The Hyundai Santro completely mangled after the crash, killing the driver
In another horrifying accident involving a private vehicle and a black-and-yellow cab in Mumbai, a 35-year-old taxi driver, Rameshkumar Gupta, has lost his life while the passenger in the cab sustained severe injuries. The passenger of the cab was admitted to Ashwini hospital and is currently in the Intensive Care Unit. The impact of the accident was so severe that it destroyed the front end of the Hyundai Verna and completely mangled the cab, a Hyundai Santro.
The occupants of the private vehicle, Aashvi Shah (20), the driver of the white Hyundai Verna and a student of KC College, sustained minor injuries above her eye while her friend in the passenger seat escaped unharmed. Shah did not flee the accident spot and was carrying a valid driving license. She was later arrested and charged under Sections 279 (Rash driving) and 304A (Causing death by negligence) of the IPC and 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act and taken to the Pydhonie police station. Shah was later released on bail of Rs 15,000.
The incident took place on the notorious JJ Flyover known for its fatally dangerous curves. The flyover has witnessed so many accidents, especially involving two-wheelers, that the Mumbai Traffic Police was forced to ban motorcycles and scooters from that particular stretch of tarmac.
Driver of the Hyundai Verna, Aashvi Shah (20) was carrying a valid driving licence
Shah claimed that she was on her way back home after visiting her relatives when a speeding car overtook her during the wee hours of Sunday morning, surprising her and causing her to lose the control of the vehicle. The sedan jumped over the divider and rammed into an oncoming taxi. The deceased, driver of the black-and-yellow cab, was the sole source of income for the family and the kin is now demanding justice and monetary compensation. Gupta is survived by his wife, Suman Gupta, and three children.
This incident reminds us of the Eastern Freeway crash caused by 35-year-old lawyer Janhavi Gadkar where the driver of a black-and-yellow cab also died on the spot. Before we head any further, please note that there are NO reports indicating that Aashvi Shah was driving under the influence of alcohol. While the occupants of both the vehicles – the Audi Q3 in the earlier incident and the Hyundai Verna in the JJ Flyover crash – survived with minor injuries, the cab drivers, on both the occasions, lost their lives which raises the question of safety of new, small-sized cabs in the country.
While the Janhavi Gadkar accident involved a premium SUV which was equipped with modern safety net, both the vehicles involved in the JJ Flyover accident were from the same car maker. So while the base variant hatchback crumbled under the force, the more premium sedan managed to hold its structure, thus protecting its occupants. Black-and-yellow cabs are often the base variants of the car model and are built keeping a certain cost in mind. Irrespective of the make, these cabs are bereft of any active or passive safety aids such as ABS or airbags to keep the costs low.
The Hyundai Verna which was driven by Aashvi Shah
But those safety features apart, as one can see in the images, the shell of the cab, the Hyundai Santro, could not handle the impact, whereas the Hyundai Verna’s passenger cabin remained almost undamaged and protected its occupants efficiently with minimum injuries. Even in the Janhavi Gadkar case, the Maruti van crumbled under the sheer force of impact, while the Audi Q3’s cabin remained largely unaffected. The incidents highlight the massive disparity between the structural integrity of smaller cars as compared with their more premium, bigger counterparts.
While it is not practical to expect a technology laden German vehicle to ferry people around the city, a more robust shell, ABS and airbags isn’t too much ask of the manufacturers of these cars. The government should introduce some regulation as soon as possible to ensure that the structural robustness of a car is not compromised just because its smaller in size. The lack of safety features in smaller cars, exposed by the recent Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) tests has resulted in a heated debate, questioning the road worthiness of these small cars. In fact the Guwahati High Court, in an interim order banned the sales of all the cars that failed the aforementioned test in the state of Assam.
What’s your view of this scenario? Do you feel safe travelling in one of those small cars with your family? Do add to the discussion with your opinion on what could be done to ensure that these small cars don’t turn into coffins on wheels. Share your views and opinions with us through the comments section below or through our social networking pages.
Source: Mid-Day
The big Question is not that she lost control because of another Speeding Car. The question should be “How fast was “She” driving to lose control and Get Hit or Crash this bad??” Something worth a thought..
Still People will buy Hyundai and Suzuki and other Unsafe Rated cars for mileage.
Why are these cheap cars without dual front airbags and ABS being sold and allowed on the street. That’s what the most cause of vehicular accidental death. When is the Indian govt going to take up this matter seriously?
The reason we mentioned the other accident is that there are many parallels between the two. Leaving aside the fact that the former was drunk behind the wheel, while this young girl was not, they are also cases of collisions between a modern car and a rickety cab. In both cases, one of the occupants in the cab died, while the driver of the safer cab survived with minor injuries.
I wonder why the other accident was mentioned/compared here rather than the current accident. To get more hits ? I know it's a mid day article.