Thankfully, there was no vehicle behind the motorcyclist else the outcome would’ve been very different.
BHPian Funny recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
This unfortunate incident happened a few weeks back. The biker put the indicator and immediately turned right without checking for any vehicle behind which could’ve been avoided if he had mirrors on his bike or if he had checked properly before switching lanes. I was also at fault for not honking since I was not anticipating this situation.
I was focusing on the scooter guy ahead and I could’ve avoided this collision if I had slowed down completely or maintained speed but I had to slow down slightly at the last moment since he abruptly braked without any apparent reason without indicating while merging with the main road. This coupled with the thick A-pillars of the EcoSport prevented me from noticing the biker’s lane change intention. The biker’s handle hit the rear left portion of the car which resulted in a minor scratch along the rear door edge and rear fender.
Thankfully there was no vehicle behind the biker else the outcome would’ve been very different. As you can see from the rear cam footage, there were a few cops around who rushed to his rescue while I parked my car. The biker sat on the footpath while I grabbed a water bottle for him from my car. The biker got verbally aggressive (adrenaline rush) with me claiming that I ran into him which wasn’t true since I had almost crossed him when he collided with my car, the cops diffused the situation and accompanied us to a nearby hospital where I got him treated for his injuries, he got a minor shoulder fracture sadly.
The cops present were very supportive and understood the situation before blaming any party. I had also shown the dashcam footage to the senior cop post which he assured me that it was going to be okay and he would press for an amicable resolution between both the parties which he did and I am grateful to him for that because in such scenarios the car guy is always at fault and if there is no one to support you then you will be in a soup. No charges were filed by either party. Although I was not happy about the damage to my car, I was really glad that nothing major happened.
The other lesson I learned that day was related to post-accident handling of the situation. If one needs medical attention then it’s best to find a small clinic nearby and avoid big commercial Hospitals.
This being my first time, I didn’t think much while we went to a big Hospital at a walkable distance. The experience at the Hospital’s Emergency Room was below par. They made me run to the pharmacy and invoicing counter multiple times which took up a lot of time and resulted in delayed attention to the injured. And let’s not even get to the amount I was charged at the Hospital. The Hospital didn’t care about the emergency situation, they lacked any sense of urgency and were only focused on creating a huge unnecessary bill. Let’s just say I was billed for 3 different doctor consultations (1 of which got waived off after my confrontation) which supposedly happened within a span of 15 mins while I was busy clearing some other invoice at their reception.
Here’s what BHPian krishnakumar had to say about the matter:
I’ll make it a practice to comment and congratulate folks who use dashcams. Thank you for getting one and yet again, another example of how dashcams can save you from a ton of hassles!
I applaud you for stopping and taking the guy to the hospital. Not many would have done that and yes, consider yourself extremely lucky. Another vehicle from behind could’ve turned this thing bad very quickly. As a mental note, if you see bikers without rear-view mirrors splitting the lanes, try to stay behind, honk as much as possible and then overtake. It is pathetic, but that’s the reality.
Here’s what BHPian poised2drive had to say about the matter:
Whoa.. lucky escape for both of you. Glad that nothing untoward happened.
That biker, like a typical Indian biker, was ignorant of the fact that there could be other vehicles on the road and cannot change the lanes like he jaywalks into his bathroom.
Thank the dashcams that served as your guardian angels!
Without them, I am afraid it could have been worse.
And my thumb rule, though it might stand against the spirit of this forum- Honk when you see a bike in front; honk more if the bike is adjacent as my instinct always tells me he will veer into my path. Honk till the biker acknowledges your presence.
This may seem irksome, but I am just fearful of the crazy antics of the bikers!
Here’s what BHPian Roy.S had to say about the matter:
You did the right thing and this is no mean feat given the circumstances. This is a quality very few have. It’s easy to lose your humanity under stress.
Also encouraging to know that the police were fair and professional.
A dashcam is probably the most important accessory you can have in your car.
Keyword: Biker changes lanes without looking & collides with my Ford EcoSport