Train Crushes Bike: A Warning Call to Riders

Although the Indian Railways issue constant safety warnings and do their best to keep people safe, people certainly have no problems ignoring them. They can often be seen crossing the tracks just seconds before a train speeds through. And for one careless biker, that was nearly a disastrous decision.

Seen in a video that has gone viral on the internet, this biker decides to go ahead and try to cross the tracks. He accidentally pops his clutch, and when the clutch lever is released, the bike is not in neutral, causing the bike to jump forward onto the tracks. It is simple carelessness. He manages to get away from the tracks, but his bike isn’t so lucky. As the train speeds by, it catches the motorcycle, and it practically shatters. This sends pieces flying into the air, although the train itself seems unharmed.

Many would say that the biker got off lucky, because the situation could have been a lot worse. He himself was unharmed. The pieces of the bike didn’t seem to strike anyone. And, luckiest of all, the motorcycle’s petrol tank didn’t explode— an event that could have caused a lot more damage and potentially killed someone.

But although he may have been lucky, this event is just another example of the carelessness that is displayed by bikers all around the world. And sometimes, things don’t turn out as well. So bikers need to be more careful, and consider everyone’s safety when riding.

What causes these crashes?

Well, the short answer is carelessness and irresponsibility. A biker decides to not follow the law, or ignore a safety precaution “just this once”, and something goes wrong. The biker ends up endangering people and property, and sometimes causing actual harm or even death.

But sometimes, there can be more behind these actions. Certain behavioral effects that come from driving on familiar roads can be an increased factor in crash risks for experienced drivers. And considering that many accidents occur within five miles of home, there are a lot of bikers driving on familiar roads.

When someone drives on roads a lot, they grow to be familiar with those roads. This familiarity leads them to feel more comfortable, and they may be willing to ignore some safety regulations. They behave differently, don’t pay as much attention, and drive more “comfortably”.

But all of these behavioral effects can then lead to motorcycle crashes. Interestingly enough, young or inexperienced drivers don’t seem to have these problems often— perhaps because they don’t have enough experience to feel comfortable driving, no matter where they are.

So yes, sometimes there are subconscious behavioral effects that can contribute to these types of crashes. But in the end, it always comes down to one thing: carelessness. Even though these behavioral effects may be there, it is the driver’s responsibility to be aware of them and take them into account. And when a driver chooses not to do this, it puts people’s lives at risk, like the biker in India did with the train.