Australian biker on a Royal Enfield dies in a fog crash on the Delhi-Agra expressway

Dense fog continues to claim lives in Northern India, which is currently experiencing a severe cold wave. A 26 year-old Australian biker riding a Royal Enfield was the latest victim of a fog-induced multi-vehicle pile up. Mathew Antioredle was hit by a truck, and two other co-riders – Bennet Kowalt and Ian Borg – were injured in the same pile up.

How did it happen?

A speeding Uttar Pradesh (UP) roadways bus hit a truck in dense fog, which in turn hit the bikers. A school bus carrying children also hit the UP roadways bus. The incident happened on the Delhi-Agra expressway, near Dankaur village. The bikers were said to be enroute to Agra.

Passers-by informed the UP police, who swung into action and cordoned off the accident spot. Mr. Antioredle was brought dead into Kailash Hospital in Greater Noida. The co-riders Mr. Kowalt and Borg were brought in injured. Bus driver Dharmendra, conductor Pushpendra and a passenger Rajwati were also injured in the accident.

Farmood Ali Pundir, SHO Dankaur police station, said,

The bus driver lost balance and the vehicle overturned a Royal Enfield Bullet rider Australian national, Mathew. Mathew’s two friends – Bennet Kowalt and Ian Borg – riding another bike were also injured in the accident. 

Fog is a major cause of accidents in India’s northern states, especially in winter – between November and February. Here are a few tips that’ll help you stay out of trouble.

• Avoid going out in the fog if it is not an emergency – Fog can bring down the visibility quickly and can put you in dangerous situations. Low visibility can also hide big pot potholes or other hazards on the road.
• SLOW down. Restricted visibility means you cannot look beyond a certain point. Cutting down the speed will give you enough time to perform any emergency braking manoeuvres if the need arises.
• Daytime is the best time – The effect of fog can multiply during the night time. The visibility further drops down due to the darkness and the light from the headlamp can reflect back to the eyes of the driver.
• While on the move, fog lamps not hazard lamps. Most people turn on their hazard lamps during heavy fog. It is a mistake; the hazard lights are supposed to be used only when the car is a standstill. The hazard lamps confuse other drivers on the road who cannot make out if the car is standstill or moving.
• Use hazard lamps when your vehicle needs to be parked at the side of the road. This is applicable even during accidents. Get out of the car quickly after an accident but make sure you scan your surroundings for oncoming vehicles before doing so. If you have to stay inside the vehicle, keep the seat belts on.
• Follow lane markings. If you can’t avoid driving in foggy conditions, the best way to know the road bends and follow the road is to follow the lane markings. If there are no lane-marking on the road, follow the divider or the edge of the road to figure which side the road is bending.