Rajasthan CM’s Toyota Fortuner SUV gets into 5-car crash [Video]

The Toyota Fortuner SUV that the CM of Rajasthan – Ms. Vasundhara Raje – was traveling in, was involved in a five car pile up. The incident took place at a place called Gudha Gorji, when the CM was on her way to Jhunjhunu, to address a public rally. Nobody was injured in the incident that saw three Fortuners, a Swift and a Dzire piling up after one SUV braked suddenly. Here’s the video of the accident.

As the video indicates, many cars of the CM’s convoy pass the spot without incident but a Toyota Fortuner SUV brakes suddenly. This sudden braking causes two other Fortuners to hit the first one. A Swift and a Dzire are also unable to brake in time, going on to pile-up against the Fortuners.

Thankfully in this case, everyone involved got away with minor fender benders. This crash shows why it’s important to maintain enough distance from the car in front. Moreover, even convoys need to limit speeds especially on crowded roads as the one seen in the video. Politician convoys in India are notorious for carrying high speeds.

How much distance to maintain?

Enter the two-second rule. Ideally, at highway speeds, you should be at-least two seconds behind the car in front of you. It’s easy to figure this out. Suppose a car in front passes a electric pole or a tree at say 10:10:10, you should be passing the same pole or tree at 10:10:12, or beyond.

These 2 seconds are vital, and could mean the difference between a car crash, and a safe stop. In case the car in front of you has to brake suddenly, this 2 second cushion will allow you to bring your car to a stop without hitting the car in front. For better safety, you can expand this 2 seconds into 3 seconds or even 4 seconds.

Meanwhile, in difficult driving conditions such as in fog, during rain, or even during the night, it’s better to stretch this safe following distance separation to 5 seconds, or even more depending on the situation.