Toyota Innova Crysta crash is a reminder why narrow bridges can be so dangerous

The Toyota Innova Crysta MPV is the safest in its segment, with 7 airbags, ESP, traction control and a lot of other safety equipment working to keep the occupants safe and sound. Yet, a car is only safe as its driver wants it to be. And this massive Innova Crysta crash proves just that.

What happened here?

The driver of the Innova Crysta was allegedly doing high speeds on the Bangalore-Yediyur highway before he encountered a bridge, said to be quite narrow. The narrow bridge ahead forced the driver to take evasive action by hard braking.

Since the MPV was at high speed, hard braking resulted in a car going out of control and side swiping a metal pole on the road. The Crysta’s front end shows major damage with the front wheel sheared off but things get worse on the side of the MPV, which shows major deformation due to the impact.

The roof also shows major damage but the car’s cabin remains reasonably intact considering the impact, and passengers may have just walked away without major injuries. Airbags haven’t opened as this was an offset crash. The front door at the left is heavily damaged, and may have been unusable . In such urgent situations, using the windows to get out of the car is an option worth exercising.

Perils of overspeeding on narrow roads

• Overspeeding kills, and on narrow roads, the danger becomes acute. With lesser road to maneuver the car, high speeds can easily cause a car to go out of control, like in the case of the Innova Crysta above.
• Stick to 60-80 Kph on narrow, non-median highways as a slower speed gives you more time to react. Braking distances also decrease at lower speeds while vehicle control is also much better.
• If you don’t know what is ahead, drive cautiously. Unknown roads call for extra caution as a dip here or a speed breaker there can easily cause a car to go out of control. On such roads, staying extra cautions certainly helps.
• Narrow bridges reduce road width significantly, and cause many accidents. Slow down abundantly while approaching a narrow bridge, and drive defensively.

Images courtesy HV Kumar FB Group