Biker Getting Sandwiched Between Polo & Vento: Whose Mistake Is This? [Video]
Indian roads can sometimes be very tricky. We often come across videos and photographs of bizarre accidents and crashes. Many of them show just how unpredictable our roads can get sometimes. One such video has now surfaced online. It shows a scooter rider getting sandwiched between a Polo and Vento, and having a miraculous escape. It has sparked discussions online about its actual cause...
The Video
This video seems to be from a nearby surveillance camera. It opens by showing a single-lane road with moderate traffic. A pothole can be seen on the left side of it. Soon, we see a White Volkswagen Polo stop near it. The driver seems to be trying take the ditch slowly, so that it doesn’t unsettle his car and its occupants. Seeing him stop, a scooter that was following the car brakes as well. It comes to a safe stop.
Soon after this, we see a sedan (which looks like a Volkswagen Vento) ram into the Polo’s rear, sandwiching the scooter in between. The impact throws the rider off the vehicle. He lands on the left side of the road, and manages to get up. It takes him a moment or two to get a hang of what's happening around.
He is indeed lucky to have made it out alive. The scooter gets completely destroyed in the crash. A Hyundai Exter which was following the Vento manages to stop safely, without making contact with the crashed vehicles.
The crash caused much damage to the front end of the Vento, and almost destroyed the scooter completely. The Polo, however, seems to be less affected by it, and is seen driving away soon after the incident.
Who Is At Fault Here?
From the video, it is clear that the Vento driver is to be blamed here. We cannot attribute this mishap to the pothole on the road alone. Yes, the Polo had to stop because of it. But the video also shows the scooter rider stopping safely and smoothly. This means that the Polo’s braking cannot be called aggressive or dangerous for vehicles that were following it.
Now, take another look at the Vento. It was carrying ample speed even when it crashed into the other two vehicles. The driver likely braked too late. He seems to have missed taking notice of the Polo and the scooter that were in front of it. This points to sheer driver distraction. We don’t, however, know what caused it- using a phone while driving and dozing off are possible cases.
Responsible driving requires the driver to have good presence of mind and situational awareness to stay safe on the road. The vehicle that he/she is following can brake at any time. If the driver is distracted, he/she will end up crashing into the vehicle in front, just like what is shown in the video here.
In such cases, one person’s negligence/ distraction will end up causing harm and losses to innocent people and vehicles around. In this case, the scooter rider was the most miserable victim.
Another important point to revisit here, is stopping distance. It is the distance that a vehicle travelling at a certain speed would take to come to a complete halt. It usually increases with vehicle weight and speed.
Drivers must maintain safe distance with the vehicles in front of them, so that they can brake without crashing into them, in the event of an emergency. Here, the scooter and Exter were able to stop safely because they adhered to this.