Video: Bike crash shows why you should maintain safe distance & strap your helmet on properly!

Motorcycles and scooters operate on two thin strips of rubber (tyres) and are inherently unstable. This is exactly why crash helmets and riding gear are so important. And here is a hard-hitting video to put things in perspective.

As the video shows, a couple of people on a Bajaj Discover are tailing a Tata Sumo and trying to overtake it from the left hand side. The Sumo unexpectedly swerves to the left lane while overtaking another car in front. The biker brakes hard, gets into a skid and falls off. Although the pillion was wearing a helmet, it seems like he hadn’t fastened it properly. The helmet just falls off from the pillion’s head.

There are three major takeaways from this crash.

1. Overtaking from the left is stupid, and this applies both to the biker on the Bajaj Discover and the Tata Sumo driver. However, since this is something that happens too often in India, it’s very important for road users to be ready to face such situations. Always ride/drive defensively. There are too many idiots on indian roads who drive dangerously.
2. Now, this brings us to the sheer utility of ABS, or anti-lock braking system. Had the Bajaj Discover been equipped with ABS, the motorcycle would not have gone into an uncontrollable skid under hard braking. If you have a choice, always buy a motorcycle equipped with ABS. It’s a life-saver.
3. Wearing an improperly fastened helmet is like wearing no helmet at all. It’s crucial for the helmet to remain on the head during a crash as it’s the only major protection that a two wheeler rider/pillion has. Head injuries are the main cause of death and disability in case of two wheeler crashes. While buying a helmet, make sure that it’s at least ISI certified, fits snugly and fastened properly.