Bus caught on tape plunged into a ravine killing 13 people
49 replies, posted
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVIJ8LIXL4w[/media]
[quote]
TAIWAN - Thirteen people died and 10 were injured yesterday when a bus with 23 people onboard traveling to Hsinchu County's Qalang Smangus rolled off a cliff and tumbled over 100 meters.
According to the Hsinchu County Fire Bureau, after the accident at around 3 p.m. some injured passengers were able to climb back onto the road and call 119 for help.
The bureau dispatched 16 fire trucks to retrieve the victims, while the Atayal tribe from Qalang Smangus also came to assist in the rescue efforts.
Reports said that the bus's engine stalled without warning on an uphill section of Hsinchu Route 60, leading the vehicle to slip backwards and off the road.
Police said the bus may have moved closer to the edge of the road and stopped to allow another vehicle to pass when its engine stalled.
One victim said, "I heard the engine turn silent before (the bus) went over and all I could think was 'it's over.'"
According to the Directorate General of Highways under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the passengers were mostly alumni from Tai Shan Elementary School who had come from New Taipei City for a reunion.
Other than one passenger in his or her 30s, the others were all in their 50s or 60s.
Driver Dai Tien-shian survived the accident but suffered foot and head injuries.
Officials said that he was conscious and will take questions from investigators when his condition improves.
The fire bureau said the accident is the worst ever seen in Qalang Smangus.
Most accidents in the area are on a smaller scale and do not result in such a high number of deaths, the bureau added.
The incident is the most serious one seen nationwide since 2006, when a crash in Tainan killed 22 people and injured 24.
After that incident, government bureaus initiated restrictions prohibiting buses from traveling on some roads.
Hsinchu Route 60, however, does not have any restrictions on buses.
Officials from the DGH stated that the trip was organised by the Enjoy Holiday travel agency.
They noted that the driver does not have any violations on his record and the vehicle's registration is valid.[/quote]
[url]http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Relax/Story/A1Story20121210-388762.html[/url]
Imagine being that driver. Scary shit
I might not be a driver myself, so I'm not sure about the viability of this, but would the stall render all brakes aboard the vehicle useless? Surely there was a hand-brake? Or was it simply that by the time it was rolling, it's velocity was too high to be countered within the limited space?
They really need to upgrade these roads, like that mountain road on that top gear episode.
[QUOTE=Badunkadunk;38788809]They really need to upgrade these roads, like that mountain road on that top gear episode.[/QUOTE]
It's pretty much impossible. Think of the amount of work it would take to dig further into the mountain for the entire length of the road.
[QUOTE=Scot;38788824]It's pretty much impossible. Think of the amount of work it would take to dig further into the mountain for the entire length of the road.[/QUOTE]
Better then people dying? Oh wait people don't seem to think like that for some reason
[QUOTE=InsanePyro;38788838]Better then people dying? Oh wait people don't seem to think like that for some reason[/QUOTE]
Even in a more developed country that would be a massive money sink.
[QUOTE=Scot;38788853]Even in a more developed country that would be a massive money sink.[/QUOTE]
How many lives is an upgraded road worth?
[QUOTE=Scot;38788824]It's pretty much impossible. Think of the amount of work it would take to dig further into the mountain for the entire length of the road.[/QUOTE]
People dug an almost 80km long canal across panama in the very early 1900's and you're telling me with todays engineering technology, widening a mountain road by a couple of meters and putting up some railing is "pretty much impossible"?
[QUOTE=ultra_bright;38788864]How many lives is an upgraded road worth?[/QUOTE]
Are you sure you want an answer to that?
Because that is something quantifiable.
[QUOTE=Scot;38788853]Even in a more developed country that would be a massive money sink.[/QUOTE]
what. the fuck.
[QUOTE=InsanePyro;38788838]Better then people dying? Oh wait people don't seem to think like that for some reason[/QUOTE]
If your country has roads like these then the chances are that they can't afford to upgrade their infrastructure.
[editline]11th December 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=chipset;38788868]People dug an almost 80km long canal across panama in the very early 1900's and you're telling me with todays engineering technology, widening a mountain road by a couple of meters and putting up some railing is "pretty much impossible"?[/QUOTE]
Do you want to be on the construction crew using heavy machinery on that tiny road?
[QUOTE=Scot;38788824]It's pretty much impossible. Think of the amount of work it would take to dig further into the mountain for the entire length of the road.[/QUOTE]
My solution was to build outwards but I like yours more.
[QUOTE=Amiga OS;38788762]Hyraulic brakes wouldn't work without an engine to keep the pressure up, but assuming the bus had a handbrake it would have worked. He could have left it in gear too to stop it rolling.[/QUOTE]
I thought that was pneumatic brakes? Pretty much all cars have hydraulic brakes now and they still work with the engine off (albeit it takes a lot more work without the engine assist). Although I'm sure the bus's brakes are quite hard to push without the engine assist so he may not have been able to apply a sufficient amount of pressure on an incline like that.
[QUOTE=Demache;38788954]I thought that was pneumatic brakes? Pretty much all cars have hydraulic brakes now and they still work with the engine off (albeit it takes a lot more work without the engine assist). Although I'm sure the bus's brakes are quite hard to push without the engine assist so he may not have been able to apply a sufficient amount of pressure on an incline like that.[/QUOTE]
I'm pretty sure pneumatic brakes lock if there is no air pressure to prevent something like this from happening, instead requiring pressure to unlock the brakes.
[QUOTE=Apache249;38789080]I'm pretty sure pneumatic brakes lock if there is no air pressure to prevent something like this from happening, instead requiring pressure to unlock the brakes.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, that actually sounds right, based on what I've read about train brakes. Its a good safety measure. Either way, I don't think the driver had no brakes at all, just that he couldn't apply them as quickly and effectively due to the engine stalling.
[QUOTE=Amiga OS;38788762]Hyraulic brakes wouldn't work without an engine to keep the pressure up, but assuming the bus had a handbrake it would have worked. He could have left it in gear too to stop it rolling.[/QUOTE]
Incorrect.
Modern ABS systems are designed to allow you to press the brakes once after the engine power cuts out. Even disregarding that, once pressure is applied, it is maintained until the pedal is released.
You don't even need to widen the [I]entire[/I] road.
widen a spot large enough for several large trucks/busses to pull over into, make sure both ends of this area are visible from either end, and mark it CLEARLY to say the first person to make it to the gap pulls over, STOPS, and lets the other one pass.
Repeat enough to be effective over the length of the path. Cheaper than the whole span, takes less time.
[QUOTE=Scot;38788853]Even in a more developed country that would be a massive money sink.[/QUOTE]
A developed country would just build a new road solution, there's no upgrading a mountain side road which is only wide enough for 1 car effectively
Reminds me of absolutely shitting myself in Yosemite/Sequoia on holiday when I was about 13, passing on the outside. Jeez
urgh, horrible shit. Reminds me of this one.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F9vCpJFdBo[/media]
oh come on why the dumbs? It works just fine in Georgia's mountains.
[QUOTE=Amiga OS;38788762]Hyraulic brakes wouldn't work without an engine to keep the pressure up, but assuming the bus had a handbrake it would have worked. He could have left it in gear too to stop it rolling.[/QUOTE]
That's simply not true, hydraulic brakes work just fine without the motor running, you just have to push much harder as the brake booster is not aiding in the pressure of the brake fluid.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7inNCI48-aM[/media]
On topic of vehicles falling off cliffs...
How does that guy get a phone call right after that. That's fucking magic.
[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;38789797]oh come on why the dumbs? It works just fine in Georgia's mountains.[/QUOTE]
Because in countries like India and shit there's lots of those roads and they're unsafe as fuck even with areas like that.
[editline]11th December 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=BlackPhoenix;38789913][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7inNCI48-aM[/media]
On topic of vehicles falling off cliffs...[/QUOTE]
Well as much as I would like to pity them, that's what happens when you're a fucking retard.
[QUOTE=BlackPhoenix;38789913][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7inNCI48-aM[/media]
On topic of vehicles falling off cliffs...[/QUOTE]
Fucking dipshit went full out on an apex, what did he expect?
Driving in Russia? No thanks.
[QUOTE=rampageturke 2;38789569]A developed country would just build a new road solution, there's no upgrading a mountain side road which is only wide enough for 1 car effectively[/QUOTE]
Taiwan is developed.
[QUOTE=Aetna;38789892]That's simply not true, hydraulic brakes work just fine without the motor running, you just have to push much harder as the brake booster is not aiding in the pressure of the brake fluid.[/QUOTE]
The brakes in the Busses and trucks, that come in where I work, require air to work. As in, they require air-pressure to open. If a trucks engine isn't running we can't move it without putting air-pressure into it first. To tow them they disconnect the drive-line and all the brakes. (They take out the drive-shaft between the diffs at the back and the gearbox.)
[QUOTE=InsanePyro;38788838]Better then people dying? Oh wait people don't seem to think like that for some reason[/QUOTE]
You guys are retarded, something being morally desirable doesn't make it affordable. Not paying for something doesn't automatically mean it's because you're putting money over human lives. It can easily mean you [I]can't fucking pay for it.[/I]
I don't pretend to understand the economic situation of Taiwan and any political barriers it may face, but you guys are clearly far too presumptive and idealistic.
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