Intriguing Debates On Road Mishap
By
Nava Thakuria, New Age Islam
2 October
2022
During my college days our teachers used to advise and inspire us, once we become automobile engineers, we should try to replace the piston engine as it’s not fuel efficient. When I left Assam
Engineering
College (under Guwahati University) in 1990 after completing my degree course
in Mechanical branch (with a special paper on Automobile Engineering), the
preaching of our teachers was so fresh to me.
For those,
who have no preliminary technical idea of a piston engine (internal combustion
engine, run by feeding diesel or petrol/gasoline), it converts thermal energy
into mechanical work (or power) which helps moving a vehicle. But these engines
still remain less efficient for a number of reasons like not being capable of
burning the fuel fully, failing to convert the generated heat into mechanical
energy to an optimum level, etc.
Probably I
could have pursued automobile courses so that the initiative for new types of
fossil fuel engine can be enriched. But destiny had a different script for me,
and I had to turn out to be a mere media worker in an Assamese daily with a
marginal salary. Even though I faced interviews for a job (in the engineering
stream), it never happened because of many reasons. But I accepted the newfound
profession with a challenge and continues to keep myself happy and energetic
even after three decades of professional journalism.
What I
could not pursue in post-college days, it is almost done by the new technology.
Slowly we Indians have generated interest in the electricity run vehicles (thus
either replacing the piston engine or making it a second priority). The
electric vehicles (from two-wheelers to four-wheelers) have slowly entered our
garages in a large number.
From the
environmental point of view to regular maintenance, the electric vehicles enjoy
more advantages as it has a simple mechanism of running the wheels with the
help of a motor side-lining the complicated gears aligned with the clutch and
also the power consuming starting-equipment.
In the
technical term, an electric vehicle runs with the energy received from fuel
cells, which need to be recharged regularly. The fuel cells convert the
chemical energy into electrical energy directly (whenever needed). So, these
vehicles do not need the clutch or a gearbox, which drastically minimize the
complication of driving. In another aspect, a fuel cell emits only the
water-vapour making it an environment-friendly device unlike the piston engine
that generates hazardous gases.
Now the
debate gains momentum if a battery run vehicle is more balanced and helps the
driver to control it efficiently as being without the impact of linear motion
of pistons (which is converted into rotational motion by the crankshaft) and
the tendency of the centrifugal force (gyroscopic motion) when on a
sharp-curved road or in an urgent need of changing of the direction of a high
speed vehicle on the road (so that it avoids slipping/skidding).
In a simple
way, the gyroscopic motion can be termed as the ability of a rotating object to
maintain the orientation of its rotation. In case of changes in the axis of
rotation, the object creates rotational momentum. So, when a conventional
four-wheeler running at a high speed takes a turn (left or right), the driver
feels the tendency of slipping of the vehicle due to the gyroscopic moment. The
gyroscopic effect always pushes the vehicle outward and hence a safe speed for
it (read the piston engine run automobile) during a curve is normally notified.
Tragic
death of the former Tata Sons chairman in an accident created ripples in both
mainstream and social media space about the road safety even if a vehicle runs
at a higher speed (but with satisfactory control over it in case of an
emergency). The sad news broke on 4 September where the iconic industrialist
Cyrus Mistry (54) died on his return journey to Mumbai from Udvada (Gujarat).
The accident took place as his Mercedes-Benz SUV hit a divider on
Ahmedabad-Mumbai Highway in Palghar area.
Dr Anahita
Pandole, a gynaecologist by profession, drove the luxury car and couldn't turn
it properly as the highway was narrowing from three-lane to two-lane ahead of
Surya river bridge. The German car manufacturer later claimed that the
ill-fated vehicle was at around 100 kilometre per hour and the driver used the
brake just 5 seconds before the collision.
Dr Pandole
and her husband, both were in front seats wearing seatbelts, survived with
serious injuries. However, Mistry and another passenger in rear seats (both did
not use seat belts) died on the spot. So the issue of mandatory seat belts in
rear seats by the Indian passengers also surfaced along with more safety
features in the high-speed vehicles, all weather road condition, modern traffic
signaling system, a speed data recorder (similar to the black box installed in
an aircraft, which would help to study various parameters in case of a mishap
and address scientifically in newer models), etc.
Union road
transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, who has been pursuing for
increasing the speed limit for vehicles running on both national highways and
expressways (meant for very fast travel), declared that the government would
make the (wearing of) seatbelts mandatory for both the front seaters and rear
(back) seaters in cars. The safety of
all passengers is a priority irrespective of the prices or models of the
vehicles. The automobile companies, which supply vehicles for the Indian roads,
are being ordered to put seatbelts in backseats along with an alarming system
in all new cars. Moreover, by October 2023, the cars must have six airbags to
enhance safety measures for the passengers, added Gadkari.
The current
speed limits of private cars vary from expressways (120 kmph) to national
highways (100 kmph) to other roads (60 kmph). Gadkari argues for an increase of
speed at least by 20 kmph across the country. The developed countries, where
the road qualities are properly maintained, normally approve the vehicular
speed limit up to 120 kmph only. Those countries also set a standard time for
the driver’s rest after a four to five hours journey and maximum nine hours
driving in a day. No such rules exist in India where the professional drivers
are often compelled to work overtime with no specific time for rest. A
significant number of road accidents took place on Indian roads because of the
driver’s fatigue. In some cases, the owners replace professional drivers for
personal thrills during the journey.
India loses
over one hundred thousand people annually to road mishaps and a few millions
have to suffer from the wounds lifelong. Responding to the concern of millions
of automobile users following Mistry’s death, All Assam Engineer’s Association
had recently urged the car owners to check if the inbuilt safety measures like
crash sensors, airbags (both frontal and side), side-curtain bags, anti-lock brakes,
traction control, electronic stability control, lane-keeping assist, forward-collision
warning, brake assist, automatic emergency braking, tire-pressure monitor, etc.
are properly installed in their vehicles.
----
Nava
Thakuria is a northeast India-based professional journalist who is an
engineering graduate
URL: https://newageislam.com/current-affairs/debates-road-mishap-safety/d/128084
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