Accidents Happen: Are They Inevitable or Lessons in Disguise?
I've had my share of close calls—in life, on bikes, in training, and at work. All of them taught me something vital each time. Thought of penning down some of them..
Thailand Motorbike Crash: A High-Speed Wake-Up
Picture this: I'm cruising through Thailand on a benign double-S curve at 70-90 kmph. Eyes drift from the exit (classic target fixation fail), trail braking lags, and maybe gravel sneaks in. In a blur, I'm airborne—knowing a crash is imminent. No GoPro rolling, so no replay, but the lesson stuck and deeply embedded into me.
Was it avoidable? Absolutely. I knew the basics, yet they vanished like Karna forgetting his skills in the heat of battle. Still, not all was lost. I analysed the Things Gone Wrong (TGWs) and Things Gone Right (TGRs).
Full safety gear saved the day. My trousers shredded, but C3-level pads absorbed the impact. Gloves, jacket shoulders, and elbows held strong—no major damage.
Training kicked in mid-fall. I curled into a foetal position, minimizing exposure. No outstretched arms grabbing at nothing (which could've dislocated a shoulder).
Result? Just a metacarpal fracture and dislocation on my right hand. Wearing appropriate safety gear and all those trainings and prep turned disaster into a minor setback.
Dirt Track Training Tumble: Learning Through the Fall
Watch a short video about this
Fast-forward to Bigrock dirtpark to learn off-roading basics. After drills, my rear wheel hits loose mud. Rookie move: I grab the brakes. Down I go, bike pinning my leg. A teammate lifts it off; I check joints—ankle, toes, all good. Back on the bike, I finish the course and hit real trails.
Evening reveals the toll: concussion bruising on my ankle, right where veins were harvested for my CABG heart surgery years ago. Clots needed careful handling.
Were these avoidable? Partly yes! But, falls build skills and teaches lessons, my riding shoes failed under the bike's weight. Lesson learned: I upgraded to proper boots. Failure fuels progress.
Factory Mishap in Coimbatore: Turning Error into Education
As Executive Director of a company manufacturing wind turbine gearboxes, I demanded direct safety reports - no hierarchy. One afternoon, I get a call: machine accident in castings machining area. No injuries, just a tool holder smashing a block because someone flipped the switch without checks.
I head down, assess the pricey damage, and insist on speaking to the operator. The team squirms—supervisors to General Manager, all shielding him. He arrives nervous. In gentle Coimbatore-style Tamil (Maryaadeyaan Tamizh), I check: "Anyone hurt?" No. "Good. Now, was this avoidable?" He nods, hesitantly explains the slip.
"Punishment time," I say. He trembles, expecting the axe. Instead, I say: "Team up with your supervisors. Prepare a presentation on what went wrong and how to fix it. Share it with the department. That's your punishment."
He breaks down in relief. "We all err," I tell him. "Learn, share, prevent repeats. Glad you're safe."
That evening, the GM thanks me—the guy was stellar, and they all feared harshness from me. I share an analogy:
Imagine as a kid, you tumble from a mango tree, bruised. You run to Mom expecting hugs. Instead, she smacks you: "Who told you to monkey around? Study!" Hurt triples: physical, from the hit, and emotional—no sympathy. Next fall? You hide it and don't disclose to your mom.
Same at work: Punish reporting, and accidents go underground. We left satisfied—right call made by us.
Big takeaway: Face mistakes, Don't bury them
Accidents aren't fate; they're feedback. Don't play ostrich—analyse TGWs and TGRs, gear up, train hard, and foster open cultures. Share stories so that others sidestep the same pitfalls.
What about you? Got a "near-miss" tale from the road, track, on the shop floor or life in general? Drop it in the comments—let's learn together.
Uncanny! Even I was thinking about the near misses I had! It was just a couple of days ago. May be a Nidhiramblers?
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