And now in this time of talk and ignore about the importance of road safety, the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway miracle story has revealed itself again and proves that there is hope from a seemingly innocuous seat belt to save your life. Abdul Fazal (84) and his wife were en route to Mysuru to a wedding, when they encountered some unfortunate and serious road accidents at Sangabasavanadoddi – which happens only in a road near the Ramanagara Rural Police station’s limits.
The couple's true story of the 29th has been brought to the media since the couple got well and shared the story to make people be aware of this issue.
The Impact: A Car Flips Four Times
The crash occurred at an exit place near access-controlled highway. KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) bus hit the couple's vehicle with great force and is said to be the cause according to reports. The impact was so heavy the vehicle lost control, flipped three to four times across the asphalt and finally came to a halt atop a highway divider.
Witnesses at the site described the car as being "completely mangled," with many fearing for the occupants' lives. However, as the nearby residents and police rushed to the wreck they found something extraordinary. Both the old driver and his wife were conscious and relatively stable.
Silent Saviors: The Seat Belt
And even with the vehicle rolling violently, the couple stayed locked in place with their seat belts tight. “Our only reason we are alive today is because we wore our seat belts,” Abdul Fazal said when he was discharged from the hospital. Medical personnel who attended to the couple said the centrifugal force of the car flipping, had they not used seat belts, would have likely torn them from the car or fatally hurt their heads against the interior frame.
Rather, they escaped with little more than bruises and wounds. An Increasing Safety Issue on the Expressway. The Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, albeit with reduced travel time, has experienced a series of accidents since it opened.
According to recent data:
- Speeding and Lane Discipline: This is the top cause of deaths on this 117-km stretch.
- The "Safety Flip": The reality is that even though fatalities are on the rise, people who strictly adhere to such basics as using seat belts tend to endure.
A Plea to the Public
Now entirely recovered, Abdul Fazal, or Syed Fazal, has worked to educate other travelers. (All drivers, regardless of age or distance, should never take safety gear for granted, he said.) “People think if you’re going for a quick trip or when you’re in the city limits, a seat belt isn’t necessary.
But you’re on a highway like this, and a bus can come in from nowhere and if you want to get out of a bus and get out of this all at once, it’s the only thing between life and death,” he said. The Ramanagara Rural Police has repeated this appeal, saying, ‘While ATMS is put on the road to catch violations, for individuals it is their personal responsibility to save more lives’.
