As I drove the
rented scooter from the slope towards the narrow bridge, the speed had
increased without any acceleration. The next moment, before I could realize
anything, I was thrown off mid-air and onto the side of the footpath. I could
not see anything with my right eye and was unaware where my pillion rider was!
Thesis: Safety
is a cheap and effective Insurance Policy. And, just like a friendship is
better realized during your bad times, an Insurance Policy is never missed
until you need it.
It had been over
five years since our best college buddies gathered from different parts of the
country for a memorable trip together. Corporate life had given us rare
opportunities to meetup and after a lot of hurdles, six of us could manage a
getaway to Goa, a well-known beachside destination in India. Little did we know
that this was going to be the darkest trip for all of us. Rented two-wheelers
are the most preferred travel option for tourists in Goa and what’s better than
cruising along a beach road, riding across the sands and enjoying the true
flavor of Goa. Most rented scooters come along with a helmet. But, in Goa it is
not enforced strongly upon tourists, as the government wants to give them a
certain amount of flexibility. I did prefer to wear a helmet but sometimes I
did not use it, as it was pretty hot even in the month of February. The sun
does warm and sweat you up at and wearing a helmet becomes too uncomfortable.
At the dawn of our
second day we were returning from Anjuna Beach in North Goa. On your way from
North Goa to Panaji, which is Goa’s Capital, there is a narrow bridge that
connects you over the backwaters. I was with my pillion rider Neel, who was an
over healthy guy. We fueled up our scooter at a petrol pump and were cruising
at a good pace, while the other two Honda Activa in the group were trailing a
few kilometers behind us. As the bridge approached, I did not have the
slightest doubt about my maneuvering capabilities down a straight road that
opens itself onto a narrow bridge. But, future had something else in store for
us. Just at the start of the bridge, before I could realize anything, the
handle bar was out of my grasp while I was thrown a few feet midair landing at
the side of the footpath. For a moment, everything around me seemed to be pitch
dark and black around. It took a few seconds for me to gather myself when I
realized that I could not see anything with my right eye. It felt wet and warm.
My specs had broken and a piece of the helmet visor seemed to be stuck just
under my right eye. Unable, to judge the situation, I had to pull it out just
to get some comfort from the pricking plastic under my eye. I could hear Neel scream,
but could not see anything. Gradually, being able to look around with my left
eye, I saw him lying in the middle of the road. The sun was not going to rise
any soon and being a State Highway where the incident had occurred, vehicles
were passing by at high speeds. I knew that I had to get him to the side of the
road but then I realized that I could barely move myself as well. I pulled out
my phone and called up my friends who were trailing behind us. It was the
darkest moment of my life that was passing by. The ambulance turned up and the
police came along to investigate if it was a case of hit and run.
I got 14
stitches that morning when the doctors revealed that my right eye had a narrow
escape and my lower eyelid was split into two which had to be healed with
stitches. My pillion rider was in a graver situation with his femur bone
broken. This incident happened 3 years back and even today, I look back and try
to analyze what went wrong. A reflection of my past corrects my path every
single day. Back then, I came to know some startling facts on my visit to the
Police station. The Honda Activa was almost smashed and the helmet I was
wearing had cracked due to the impact. The cops investigating my case let me
know that I was saved by the helmet on that day. When my scooter hit a small rock
below, both me and my pillion rider were thrown off mid-air and landed more
than 15 feet away from the point of impact. I had my head smashed at the side
of the footpath and the impact was so intense that the helmet broke apart. I
was indeed lucky to have the helmet on me that morning else it would have been
my skull. A few more points added up as to why the impact was so intense. The
rented scooters in Goa can speed up to a maximum of 60-70 kmph which is not
enough for such a severe accident. We were two heavy guys along with the
scooter and summed up a good mass. Although, our acceleration was not much, the
road ending at the bridge had more than 15 degree angle of slope. As we were
coming down the slope, the momentum we gained was considerably high enough for
a strong collision, without the aid of an engine. Adding to this, it was dark
around and noticing a small rock at the side of the road was a bit tricky. In
the end, Honda Activa having a low ground clearance had coupled up to create a
bad road accident that impacted us severely.
Summing up the
incident together, I do realize that the helmet was the best insurance policy that
day saving my life, while darkness, the downhill slope and a certain margin of
error that I was prone to had caused this mishap. Having proper riding gear is
an inevitable necessity irrespective of whichever road in the world you are
driving or riding on. Gauging the light, road and surrounding environment with
attention will keep you safer and choosing a vehicle or motorcycle with better
ergonomics will always be beneficial. While, I can never be sorry enough for
the pain and suffering I caused to my friend and pillion rider on that day, I
have also made sure that I learnt a few lessons which will remain with me
throughout. Such mistakes can prove to be too costly and repentance won’t help
after such things have happened. Its better to be safe than sorry.
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