They tried to follow and stop me for some time, but eventually, they weren't able to.

BHPian Caffeinated_Owl recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Two-wheeler riders in front of me were driving in the middle of the road and dropped their phone while I was behind them, and I ended up driving over the phone, probably damaging it. Not sure if I could have done something about it or if it was my mistake. They tried to follow and stop me for some time, but eventually, they weren't able to.

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

Why on earth should you? You would not have been able to stop or swerve safely in time.

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

It was a good call not to stop as the area is a bit deserted and they may just gang up against you even if it's not your fault.

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

Their seemingly Nonchalant attitude at the moment of dropping and somehow cutting you rather than going left to do a turn around indicates a 'thak-thak' gang operandi.

I guess if few more agree, this is worthy of a new type of scam where they throw a already junked out mobile under a car and gang up and claim money from the scared driver/family.

After all, we all belong amongst people starting the famous "All India Pregnant Job Service" - what is so big in throwing a phone under a car?...!!

Ps - If any is so jobless (pun intended) to go near this signal/junction, buy a tea/coke/chip, stand around and observe the similar white two wheeler with 2 chapris doing this thing, especially a few hundred meter away from the roundabout. The may spot a fancy car with a innocent looking driver, profile him and overtake him rashly.

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

As a lawyer, I assure you that you can not be held liable for damages in such a scenario. Firstly, because the fact remains that the phone fell down due to the negligence of the owner. Secondly, in such cases, the courts often follow the doctrine of "reasonable person of ordinary prudence" wherein they compare the conduct of the defendant(you in this case) against what a reasonable person would have done to see in a similar situation.

In the video, it is clear that you tried to avoid the phone but were unable to do so since you didn't have enough time to react. Besides, even if you had not tried to avoid the phone and ended up just driving straight over it. The court would find that you could not have foreseen the incident and it was therefore not your fault.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I rushed to check the car and was in mental trauma. How can they mess up this much?

BHPian autoseiko recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Our newly bought Swift met with a nasty accident while on service.

We gave our car for the first service on 21st Jan, The car being just 2 weeks old had already clocked 1200+ kms.

I opted for the pick up drop service by Maruti. The car was picked up in the morning and was due to be delivered by the evening. I got the call from the driver that he had left the service station and within half and hour, he called me again that he has met with an accident. I asked him if he was well and he confirmed. I rushed to check the car and was in mental trauma. How can they mess up this much?

I went to the scene and the car was totally damaged. The driver, decided to avoid the traffic and got the car into the BRT lane. He saw a police was standing at the end of it so in panic, he decided to make a u-turn and rush back. I don't know what exactly happened but someone from behind rammed the car and left the scene.

Long story short, the car was towed back to the service station in Baner and I politely asked them to fix the car as I had not taken the car back from the service yet. I also told them that I wasn't going to push insurance.

The guys were very polite and they offered to make the car as it was. I also got 50k as compensation.

Attaching some pics:

It was certainly the most confusing moment in my life. I just could not connect the dots at that moment.

BHPian 14000rpm recently shared this i6th other enthusiasts.

This is a story from the Christmas of 2009- wife and I decided to take a random trip to Ooty. We lived in Bangalore at that time and driving to Ooty was always a drop of a hat decision and we drove there quite frequently.

At that time, the only car we had was a humble Alto - my wife's gift to me as our first car.

We hit the road early in the morning with the plan to be at hotel by lunch time. Easily doable.

The roads are usually quite good but this time around, a little after Gundlupete, there happened to be road-work in progress and one lane was cut-off - literally. It was a 1/2 ft drop from driving lane to the in-work lane for a few kms. For all practical purposes, this was a one-way but then, who ever cares for it. When we were on this one-lane bit, an oncoming fast driving Jeep literally pushed us to the edge of the road - the edge which had the 1/2 ft drop. The rear wheel slipped into the drop and the car swerved. We were doing about 60-70 kph when the wife, who was driving, started to lose control. I yanked the hand brake to cut speed but we were headed to the fields on the other side. Just when all this is happening, a village riding his moped from the opposite direction choose to continue riding with God-knows-what-hope to pass by. Guess his mathematics was wrong and we struck his moped. We had certainly slowed down by this time and therefore, thankfully, did not run over him.

Did the first thing that struck my mind - checked if he was ok, made him sit down in my car and called Gundlupete police station myself and waited till the cops arrived. In the meantime, a mob started to gather. Thankfully, before that mob started to run their kangaroo court, the cops reached. I explained the whole situation, they saw the accident victim and figured it would be better to take him to the hospital in the jeep. I went to the Govt. hospital myself and spoke to the doctor. Luckily the wounds were superficial and he was treated as out-patient. The constables were with me as well and they noted the report.

We then went to the police station to ask what the course of action would be. The inspector called it a Minor accident and advised me to pay the victim for the damage to the moped and settle it directly with him. The victim, however, was a very innocent man and some loud-mouth from his village choose to mediate. After some shouting matches, we agreed to an amount in front of the cops and closed the matter. Peace was found and off we went to Kings Cliff Ooty to unwind from this mishap.

After 2 days of unwind time, we headed back to Bangalore. I had my flight to US in a few days after and I had to start packing etc.

On the way back, due to some brain-wave, which, in Hindsight, I shouldn't have heeded to, I decided to go to the police station and a)check if all was ok with with the victim and b)take an incident report. Perhaps it was the good Samaritan in me that made me take this turn towards the station.

The movie sliding doors played out in front of me.

If I had chosen to drive on, everything would have been fine and life would perhaps be totally normal. However, I choose to stop and check post which a completely unforeseen set of events got set in motion. I don't know who tipped off the aforementioned Loud-mouth who suddenly showed up at the station even before I sat down to discuss with the inspector.

When I last left from the station, Victim was an out-patient case, compensation was paid and peace was made. Suddenly, the same victim apparently is now at a situation where he was going to lose a limb and was in a serious condition. I am a doctor's son and have a fair idea in reading the report that the Govt. Hospital doctor made and gave to the constable. It was a clear report of superficial wounds and the associated medicines related to just the same.

The situation now at the police station is now more tense. The cops are somehow not the peace-keepers anymore and suddenly, they started to sing the same story that the loud-mouth was blaring. At that moment, I too started to think it is true. In all the mayhem, I was told that the victim is in a hospital in Mysore. One of the victim's relatives was now in the station. He didn't seem to be as aggressive as the mob that now gathered again at the station. It was a one against many situation. I have literally no idea how I convinced them all that I would take that not-so-aggressive relative in my car to the said hospital in Mysore.

It was certainly the most confusing moment in my life. I just could not connect the dots at that moment. How can an individual who was reported as an out-patient case suddenly have dire consequences? All these scenarios are playing in my head as I hit the highway and sped towards Mysore.

Of all the scenarios, the one that stuck to me was where I was the victim of a scam with cops also colluding with the scamsters. I took one look at that relative fellow in my car. Contrary to the situation, he seemed calm. I was getting wrong vibes. Screeched to a halt some 30 kms from Gundlupete towards Mysore. Pulled him out of the car and dumped him right there.

My rage wanted me to beat him up right there by the side of the highway and leave. Tried to keep my calm and left him on the highway, without beating him, and drove on after belching out my mouthfuls at him. Immediately called up some friends while still speeding back home and located a lawyer I may need just in case. I saw that I did not pick up any tail.

Reached home with the sense of relief that the Ordeal is over.

Or was it?

After a few days of our return, I had to fly out to US for my onsite assignment. All these days there was total silence from the incident. If the victim was indeed in the serious situation I was told he is in, how come there is radio silence? My conviction in the Scam theory became stronger. We thought us not yielding to the situation was unexpected for the scamsters and they backed off. Life soon got back to normal. Me in US, wife in Bangalore getting on with life.

But then.

After 2 months of the incident, wife got a knock on the door. It was cops from the Gundlupete station. It was all too sudden and wife never even got a chance to call me. It was night for me too in the US. Lots of heated arguments concluding in, them having a FIR and intending to arrest the driver of the car which, as I had reported, was me. She was alone in a verbal match which, God knows how, she managed to turn it back on them stating that the accused is not in the country and they are mistreating a woman, who is unaccused and she shooed them off. Turns out, they didn't even have the FIR they were talking about. She then called some of her friends who had some political connections for help just in case.

Wife thought the situation was managed but then, as the apartment watchman said after overhearing their conversation, the cops planned to come back with a tow truck and tow away my car which was parked in the ground floor of the apartment.

Upon hearing this, she immediately called few of my close friends one of whose father was in the Forestry department and had his Govt. quarters in the woods near Jalahalli. My friends came over quickly and drove the car away and hide it in the garage of said quarters with a car cover on it.

As expected they came back shortly looking for the car which was not where they had seen it earlier. They came back knocking at the door again. Another argument ensued and in the melee, wife asked for the FIR.

This time, they did show one albeit with fudged dates. In between all this, she called her friend again and told that they are back to harassing her.

A few minutes later, the cops get a call from afore mentioned politician's office and some choice of words were delivered and they went away never to return.

All this drama happened which I was still sleeping in US. She didn't even call me and managed all of this single-handedly just like Obavva did in Chitradurga fort. Reference.

My hats off to her crisis management skills. The situation was dealt with once and for all never to rear it's head again. She too left to US a few days later to join me with the car still in hiding in my friends garage.

When silence prevailed we started to piece up the story. As you, the reader, may have also guessed, the Cops and the scamsters from the village colluded to skim money in the guise of a hefty insurance claim. I'm sure the original victim himself was completely unaware of all this. A lot of false paper work would have followed to make a quick buck and share the spoils with the cops. Heck, I wouldn't even be surprised if it was the cops idea to start with.

A classic case of Fox guarding the sheep.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Now, I'm going to visit at night to see it lit up - heard the bridge looks fab at night.

GTO recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Had a beautiful morning drive on the Trans Harbour Link. Surprisingly, not much traffic or crowds - I remember what a mess the Bandra-Worli Sealink was when it had opened.

This link is going to be a game-changer when the connectors at either end open up. Even now, it is such a calm, soothing, stress-free drive. As compared to driving on the old bridge to New Bombay and navigating through that entire city to reach the expressway. Amazing quality of tarmac (not the dirty & noisy concrete of the Mumbai-Pune expressway), stunning views at some points and a healthy 100-kmph speed limit (you can probably get away with 105 - 110 kmph keeping the speedometer error in mind). There were some points where cars had safely but illegally stopped to take in the views, so we did too. The Trans Harbour Link is safe + quick + convenient, but can get boring like American freeways.

Lots of supercars & vintage cars in the morning. There was even a 118NE being driven hard!

A truly world-class bridge! Proud of my India . Now, I'm going to visit at night to see it lit up - heard the bridge looks fab at night. Lonavla & Pune, here I come!

Celebrated with bun maska from Yazdani Bakery & some amazingly brewed coffee:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Since the guy was bleeding profusely, we decided to not waste any time and take the rider immediately to the nearest available hospital in the same car.

BHPian furyrider recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Let me narrate a story that happened 5 years ago.

My friend purchased a new car, and we went on an early morning joy ride. We decided to drive to a local reservoir and en route, road expansion works were going on. We were doing may be 30-40 Kmph. A construction worker who was on the phone while carrying a plastic can containing diesel on the tank of his bike rear ended the car. His face was covered in blood, and we immediately called the emergency number - 108 for an ambulance. We were informed that the nearest ambulance would take at least 30-45 min to arrive and were asked if the car was still drivable. The car had considerable damage at the rear but was still drivable. By this time, remaining workers including his supervisor had gathered around the vehicle and started creating a ruckus. My friend promptly called the police.

Since the guy was bleeding profusely, we decided to not waste any time and take the rider immediately to the nearest available hospital in the same car. My friend in the meantime took some pictures of the vehicle and the accident in general. My friend stayed back since the crowd started accusing us of running away from the place. Luckily, the police arrived in 5 min since a patrol vehicle was already parked at the next corner. They got the situation under control, cleared traffic while my friend completed the formalities. I was asked to share the details as soon as I arrive at the hospital. The hospital was apprehensive of taking him in since it was a medico-legal case. I already informed them that police were informed. They called police on their own and then took him in. The guy who hit us had lost 3 teeth, had multiple cuts across his face and had a total of 12 stitches.

By this time, his fellow workers and supervisor (bike apparently belonged to him) accompanied my friend to the hospital. Police arrived as well. Police took both our IDs and were asked to collect it at the police station. But first, we were suggested to work something out amongst ourselves and then report back to them. The constable who spoke to us gave their number to us and asked to update him. He then gave a stern warning to the other party to not act smart and start the "local" dramas.

We tried being reasonable, but the other party tried to pin the blame on us and were very unreasonable with their demands. Without even asking, we agreed to pay his hospital bills even though the fault was not ours. They demanded a couple of lakhs in compensation + hospital bills + his wages for the days he was off from work - which we denied right away. His supervisor tried to act aggressive thinking that we might get scared. We called the constable and told him what had happened. He asked us to come to the station and not to talk to them anymore. By the time we reached the station, the hospital had called the police stating that they were creating a ruckus there and that we had "runaway". Luckily, this happened just as we entered the police station. Police then invited the other party over. We were asked to narrate our version and them theirs.

At this point, the other party was pinning the blame on us - first it was over speeding. When asked how the guy on the bike rear ended us if we were over speeding, they changed their story to sudden braking. Apparently, the hospital was under the jurisdiction of the police station we were in, but the accident site was at their border and technically falls under another jurisdiction. The police who visited the site were not from this station.

Things took a turn when my friend told them that he had called the police in the morning and that the personnel who visited the site had more details. The SI dealing with the matter called up the other station, put his phone on speaker and asked if an accident was reported that morning. They replied that there was indeed one and the details they provided matched our version of events. The guy on the other end even told that the guy who hit us was carrying diesel for the machinery and had it been petrol, it would've led to fire almost instantly. Since they got the story from a reliable source, their stance on us softened a bit, and police started asking them some questions.

We then narrated how his supervisor acted all aggressive and threatened to hit us a couple of times. He acted all innocent stating that we were lying, but when asked if he is okay if the police check the CC camera recordings in the hospital, he stammered. Even infuriating to the police, the supervisor gave out wrong registration number of the bike thrice. After the SI lost his cool, he gave the right number, but apparently, the bike had no insurance, PUC or for that matter, even an RC copy and was registered on someone else's name. The rider had no driving license.

The police mediated a settlement and finalized an amount which we paid to the police who handed over to the other party in front of us. Upon our request, the police agreed to take a letter from the other party in their presence and to agree that they would not contact us in the future. We asked a lawyer who was at the station on a totally different matter to draft a letter for us which he did for a small fee. The essence was that they agree that we were not at fault but were still paying his medical expenses on humanitarian grounds and that they would not file a case on any of us in the future. Luckily, all out medication were through the police, so, our phone numbers were not with the other party. A copy of the letter was given to either party and the original was retained by the police.

Since the injuries were to the head, the police did warn us that they will keep an eye out for the other guy for the next month or two and monitor his health. We received a few calls from different police personnel over the next two months asking a few questions - like why we were there, etc. They mostly seemed to corroborate if my friend's versions and mine matched. Finally, after 2 months, the SI called and informed us that the other person had fully recovered, and that we can consider the matter closed. No FIR was filed - just an entry in their journal/diary.

This was our first time dealing with police and if they find that you are not lying and being honest, they will definitely help you out. We did end up paying a small amount under the table as a gesture of thanking them, but the peace of mind it brought us is priceless. My suggestion would be to call the police in case of an accident. Trust me, it is easy to deal with the police rather than the other party involved. They are seasoned in dealing with these day and night and would guide you in the right direction.

As for the car, the car got repaired under insurance. The bike bent in half and is a total loss.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information

The two wheeler guy was coming from the other side and was riding in the middle of the road so as to avail the tarred part.

BHPian arnav17 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey guys,

An aunt of mine got into a mini accident on the 9th of October. with a Activa. The car in question driven by her is a first generation Ertiga. This took place near Talaghattapura near the forest area, close to the Sobha Apartments.

What happened was that, the roads there have tar only on the left side while coming towards Kanakapura road. My aunt was driving on the extreme left with lot of caution as it was raining Cats and Dogs. There was a bend in the road which is pretty sharp. The two wheeler guy was coming from the other side and was riding in the middle of the road so as to avail the tarred part. This resulted in a collision of the scooter with the right fender of the Ertiga.

My aunt immediately got down, helped him up and took him near their house which was near the accident spot. The man was pretty soft spoken at that time and he wasn't a kannada speaker, which made things slightly difficult.

My uncle immediately drove him to the hospital in a friends car, got an X-Ray done, assured that there was no damage, bought the two wheeler guy all the medicines required for treatment and also paid for the repair of his vehicle. All this amounted to est. 20000.

No news was heard of him until just a week back, when he called up and demanded that he wanted a new jacket as his was damaged in the accident. My uncle flatly refused to entertain this and the guy went to the extent of a police complaint threat which my uncle asked him to lodge if he wanted.

A few days later they got a call from the Police station who asked them to bring the vehicle in question(Ertiga) to the police station for inspection. The Ertiga being their only car obviously had been fully repaired by then as it had been over a month since the incident. The Police asked both to leave the vehicles at the station and they have been sitting there since.

The Ertiga is registered in Jayanagar, and they are having to make trips of 13km to get an RTO certificate, who are giving excuses and delaying it due to the biggest problem which is that no photos were taken by anyone on our side of the damaged vehicles.

Now, the two wheeler guy went to the Police 2 days back and wanted to withdraw the complaint all of a sudden. The police informed him that it was already registered as an FIR and nothing could be done then.

Please do advise on what can be done further to get the Vehicle back as soon as possible.

Thanks in Advance!

Here's what BHPian puntra800 had to say on the matter:

Almost similar thing happened to my dad way back in 1989, the guy got all treatment done and stuff post which he filed a complaint. My dad had to leave the vehicle in the police station, eventually it was fought out by the lawyers but he told me the bike got released from the police station before the case was closed(Not sure if it was some kind of influence which was at play or some adjustment).

From what I read in the above post looks like not much has changed since then, best thing is hire a lawyer through known sources(Why Known ?, sometimes lawyers also fleece and my father in law is a victim of the same).

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

• Hire a good lawyer.
• Visit the police station with all the medical bills and evidence along with the lawyer. Lawyers know how to handle the police and police respond properly when lawyers are present.
• Tell the other person(fraudster) to come to the police station as well.
• Do not tell him you are coming with a lawyer. Call him under the pretext of settlement.
• Confront him in front of the police with your lawyer doing all the talking. Show all the evidence of treatment given to him and things ending amicably.
• Police never like being lied to. And they can sense who the liar is when both parties are present. And once they find who the liar is 99% of the times they'll let the innocent party take the car and go after a few formalities. But if the station incharge is corrupt, then they'll extract 1 pound of flesh from you and 2 pounds from Activa guy for lying.

All the best! Don't give up. Your uncle and aunt are sweet people based on the lengths they went to get the guy treated. That Activa guy sounds like a fraudster looking to extract more money. And please install a DASHCAM. Can't stress this enough.

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

There is a way to release the vehicle pending trial, check this out

Also hire a lawyer and follow their advice which is mostly to admit to negligent driving and pay the fine since there are no major injuries.

Based on lawyer's advice, inform insurance about the FIR.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The biggest confusion I see on Indian road is to maintain speed of 30/40km before curve or reaching a junction.

BHPian Capri89 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Recently while returning from Solapur to Bengaluru noticed the following signage

One would naturally assume that one has to drive straight to head to Chitradurga and hence to Bengaluru. For those going to Koppal one has to turn right somewhere down the road.

However, while going forward straight, spotted this signage that was totally in contrast to the above sighted signage.

Not just this. The sign board was also wrongly placed, little after the exit rather than before the exit.

This led to several vehicles including some trucks to shoot past straight and then reversing to take the exit. I am sure regular travellers on this route would remember this oddity and would have had no problems while negotiating this stretch.

Here's what BHPian narayans80 had to say on the matter:

I remember the first one you mentioned. We saw this multiple times because we stayed in Gangavathi during our Hampi visit.

The direction to Gangavathi is correct. It is left on that tolled State Highway.

That confusing signage stems from the cloverleaf constructed at the NH52 v NH67 intersection during the 4-laning and the old signage was not taken out.

First attempt (from the other side) I ended up on NH67 as well, even with Maps on.

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

Had seen this in Goa back in 2008:

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

Directional signage can be incredibly helpful in these situations, as it can help drivers visualize their route and avoid missing important exits or turns. I hope that highway authorities take this into consideration and make efforts to improve signage for everyone's convenience and safety.

I previously emailed the NHAI officials 15 years ago regarding the establishment of a consistent and uniform naming convention and methodology throughout our country.

Just attaching an edited photo for reference. The unfortunate aspect is that the naming convention remains non-standard, and it is quite disheartening to observe errors on highway signs.

As far as SH is concerned in TN, the name board signs are decided by the respective Highway office (Assistant Engineer decides what names should be included in the highway boards...). This is pathetic, as the sign board misses the next important town and an irrelevant place is written.

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

This was captured last year. Distance to Mirzapur

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

The biggest confusion I see on Indian road is to maintain speed of 30/40km before curve or reaching a junction etc etc . If one is driving abroad, these signs would have been followed to the T. Unfortunately in India, I strongly believe these sign’s are starting point of teaching our kids to break the law.

For an example On Mumbai- Pune Express way at the curves while descending from Lonavla to Mumbai , speed limit boards of 50 km has been put up which is impossible to follow by anyone. Yet such boards we find every where ,while say approaching a Junction or a village. Abroad rule is simple , one has to follow the sign. But in India it seems sign’s are made to benefit contractors rather than motorists.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I asked the motorist if he was ok and then asked him why he didn't brake.

BHPian vamsi.vadrevu recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi All,

I've had the misfortune of receiving a dent and a few scratches to my beloved car today.

I'm thoroughly disappointed and sad about scratches to my car! I keep thinking if there was a way I could have avoided this. Perhaps I should have pilot braked before actual braking. I didn't think my braking was so sudden as to be considered as an emergency halt!

Should I claim insurance for these scratches? What would the cost be!

I know I should expect scratches and dents to cars in the city but this is heart-breaking!

I asked the motorist if he was ok and then asked him why he didn't brake! He said blandly that he braked but the vehicle didn't stop. I can however see in my own dashcam footage he was in fact accelerating while my vehicle was slowing down. He should have seen my brake lights come on!

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

That is so disappointing to see. I've had a fair few incidents with bikers as well albeit at slower speeds, so kinda got away with minor scratches. I think an FNG can get it done for a reasonable price without insurance. I have only used my insurance once for a Rs 30,000 odd job and had every other dealer quoting that repair while selling my car.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Once the team reached there, they assured us of complete safety and I must say they were extremely polite people

BHPian nexus recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Sharing an incident which I think is important for everyone to be aware of. This post is on behalf of my BIL and written by him. Posting it as is without any edits.

Following is the post:

This is an awareness post considering whatever we experienced recently.

• Date: Wednesday 25th October, 2023 , evening 6.30 pm.
• Location: Samruddhi Highway, 20 km before Jalna while coming towards Pune.

Incident: While driving down a slope in a particular patch, we suddenly encountered a group of 7-8 animals supposedly dogs, (however after some thoughts later we suspect those were foxes), barely 50 meters ahead of us. They were totally stationary and did not move an inch as they covered up almost 2 lanes on the right. Since it was a bit of a descending slope, we did not have normal visibility of what was in front of us I had barely 2 seconds to react and the only option I had was to neither move left nor right abruptly, but to just go straight and unfortunately I had to run over 1 of them. Applying brakes the hard way could have caused some other untoward incident which is better not to mention.

This caused quite an impactful noise and we carried on for a few meters completely in shock. As we just started to think about what just happened, we heard a sound coming from the front side of our car and some red indicator blinking on the panel. We then stopped to check what it was. As we stopped aside, we saw the front side bumper was heavily damaged and it was hanging around and had touched the ground. We saw water leaking away from the coolant and spilt on the road. This was a bit of a scary situation and just to be safe, we all moved away from the car up to a few meters. After a few minutes, as we started to regain our senses, we slowly walked towards the car and started to think about what to do next to come out of this situation. It had turned completely dark by this time and it was almost a jungle-like spot. However, we decided to stay calm and called up the Samruddhi Highway helpline control room and they responded quickly and the patrolling team reached the spot in about 20 minutes.

Once the team reached there, they assured us of complete safety and I must say they were extremely polite people which automatically calmed us down. They had certain contacts of nearby mechanics who they said were ready to help with the repair works at any odd hour and that too on the spot if the conditions permitted.

The mechanic guys came later after about 45 minutes, checked the condition of the car and assured us that they would fix it on the spot. It was detected that the radiator to which the coolant water flows had been severely damaged and it was beyond repair. The only option to get out of there was to replace it with a new one. Once this issue was identified, they went back to the nearby Jalna city to get the material and it understandably took about 90 minutes for them to come back to the spot.

But not to worry, as all this while, the highway patrolling vehicle stood firmly behind us till the end. I must say hats off to them, the way they work and the way they stand behind you and especially when they see families, they never leave them alone. These are the real heroes.

Finally, after a long wait of almost 6 hours, half past midnight, the issue was resolved on the spot and we took off and having faced all this trouble, we decided to stay overnight at a hotel in Jalna and then came back from there after starting afresh the next morning.

Awareness: Whoever drives on this highway is advised to watch out for animals especially between Jalna and Mehkar as this is the patch where incidents and even major fatal incidents have occurred due to animals coming in between as mentioned to me by the patrolling guys. Apart from this, as most of us might know, have the tires in good condition and stay alert while driving on this highway. Yes, this highway is certainly a wonder but one only has to be in the right frame of mind and nothing more.

Below is the control room number for Samruddhi Highway and I would suggest keeping this handy in case any help is needed while on this highway: 18002332233

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Being a victim of a couple of risky accidents, I feel that such people should be criminally charged.

BHPian Aksfdb recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Dear fellow BHPians,

I just came across a video showing a person misusing the ADAS feature in an XUV700. It pains me alot when I see such reckless behaviour by people on the road.

Being a victim of a couple of risky accidents, I feel that such people should be criminally charged.

Please share your thoughts on this and also share your experiences if you have noticed something on similar lines.

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

Sheer stupidity on part of the people who even think ADAS is anyway near FSD. While FSD even on advanced vehicles like Tesla are debated.

There have been a number of accidents and fatalities that have been caused by people using ADAS in a reckless manner. For example, in 2018, a man was killed in Arizona when his Tesla crashed into a barrier while he was watching a movie on his phone. In 2020, a woman in Florida was seriously injured when her Tesla crashed into a tree while she was asleep.

There are a number of reasons why using ADAS in a reckless manner is so dangerous. First, ADAS systems are not perfect. They can make mistakes, especially in challenging conditions such as bad weather or heavy traffic. Second, ADAS systems are not designed to handle unexpected events, such as a child running into the road or another vehicle making a sudden lane change. Third, if a driver is not paying attention to the road, they will not be able to react quickly enough if something goes wrong.

The act of creating these videos and sharing them on social media platforms encourages others to follow suit. The allure of likes, shares, and online fame can lead individuals to imitate such reckless behaviour without fully understanding the risks involved. This creates a ripple effect of dangerous actions that can have far-reaching consequences.

These people should be discouraged and should get more dislikes than likes and share. I would rather unsubscribe even if I has subscribed due to a past good video post.

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

Several of such videos exist on YouTube and more so in Instagram. With more and more vehicles coming with ADAS, expect to see this stupidity increase. I recently saw a couple of videos with the new Seltos also.

Here's what BHPian pkulkarni.2106 had to say on the matter:

Shouldn't these features work only when there's someone at the wheel? If I'm not mistaken, most of the modern cars have kind of weight sensors (at least) in the driver's seat - which could be used for this purpose.

BHPian Sufficient_shop replied:

Yes, they do. But the alert comes after 10 seconds or so. And even after the first alert comes, there's another ~5 second gap when the alert intensifies before ADAS gives up. That's why the video is pretty short. He must have jumped back to the rear seat and jumped back in.

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

ADAS is a feather that is likely to save many lives in the long term, and I am so glad that it's being trickled down from luxury segment.

However, there will always be some folks who would do reckless behaviour for the attention of their ever decreasing followers. How many videos were there previously of people driving with their feet or back seat driving. At the very least with ADAS, I'm certain that the car must have disengaged and stopped itself after a few secs hence the short length of the video itself.

I honestly agree with @pkulkarni.2106 that manufactures should connect it with seat sensors to disengage when drivers seat is empty. Sadly people will still try to circumnavigate even that for the circus to keep going.

ADAS should be remembered for reducing severity of accidents if not of their prevention altogether.

Here's what BHPian nova.19_exe had to say on the matter:

This is just outrageous! ADAS is built to help people reduce the number of accidents on the roads!

To be honest, with more and more vehicles with ADAS getting launched, you can expect lot more of these types of videos!!

Action should be taken against these guys!! It's also a good reminder of who we drive on the roads with! People like these cannot, I repeat, cannot be allowed to drive on the roads!

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

Totally unacceptable act. If companies can offer ADAS then they must also install driver fatigue (or absent) warning system. If the driver is not on driving seat or has closed/ non focused eyes then the ADAS should simply park the vehicle on side of the road. With hazard lights blinking and alarms annoying continuously, it will be a fun to watch reaction of the driver.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.