Horrible Accident on NSHW

[Ruykava]

The most important factor is seat belt not speeding, hogging, raining whatsoever. It is very likely that seatbelts were not worn by the rear passengers. Only those whom have survived the accident knows. There was this video in you tube showing how life is saved by the seatbelt.

 

Yep, I was driving back yesterday as well from Melaka in the afternoon - sad to hear of this news. The rain was really very, very bad. And there were still a few people who didn't have the common sense to on their lights!

 

As others have said most of the way there are only 2 lanes - I kept to left at 110 (cruise control) most of the way until pretty near Singapore, when the number of slow drivers start building up.

 

NSHW didn't pond at all. The only ponding I got was on the AYE just before NUH. That was a nasty surprise but braked on time seeing the taxi in front wobble!

[Yuan]

True, but it's a bad idea to pull over in the mist of fog.

 

I once encounter very heavy fog driving up halfway mountain up genting at night. Visibility is less than 3 meters. Basically I cannot even see the road drainage beside me. I cannot pull over to one side either as I am halfway up mountain and nowhere to park. That is a nightmare driving up for good 10mins before drove pass fog area.

 

That is the 1st time I find hazard light so useful. [laugh]

 

Can consider using fog lights if they come with the car.

[Yuan]

Depends on the traffic quite frankly.

 

If two lanes - I would mostly take left lane.

 

I am not a slow driver, but in heavy rain I take particular care - as the stopping distance is far more than visibility. In that sort of situation I get very antsy - is part of my "driver education" driving in dual carriageways where you really didn't know what was around the next corner, and you had many blind corners where you might meet almost anything (from a wandering sheep to a slow moving tractor to somebody partially cutting the corner).

 

I often feel that this is something not well understood by Singapore drivers either - but that's just a feeling.

 

A lot of local folks may not understand this. You could be right.

[2BDriver]

Singaporeans can't keep left in SG. So don't expect them to do it in MY.

Just a casual joke for you only......Singaporeans always think they are always Right, therefore they'll keep right all the way

[Camrycamry]

RIP to both mother & son. On NSHW I don't go over the speed limit of 110km/h. If it rain heavily, I'll pull over and wait at the R&R. I the kiasi type, better late than sorry. Always heard people boast going over 150km/h, reaching KL 3.5hrs, etc etc. This is plain silly, at this speed, it's very difficult to jam brake in case of emergency.

[Yuan]

Just a casual joke for you only......Singaporeans always think they are always Right, therefore they'll keep right all the way

 

Tuan, not all la. I never keep right cos I never right. Actually, right or outermost lanes may not always be the fastest.

 

I always take centre lane be it Singapore, MY, other countries etc.

 

I am never a fast driver. Law abiding and keeping to speed limit.

 

Drive safe and slow. Reach destination more important.

[2BDriver]

Tuan, not all la. I never keep right cos I never right. Actually, right or outermost lanes may not always be the fastest.

 

I always take centre lane be it Singapore, MY, other countries etc.

 

I am never a fast driver. Law abiding and keeping to speed limit.

 

Drive safe and slow. Reach destination more important.

I'm aware you are a Model Driver with the V W Badge for "Very Wonderful" driver on all roads

[Jchuacl]

Actually wide tyres are more likely to aquaplan you know?

 

One more thing is cross wind that comes with heavy rain. I ever encounter very strong cross wind in Melbourne when I was driving back from Philips Island as it was the worst storm in 150 years. My gf now my wife was asking me how come the car keeps on moving sideways, I told her the cross wind is very very strong (radio said it was up to 70km/h), and I had to drive very slow at 50km/h.

 

Worse of all, I was driving Getz which is a light car

 

 

It depend on what type of ride in my opinion. At 100 is still ok for those 2500 above vehicle with heavy body and wide tyre. As long the driver feel comfortable and can have time to make readjustment.

 

My advise is not to slow down till 40, 50 sort of speed on NSHW. Even though u are on the left lane but rear vehicle might not be able to stop in time.

 

The best alternative is to park at RnR...smoke cigg...beow char bor till rain subsided.

 

[Happily1986]

U must be refering to driving on new zealand road. Same go to tassie as well. Slight oversteer or understeer either u ended up crashing against a wall of rocky hill or drifted left down the clift....really go holland england liao. For those yet to drive on dual carriageways, is more like single lane for two ways traffic. Btw no safety barrier or street lamp.

 

[Kopites]

Actually wide tyres are more likely to aquaplan you know?

 

One more thing is cross wind that comes with heavy rain. I ever encounter very strong cross wind in Melbourne when I was driving back from Philips Island as it was the worst storm in 150 years. My gf now my wife was asking me how come the car keeps on moving sideways, I told her the cross wind is very very strong (radio said it was up to 70km/h), and I had to drive very slow at 50km/h.

 

Worse of all, I was driving Getz which is a light car

 

Ya getz body is light.

[inlinesix]

It depend on what type of ride in my opinion. At 100 is still ok for those 2500 above vehicle with heavy body and wide tyre. As long the driver feel comfortable and can have time to make readjustment.

 

My advise is not to slow down till 40, 50 sort of speed on NSHW. Even though u are on the left lane but rear vehicle might not be able to stop in time.

 

The best alternative is to park at RnR...smoke cigg...beow char bor till rain subsided.

Are u sure? Even in heavy downpour, i have nvr encounter traffic driving 40 ~ 50km/h. Get off the road. Don't endanger others.

 

RnR only got totally coverup Minah.

[inlinesix]

RIP to both mother & son. On NSHW I don't go over the speed limit of 110km/h. If it rain heavily, I'll pull over and wait at the R&R. I the kiasi type, better late than sorry. Always heard people boast going over 150km/h, reaching KL 3.5hrs, etc etc. This is plain silly, at this speed, it's very difficult to jam brake in case of emergency.

I m so used to driving at 150km/h with cruise control. It boils down to situational awareness which seems to be lacking in ur post.

[Peregrine]

I agree completely but we cannot confirm whether the passengers at the back of the car were wearing seatbelts.

 

If they did, they could have still be alive. Accidents happens all the time ..... but we have to take the necessary precautions. Seat belts and child seat are there for a purpose.

All such accidents are tragic and hit the families involved terribly. But we can learn from the mishaps by taking preventive measures when travelling at high speed and during heavy rain & poor visibility.

 

The Straits Times report (page B2, 9Apr2012) mentioned upon impact (with the guard railings), all three back-seat passengers were flung out of the car. Mdm Moh is believed to have cradled her four-year-old son to protect him. The boy survived with abrasions to his head.

 

Perhaps the younger son was not secured in a proper child seat, and mother and older boy did not buckle up seat bealts.

 

Possibly central locking all doors may have prevented doors from flinging open and passengers from being thrown out (which will result in more severe injuries than if they remained in the car).

 

 

 

We usually cannot imagine how violently passengers car be flung around & possibly collide with one another during a car collision.

"I came across this video recording from a car whose driver & passenger witnessed a serious collision at junction of North Buona Vista Rd & Holland Road.

 

 

Collision sequence starts from about 30 seconds mark.

 

It is not clear to me whether the driver of sports car from right was speeding excessively and/or went through red light or driver of small hatchback misjudged and should have stoped before completing right turn.

 

The damage to the smaller car was very severe. If I am not mistaken (see 35 seconds mark), an arm of a child appeared over the left rear window sill of the small car before it disappeared from field of view. Very likely he was injured; hope he did not fall out of the car. Then noise can be heard, like that car collided again, this time with traffic light pole or another vehicle or object.

 

So be very careful when making right turns at junctions, including those without traffic lights. Better to wait than take undue risk when gap in traffic is not sufficient; waiting for green arrow to appear may be wiser. Turning when flashing green arrow will be red next instance is asking for collision to occur.

 

Always secure young children properly & safely in their car seats. They are precious! In a vehicle collision an unrestrained child may collide with another occupant in the car and both may be seriously injured or killed !"

 

[This is taken from my post on Defensive Driving at http://www.civicfd-sg.com/viewtopic.php?t=6144 ]

[Peregrine]

In this case, it could also be the driver found it hard to ask his/her friend's family members to buckle up..... It is easy if they are strangers, very close friends, or family members. But when they do not belong to one of these categories.......

As drivers, we are like the captain in an aircraft and are responsible for the safety of ALL our passengers. So no need to be paiseh about getting all to buckle up.

 

For those who are still not convinced about need to fasten seat-belts, the following video clips may help:

 

Start with the soft approach:

 

If still not successful, show more gory video clips:

 

Third level, if still cannot convince, enlist the help of professional dummies!

 

If still not effective after trying all the above, then I think you have no choice but to install this device:

And also install interlock so that car can only be started after all occupants have fasten seat belts.

 

For a passenger who prefers not to fasten seat belts, driver should ask for $130 deposit in cash (which I think is the amount of fine driver has to pay if TP caught any passenger not belted up) and ask him to be prepared to pay another $130 fine himself. If not "please alight!".

 

Sometime $$$ can convince more effectively.

 

 

 

[Peregrine]

Yeah... many wear seat belt to avoid kena saman. Not really for their own safety.

 

I have friends and relatives, everytime I drive in to my apartment area, they will remove the seat belt automatically, no fail. The seat belt really so uncomfortable meh? They seems can't even wait for another 30 seconds for the car to stop.

 

... same goes to the people in the plane. Many will want to be the first to release their seat belt.. well before the pilot turns off the seat belt light. Like got prize to win.

Indeed putting on seat belts and securing child in proper child seat should not be about fearing kena saman; it is for personal safety.

 

On another aspect in a aircraft, most passengers do not think it necessary to buckle the seat-belt (loosely) when they are sitting and "seat-belt sign" is off ..... until there is sudden violent air turbulence and aircraft falls few hundred metres. Rare occurences but passengers have suffered head or neck injuries when thereare flung up against the ceilings or overhead luggage bins.

 

 

This road accident reminds me of the Grandis accident a few years ago in which only the baby who was secured in child seat was the only member of family to survive when car went off NSHW at high speed and was wrapped round a tree.

[Mllcg]

Indeed putting on seat belts and securing child in proper child seat should not be about fearing kena saman; it is for personal safety.

 

On another aspect in a aircraft, most passengers do not think it necessary to buckle the seat-belt (loosely) when they are sitting and "seat-belt sign" is off ..... until there is sudden violent air turbulence and aircraft falls few hundred metres. Rare occurences but passengers have suffered head or neck injuries when thereare flung up against the ceilings or overhead luggage bins.

 

 

This road accident reminds me of the Grandis accident a few years ago in which only the baby who was secured in child seat was the only member of family to survive when car went off NSHW at high speed and was wrapped round a tree.

 

in airplane is different.

 

sudden drop will cause injuries no matter if u belt up or not.

 

dont forget. everything else flies up as well.

 

sudden rise is different. u will get pinned to your seat

[Jchuacl]

Something quite interesting to read on driving in Wet Driving on Aquaplaning

 

http://www.ridedrive.co.uk/driving-tips-22a.htm

 

[Good-Carbuyer]

Bros, maybe u would want to further elaborate on "signal correctly" for newbies planning to venture up north.

Some drivers only signalled after overtaking, or during overtaking, instead of before and during overtaking. Some drivers signalled with left trafficator when they wanted to filter/turn right, and vice versa. Do signal at least 1 lamppost distance beforehand (Instructor said 2 lampposts). Some cars only got 3rd brake lights working when they braked. Do check that the tire tread depth adequate for driving faster than 90km/H (NSH speed limit 110km/H). Most drive above 110km/H (120 to 150km/H) Slow down well in advance (can be much longer distance to brake from 110km/H, compared to 90km/H). Opposite side drivers high beam you when there is TP operating speed trap ahead, or accident. Some tooted horn, too. Toot car horn when approaching blind road bends along certain roads. When encounter fog (Genting Highlands) switch on foglamps (front and back), and toot horn while driving slowly. Always carry bright torchlight/breakdown triangle signage, spare tyre... Car must be checked in good order for long distance driving (no idea where the tyre shops/workshops are, if breakdown). Example: when my car battery failed in KL last year, the battery shop was around the corner further ahead. Do offer help to any S-plate car that need help

Edited April 10, 2012 by Good-Carbuyer