Goa has recently seen a worrying rise in road accidents, including many self-accidents and fatalities. Several involved the Mahindra Thar, prompting demands to ban Thars from the rental sector. While such concerns arise from genuine road safety fears, blaming a single vehicle brand is unfair and unjustified. Most accidents result from how a vehicle is driven, not the vehicle itself.
Every vehicle has distinct handling characteristics, and drivers used only to smaller cars may find larger SUVs harder to manoeuvre. This does not make them unsafe but requires greater understanding and caution. The issue is particularly relevant in Goa, where thousands of tourists hire vehicles annually, often driving models such as the Thar for the first time. Unfamiliar vehicles, roads, narrow village lanes and monsoon conditions can raise accident risks if drivers fail to adjust their driving. Rather than target a specific brand, efforts should focus on responsible driving and motorists’ duty to safeguard their own lives and those of others.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
