Holy Shit! Bus ploughs through gridlocked traffic!

[motorbyclist]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k41RLegIPs

Maybe this is why we need so many bus lanes:innocent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k41RLegIPs

[crazyhorse]

What a dick - sure glad I am not on the bus, or in the traffic

[Laava]

Shiiiiiitttttt! The claps of conditions? The guard only needs a second, but get hurt is an influence lifetime!

[Maha]

It seemed to take a while to stop? Buses can normally stop on a dime if they really want to.

[golfmade]

Youtube can be full of fail. It isn't China, it's Taiwan. I know because this happened not too far from where I live. Was all over the news of course. I'll have to ask my wife what the exact reason for the accident was as my Mandarin isn't good enough to fully watch and understand the news here, but as far as I know it was a mechanical error and not the bus drivers fault, but I'll find out and let ya'll know if you're really interested.

[PirateJafa]

Yeah, I'd say that looked like the driver actively tried to avoid plowing into the first vehicle when he jinked left to try to get up along the median barrier.

IMO he hit the brakes and nothing happened, by the look of it. Guess we'll have to wait for golfmade to come back to tell us what the real story was.

[Maha]

Youtube can be full of fail. It isn't China, it's Taiwan. I know because this happened not too far from where I live. Was all over the news of course. I'll have to ask my wife what the exact reason for the accident was as my Mandarin isn't good enough to fully watch and understand the news here, but as far as I know it was a mechanical error and not the bus drivers fault, but I'll find out and let ya'll know if you're really interested.

Was it a Toyota Bus?

[Toaster]

That's one mess of a pile up. Glad no bikers involved, they would not have stood a chance being hit from behind like that.

[musicman]

I'd heard the driver fell asleep actually... but that was just from someone posting this vid on Facebook, so it may not be accurate.

[Mikkel]

Yep, doesn't look intentional. Pretty scary though - really shows how inertia can win a fight too.

Anyway, for intentional carnage have a look at this:
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[Ender EnZed]

Anyway, for intentional carnage have a look at this:

Is that how they're meant to drive?

[Mikkel]

Is that how they're meant to drive?

Well, if Richard Freeman (http://livingstrongandhappy.blogspot.com/2010/01/black-hummer-richard-freeman-cyclist.html) is anything has got it right - then yes.

[Laxi]

Is that how they're meant to drive?

thats how you drive if your a marine driving a 2 tonne humvee and 6 guys armed to the teeth

[Laava]

Yeah, I'd say that looked like the driver actively tried to avoid plowing into the first vehicle when he jinked left to try to get up along the median barrier.

IMO he hit the brakes and nothing happened, by the look of it. Guess we'll have to wait for golfmade to come back to tell us what the real story was.

Sounds like someone is leaning on the horn a fair bit too!

[Big Dave]

Person in black station sedan has act together - accelerates out of it with a dented bumper.

[EJK]

3 camera on board. Coincident? Staged?

[Big Dave]

3 camera on board. Coincident? Staged?

Justified.

[wbks]

thats how you drive if your a marine driving a 2 tonne humvee and 6 guys armed to the teeth
I suspect the high chance of being ambushed or blown up if you drive too slow has more to do with it:blink:

[golfmade]

I'll start by replying to posts then finish with what I could find out so far.


It seemed to take a while to stop? Buses can normally stop on a dime if they really want to.

Taiwan coach buses like this are pretty famous (or infamous) for having crashes. Causes of crashes really do differ but many times it's because the bus hasn't been properly serviced or fixed for a plethora of reasons, the bottom line often being one of those.


Yeah, I'd say that looked like the driver actively tried to avoid plowing into the first vehicle when he jinked left to try to get up along the median barrier.

IMO he hit the brakes and nothing happened, by the look of it. Guess we'll have to wait for golfmade to come back to tell us what the real story was.

I haven't been able to find any news recently about it (as the crashed occurred in October of 2009) however I'll include some links later.


Was it a Toyota Bus?

Hardy har har but no, Mitsubishi.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news_images/20091016/p1b.jpg



That's one mess of a pile up. Glad no bikers involved, they would not have stood a chance being hit from behind like that.

It's only within the last few years that motorcycles have been allowed to drive on the highway/freeways here in Taiwan and even then they need to be bigger than 550CC and also require a special red license plate. That and such bikes are really quite expensive here in Taiwan so you generally don't see too many of them around. I'm always happy when I do see them and do my best to wave*.

*Not meant to turn this into a waving thread.


I'd heard the driver fell asleep actually... but that was just from someone posting this vid on Facebook, so it may not be accurate.

I don't believe this is the case but then again I can't find anything to prove/disprove this.


Person in black station sedan has act together - accelerates out of it with a dented bumper.

Aye, that was the first thing I noticed when this was all over the news after the accident, at least that person was paying attention to their rear. Most Taiwanese drivers are pretty f'ing clueless honestly, they get in their car or on their scooter and it's like they're the only ones on the road.


3 camera on board. Coincident? Staged?

Neither, besides the actual accident this footage is a big problem as it was leaked out onto the internet.

The company (UBUS) has had accidents before and they installed cameras on all their buses. This footage was actually supposed to only be given to the police after the accident and as far as I know only several high up people in the UBUS company would have had access to it. So either one of them leaked it or the police did.


OK that said here are some links I found with more information:
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/local/changhua/2009/10/16/228819/4-killed.htm

http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xitem=70278&CtNode=416

My own guess is that the bus driver wasn't paying attention and tried to break in time but the breaks didn't work.

Typical to Taiwan news it's news one day and nada the next. Granted my Mandarin isn't great but I can't find more up to date information about this.

Oh and as for the English translations in the video, for example the 'clap' should be something like 'hit' or 'crash' and the others while poorly translated yes, I've definitely seen worse English here. And more so I don't fault people here who have a hard time translating things into English, especially considering how many foreigners don't know the first thing about Mandarin.

[Laava]

Shiiiiiitttttt! The claps of conditions? The guard only needs a second, but get hurt is an influence lifetime!

Golfmade you gave me red rep for this comment???? Get a sense of humour you utter tosspot!!:finger:

[freedom-wedge]

What a dick - sure glad I am not on the bus, or in the traffic

One wonders if anyone on that bus shouted fuck what a ride ??? serious stuff though they take a lot of stoppin

[crazyhorse]

One wonders if anyone on that bus shouted fuck what a ride ??? serious stuff though they take a lot of stoppin

ha ha .... well put :rofl: yeah but the driver should have been watching the traffic ahead and surely seen their brake lights. Made a mess of the bus for sure, not to mention those are car drivers.......

[Skyryder]

Why they will not win the war. Just not the right attitude for the locals.


Skyryder

[Big Dave]

I worked in Korea & Taiwan when I was single in the late 70's - when they had air raid drills.
Does Yang Hi-yeng still work in the Dragon Bar at the Taipei Hilton?

[golfmade]

Golfmade you gave me red rep for this comment???? Get a sense of humour you utter tosspot!!:finger:

Yes I did actually, you got a problem with that?

As for calling me a tosspot AND giving me the e-middle finger, no need for that in this thread, you wanna denigrate me then take it to PM or my user page.

Stay classy.

[golfmade]

I worked in Korea & Taiwan when I was single in the late 70's - when they had air raid drills.
Does Yang Hi-yeng still work in the Dragon Bar at the Taipei Hilton?

We still get air raid drills now and then.
Are you actually asking or just being facetious about the Taipei Hilton?