In situations when you’re trying to fight physics and take on the world, you’re likely to meet disappointment. But every once in a while luck favours the brave, and so does the outcome. We look at ten such GREATEST escapes on the road :
Scooter vs Truck
Remember how a car got stuck between two trucks while overtaking one and turning right from the wrong side? Here’s the two-wheeled equivalent of the imbecile. The lady, probably unknown of something called sensibility, tried turning to her right from the middle of the road. But being so close to the truck, it’s a possibility that the truck driver didn’t see her. Thankfully all she lost was her beloved scooter and a couple of heart beats. That’s miraculous if you keep in mind that the truck had already hit her vehicle, and she was just a few milimeters away from being crushed under the front tyre.
Maruti 800 Racer
Said to be from Bangalore, this CCTV footage shows a poor biker waiting for his turn to cross the road when a speeding Maruti 800 jumps into the intersection. What followed was nothing but a devastating end to the bike, a few dents on the car, which fled the scene. But on the bright side, the biker, even without his helmet, was saved. As he saw the car come towards him, he stepped backwards, which was indeed what saved his life.
Ford EcoSport ground clearance test
Ground clearance? You mean (in a heavy voice) how many people can come underneath? Wait, what? In a stray video (said to be from China) on YouTube, a Ford EcoSport driver drives over a kid playing in the middle of the road, without realising that he did so. That’s not all, once the compact — not compact in terms of ground clearance — SUV passed the kid, the guy didn’t stop to look, so unless he wanted to kill the poor chap, he was certainly oblivious to anything and everything happening around him. And while slightly longer than the Indian EcoSport, the Chinese version boasts a ground clearance of 200 mm. And that’s what saved the kid.
Reflexes, bro!
Carrying 26 passengers and driving your bus safely in your lane, what can possibly go wrong? Well, everything. The bus accident from China shows the multiple camera footage on how a car from the opposite lane crashed into a pole in the median. That sent the pole flying into the windscreen of this bus. Quick reflexes from the driver meant the pole didn’t smash anyone into pieces. He tried swerving the bus to the right, but when that didn’t make any difference, he ducked and saved the day. And let’s not forget no one got hurt in what could have a catastrophic crash.
Lambo-power
This one’s from a reputed hotel in Delhi where a poor Gallardo got substantial damage as the valet guy got it all wrong. The V10 engined car picked up speed, before nudging one of the hotel employees, while another had a close escape. The car then hit one of the walls, and hence came to a halt. A fine display of lack of skills and someone’s broken heart (and a Lambo) later, everyone must have thanked God.
Sandwiched?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80YLZDJwhqg
Russian dashcam footage varies from cringeworthy to something that has recorded miracles.Getting sandwiched between two vehicles isn’t what anyone wants to do, and this lady walking on the footpath won’t have, either. While it’s not clear whose fault it was — the van’s or the hatchback’s — but if it wasn’t her quick thinking, she would have found herself in a bad situation.
Drive-in
Unless a store says ‘drive-in’ you are not supposed to drive in, okay? That’s for the car drivers but is there any advice for store-goers? Yes, while moonwalking isn’t an option, walking backwards fast really helps. And that’s what the woman did, who was about to leave the store, but instead of the door found a fool behind the wheel of a Chevrolet trying to enter the store, along with the car. No idea whether the driver’s licence and the Gold membership was revoked.
Nature vs Car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfvmbDOeo70
If there was a fight between nature and luck, more often than not it’s likely to be nature winning it all. This time, mother nature was too kind, and thus didn’t want to ruthlessly crush the car. As can be seen in the footage, amidst heavy rainfall, a mountain collapses, sending stray rocks towards the road. One small piece hits the car first and before you notice, another one — way larger and way more potent to crush anything and everything that comes its way — was ready. Miraculously it’s seen leaning towards the car but gravity pulls it back, and saves the car. As if there was an invisible Superman down there.
Rules of the road…
Remember how elders used to advise you to look at your right and then to your left while crossing a street. Well, it turns out that advice won’t have worked in case of this driver. Poor fellow was crossing the road, when a bus driver apparently realised that rules of the road didn’t apply to him/her. While acting on it, he managed to consume a car, and almost the poor fellow crossing the road. What saved the latter was his ability to regulate his speed on the road.
Woah!
Rally spectators generally sit near the predefined course to watch their favourite drivers move at an astonishing pace, sliding at angles that only God could justify, and playing at the limit, always. The latter sometimes means the limit’s crossed — due to mechanical failure or simply running short of grip — and the same very obedient chariots of theirs can be hurled towards these spectators instead. That’s what happened when the Renault understeered, went airborne, flew above the spectators, and landed, without hurting any of them. Look closely as each one of them makes his/her way out of the situation, but not the last one… Glad no one was hurt. Now someone please tell them to be a little more careful when choosing their vantage points.