Reckless Riding: Biker Rear-Ends Maruti Baleno [Video]

Some of the crashes and close calls that happen on Indian roads are absolutely insane. Recently many of these are caught on camera- either those installed for surveillance or mounted on vehicles. In one such video, we get to see what looks like a modified Yamaha R3, ramming into the rear of a White Maruti Baleno.

The video, likely filmed from another motorcycle, starts by showing the Yamaha R3 being ridden carelessly and aggressively on a road. There are vehicles around. It is seen overtaking another motorcycle through the left. It continues to gain speed. Soon the rider sees the White Baleno in front of him.

In the next few seconds, we see the biker crash into the rear of the hatchback. The impact is sizeable and makes the rider tumble. We see his helmet flying! This clearly shows that the rider hadn't strapped it properly. Helmets can be life savers only if used properly. If they are used without tightening the straps, an impact can displace them and cause them to fall off, making the person's head vulnerable.

The crash sends the motorcycle flying. It appears heavily damaged in the crash. The owner will likely have to shell out a good sum before he can get it back on the roads.

So, what could have caused this crash? Well, many blame it on the rider's skill levels. It is hard to disbelieve, as the video shows him adopting the wrong braking and manoeuvring techniques. He applies the brakes as soon as the Baleno slows down. But the rider seems to lose confidence and shies away from braking hard. The motorcycle fails to stop in time, and finally rear-ends the car.

We also get to see a patch of sand on the road, just as the crash occurs. The rider likely lost confidence in doing a hard braking due to this. Inexperienced or low-skilled riders can completely lose control of the motorcycle on low-traction surfaces like a layer of sand.

High-end motorcycles come with electronic riding aids like ABS, traction control, and ride-by-wire throttle. These help in ensuring safe riding through tricky low-traction surfaces like loose sand. The rider, however, has to trust the machine to remain in control. Poor skill levels and lack of experience can, however, be hurdles in this.

It is unclear as to how the sand ended up on the road. One possible case is that it was the mud that the Baleno's rear bumper had inside, which came out loose after the impact. If this is the case, we'll have questions about why the rider had to crash out. Plus, it seems to be too much for the Baleno's bumpers to carry.

Another possibility is that of a possible bad pothole nearby. Someone might have piled up sand to level it off and what we see here, could have possibly been the leftover. It is common to do so in many parts of the country, as it is seen as a temporary fix till something more solid is implemented.

It wasn't a narrow patch of sand in the video, but quite a chunk instead. It is common for even four-wheeler drivers to slow down when they see large amounts of loose sand on the road. The Baleno driver could have done the same. This sudden action could have led to the biker crashing into his car eventually.