Rash driving is one of the major causes of accidents in India. Many of these accidents are caught on dashboard cameras. Here is one similar incident that happened in Kerala. The incident was caught from the dashboard camera of a Maruti Suzuki Ertiga.
The video shows a single-lane road and the Ertiga following a mini-truck. Suddenly, there is a Maruti Suzuki Baleno that overtakes the Ertiga and tries to slot in the space left by it. But that’s not where the action happened. A Tata Nexon from the opposite side was too fast to control. The car understeered and came to the opposite side lane.
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The understeered Nexon caught the rear of the truck, which caused it to lose balance and topple. The Maruti Suzuki Baleno, who was also rash driving, missed getting involved in the accident by a fraction. However, the Ertiga was caught in the accident and got damaged as well.
The Tata Nexon also got a few damages on its front end. No injuries were reported in this accident but it could have been a different story altogether.
SUVs are less stable than sedans
SUVs are inherently less stable in design, even though they have gained immense popularity worldwide. Initially, they were intended to be slow and rugged vehicles capable of tackling rough terrains. However, most people who buy SUVs nowadays don’t use them in off-road situations, resulting in higher sales of 4×2 SUVs, which aren’t viewed as genuine SUVs.
As SUVs offer elevated ground clearance, they have a greater tendency to overturn than standard hatchbacks or sedans. Extra caution is required while driving SUVs at high speeds. The higher ground clearance raises the vehicle’s center of gravity, reducing stability, and making high-speed cornering a daunting task. Sedans provide a more secure feeling while taking corners due to their lower profile.
The increased risk of toppling or tilting is linked to the SUVs’ high ground clearance. Drivers, particularly those switching from sedans, must be more cautious and attentive when operating an SUV model.
Action against rash driving
A couple of years ago, Mumbai police conducted a crackdown on rash driving. The cops had said that almost 78% of the offenders were on motorcycles. The Mumbai Police had teamed up with local police station teams to interrogate offenders who were booked for racing. The teams had looked into the possibility of organized group races and checked for stolen or modified vehicles. They had also checked if there were any bets against the racing participants.
The traffic police had also taken action against the 4,200 driving license holders who had failed to pay the pending fine amount despite regular reminders. The police had sent the details to the Regional Transport Officers (RTO) who had issued a show-cause notice and given a hearing to the motorists. This had allowed the motorists to have one chance to save their driving licenses since the RTOs had suspended the license after that.
The Mumbai Police had said that driving on the wrong side increased the chances of fatal crashes. This is why they had wanted to send a message to the motorists through that drive. The action was taken against vehicle owners who had a clear registration plate on the vehicles since the whole drive depended on the CCTV footage.
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