday. He was 54.

Mistry was travelling from Ahmedabad to Mumbai when his car ploughed head-on into a roadside barrier. The accident took place on a bridge over the Surya river in Palghar. Mistry was in the back seat and is said to have suffered a fatal head injury.

The person seated next to Mistry in the back seat also perished in the crash, while the driver and front passenger suffered multiple fractures.

Cryus Mistry joined Tata Sons in 2006. He was appointed as the Chairman of the Tata Group in 2012 after Ratan Tata stepped down from the lead role.

4,22,659 accidents were recorded in the country in 2021.

1.73 lakh people lost their lives in around 4.22 lakh traffic accidents in India last year. Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of deaths (24,711), while Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra registered 16,685 and 16,446 deaths, respectively.

As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 4,22,659 accidents were recorded in the country in 2021 as compared to 3,68,828 in the previous year. These included 4,03,116 road accidents, which caused 1,55,622 fatalities – a 16.8% increase over 2020.

16,431 people lost their lives in 17,993 railway accidents and 1,807 people perished in railway crossing accidents in 2021.

The number of traffic accidents reported in Tamil Nadu went up from 46,443 in 2020 to 57,090 in 2021. Madhya Pradesh recorded 49,493 accidents, while Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala registered 36,509, 30,086 and 33,051 accidents, respectively.

According to NCRB data, the rate of deaths per thousand vehicles increased from 0.45 in 2020 to 0.53 in 2021. Road accidents caused more deaths than injuries in Mizoram, Punjab, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Source: NDTV

Promoting the use of helmets could alone save 5,683 lives each year.

According to a Lancet study, steps taken to check vehicle speed on Indian roads could save 20,554 lives annually.

The study focuses on four risk factors, including speeding, drunk driving, non-use helmets and seatbelts. Taking steps to avoid these infractions could prevent 25-40% of 13.5 lakh fatalities worldwide.

As per the report, promoting the use of helmets could alone save 5,683 lives each year, while the use of seatbelts can prevent 3,204 deaths.

The Lancet study is based on the data from Global Burden Diseases 2017 that put the deaths caused due to road injuries in India in 2017 at 2,18,876. However, according to government data, 1,47,913 lives were lost due to road accidents in 2017.

The Lancet study also provides an estimate for the lives that can be saved if steps are taken to check road violations in other countries, including the US, China, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey.

Source: The Hindu

He was having a phone in one hand and didn't bother to see what's coming from the opposite side before making a turn.

BHPian MT_hyderabad recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Had an extreme close call today.

I was at around 60km/h and this guy crossed. I braked and swerved right in my non ABS car and he managed to survive this ordeal.

He was having phone in one hand and didn't bother to see what's coming from the opposite side before making a turn.

I saved a lot of advocate expense today.

Video

Here's what BHPian Meph1st0 had to say on the matter:

That is a very very close shave, you have good reflexes.

Mobile phone addiction is such a common problem. Whenever I see a slow-moving car these days, most of the time the driver is checking the phone and I feel like an idiot for not honking and patiently following the car.

Here's what BHPian StopUnderrides had to say on the matter:

New level of stupidity on part of the biker. First he blindly tailgated the red car and then took a sharp turn right into your path.

I was reminded of a video on this portal where a 12 wheeler truck rolled over in trying to save a moron biker who suddenly merged onto the highway.

These are the kind of morons which kill other people. It was a two way narrow road and fortunately for you there wasn’t a truck or bus on the oncoming lane when you decided to swerve.

Easy to say since it’s almost a reflex action but it’d be better to brake in a straight line in such cases and do the best we can instead of swerving. I wonder if enough driver training can produce the legally and logically right response.

Eg: I know as part of training for commercial license, drivers hauling large semis in US are trained to brake in a straight line in such situations.

Finally the red car entered slightly into your lane and then went back. Ideally you should have slowed down from 60 and “covered” your brakes at that point anyway.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.