Two bikers die in Punjab due to negligence

Not being careful on the road can have a tragic aftermath and here is extreme proof. In an incident that happened at Kotkapura, Punjab, two youths lost their lives in a horrible accident. The gruesome episode was captured on CCTV.

What exactly happened?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgmB3BQrbAs

In the video, we can see a parked Maruti 800 on the side of the road.Three young men, who are said to be 12th standard students, approach the parked Maruti 800 on a motorcycle. Suddenly, the driver of the Maruti 800 opens the door. The driver opened the door without checking the rear view mirror, and the motorcycle-borne riders crashed into the door and lost balance.

The riders then hit the wheels of a truck coming from the opposite side. None of them were wearing helmets, and two of them died on the spot while the third person is admitted to the hospital and is said to be in a critical condition. Triple riding a motorcycle and not wearing a helmet is illegal. Also, it is not clear if the youth riding the bike had a legal driving license as the ages of the victims isn’t mentioned.

The road, seen in the video is a narrow city road and a part of the road has been occupied by the shops on the side. The truck driver is also seen coming towards the middle of the road to avoid a cycle-rickshaw puller leaving narrower space for the motorcycle. While all these factors came together to cause the tragic incident, the prima facie reason for the deaths appears to be the careless way in which the car driver open the door of the Maruti 800.

Could this tragedy have been averted?

Of course, Yes! Many car drivers do not check the surrounding while opening the door of the vehicle. Seeing if something is coming from the behind before opening the door is crucial. One way to make sure that you always do that is to adopt and practice the technique called “Dutch Reach”.

Now, what exactly is ‘Dutch Reach’, and how does it save lives?

The Dutch Reach is a safety habit that is taught in the driving schools in Netherlands. The method states that you should always reach for the door handle with the farthest hand while getting out of the car. For example, if you’re sitting on the driver seat and want to get out, use your left hand to pull the door handle instead of right.

Using this technique will automatically ensure that head turns towards the door, with your eyes glancing for moving obstacles coming from behind. This way, you’ll be able to spot if some other vehicle or pedestrian is approaching from the rear. Following this method and making this a habit can save a lot of accidents that are caused due to carelessness.