News reports stated that six desis who were on their way to Niagara Falls were killed when their minivan spun out of control and was hit by a car on a Pennsylvania highway.
Four of those killed were employees of Syntel based in Troy, Michigan.
The minivan driver Kaushik Deb, 26, of the Troy died in the impact. The passengers killed were: Manoj Jharia, 35; Mili Jharia, 28; Nitin Agarwal, 29; Swati Agarwal, 25; and Shubham Choudory, 24.
The sole survivor in the minivan, Nitin Gupta, 28, was sitting in the front seat. He was treated and discharged from a hospital.
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Take home points:
1. Report indicated that seat belts were not used by some of those killed.
2. The minivan rolled over. Does this mean that lower profile vehicles, like sedans, do better in potential roll over crashes, (something to ponder)?
For God's sake folks, everyone, in any vehicle, wear seat belts at all times.
I hadn't read the news in detail before. The car that hit them, was a Sonata (last model). The way the accident is described, it seems the van had either hydroplaned (if it was raining) or a novice driver was unnerved by a strong crosswind and did something silly. Crosswind stability of most minivans, particularly if equipped with electric power steering, is really bad. Even some sedans suffer from vague steering feeling on highways during crosswind situations.
ReplyDeleteIt's more than about seat-belt. It's about realizing that driving is more than about holding the steering and pressing the gas pedal.
Electronic stability control (ESC) is a computerized technology that improves the safety of a vehicle's handling by detecting and preventing skids. When ESC detects loss of steering control, ESC automatically applies individual brakes to help "steer" the vehicle where the driver wants to go. Braking is automatically applied to individual wheels, such as the inner rear wheel to counter oversteer, or the outer front wheel to counter understeer. Some ESC systems also reduce engine power until control is regained.
ReplyDeletemay god rest their souls in peace
ReplyDelete