Jackknifing Accident along Pan Borneo Highway

This incident happened last weekend during the Christmas Holiday. This incident occured along the Pan Borneo Highway at Bukit Bangunan (uphill section on the way to Kuching). Along the Pan Borneo Highway, Bukit Bangunan section is the steepest uphill and downhill section of the highway where the gradient is about 10 degrees. This section of the highway had registered many accidents involving all types of vehicles.

In this case, the 18 wheelers trailer seemed to be involved in a jackknifing accident. Jackknifing means the folding of an articulated vehicle (such as a truck towing a trailer) such that it resembles the acute angle of folding knife. Refer to the following video as an example of jackknifing accident.

Nasty Truck Jackknife Accident - The best free videos are right here

 I am still puzzled about this particular incident because based on the position of the vehicle, the trailer seemed to be traveling uphill and usually the vehicle is moving at a very low speed due to the steepness of the slope (about 10 degree). Jackknifing accident occurs usually at a very high speed where the momentum of the trailer will push it forward and causes it to spin and faces backward. Luckily, there are no casualties involved in this accident and also luckily that the trailer did not obstruct the major Pan Borneo Highway. If the trailer skidded in the other direction where the trailer obstruct both directions of the highway then the Pan Borneo Highway will be totally cut off and renders impassable to all traffics.

Therefore, the exact cause of this accident was due to speeding while the trailer was traveling downhill. Upon applying the brake, the back of the trailer jackknifing and the trailer kept on traveling in the opposite direction of the traveling lane until it stopped in the drain as shown in the picture above. Can you imagine if there were vehicles traveling uphill at the instances and you can imagine what possibilities that might happen to the oncoming vehicles. That is the reason why heavy vehicles must travel at a maximum of 80 kph speed limit.

In case that the trailer obstructed both traveling lanes, commuters between Kuching and the rest of major town in Sarawak will have to find other road alternatives (may be nearby estate road). Based on my observations, the trailer was left unattended at the particular accident spot for several days may be due to the long weekend where most of cranes or tow trucks are not easily available to help move the trailers from its position.

The Pan Borneo Highway: Road Failure

It was last Monday that we were travelling on the Pan Borneo Highway from Sri Aman to Kuching. It was raining heavily and as can be seen along the road there are sign of road distress at several locations. There were minor instances of visible small landslides along the road and the dirt obviously cutoff some of the roadside drainage system.

The road failure that happened last night (approximately around 8 pm) at KM77 Serian- Sri Aman road causes total cutoff of the Pan Borneo Highway and drivers were diverted to the alternative estate road. The road section subsided for about 3 meters high. Luckily, there were no casualty due to the incidence. The location of the road failure is as shown in the following map (KM77 is somewhere along the Federal Road).


View Larger Map


Obviously, based on the pictures in the news (referring to the pictures available on the local news paper), the road failure was due to poor drainage at the location. Heavy rainfall had caused the section of the road to fail.

Luckily, road users can still travel using an alternative estate road which is about 36 km in length. From Sri Aman to Kuching, use Krait Junction (before Semungkoi) and exit Slabi Junction. The big question mark is whether the alternative estate road can handle heavy lorries. If not, then most of major cities in Sarawak will run out of essential supplies as this road is the main access road throughout Sarawak.

Thus, it is high time already for the Pan Borneo Highway to deserve its due. As a major highway in Sarawak, the road needs to be maintained properly and need to be properly upgraded to the "highway" standard.

Wordless Wednesday: Thanks @ Terima Kasih

Thanks at Kuala Lumpur Sentral, a photo by wanhashim on Flickr.

Wondering How to Make your iPhone's Home Button More Responsive

If you are one of iPhone users, I am pretty sure that you experienced your Home button becoming a little sluggish and a little bit unresponsive over time.  Once I thought that I should change my iPhone or at least I should send my iPhone for service. After following this tips, the issues affecting my iPhone Home button is resolved.

iDownloadBlog shares a very helpful hints and tips to recalibrate your Home button because most of the time the issues are due to software based. Unless you had dropped your iPhone on the floor or in water, this tips will not work for your iPhone.

The following are the steps to recalibrate your iDevice's Home Button

Step 1: Open an application such as "Stocks".

Step 2: Press and hold your power button until "slide to power off" appears and release.

Step 3: Press and hold your Home button until "slide to power off" goes away, and the application "Stocks" are forced to quit.

Then, your iPhones's Home button should be more responsive after the recalibration.

I decided to blog on this useful tips for my own future reference because after applying the recalibration process, my iPhone's Home button becomes more responsive. I think the approach should also work on the iPad and iPod touch. Please let me know if this tip is working for you in the comments below.

This is a feedback I received from a friend where If you are using iOS 5.0.1, this is what you should do, go setting > general > accessibility > assistive touch > on, and then an assistive button will appear on screen ( in form of white full moon ) - then can start using the on-screen button instead of the normal home button. There are several more interesting application under the assistive mode that can give you peace of mind while using your iDevices. This is even recommended if you want to prolong the life of your Home button from physical abused or if your Home button always nonresponsive even after recalibration.

Swimming Pool

Swimming Pool, a photo by wanhashim on Flickr.

I am quite sure that most swimming pool users will not do this (i.e. urinate in the pool). However, as a reminder to everyone especially to youngsters, several reminders are placed around the swimming pool. I am not sure about children whether they have time to read this because they are either not able to read yet or too busy playing in the pool.

Incandescent Light Bulb

It is just a matter of time that the traditional light bulb will be part of history. Majority of countries will start phasing out the use of traditional light bulb and replace it with a more energy efficient alternative. Most countries will start implementing the law to prohibit the usage of the bulbs next year.

In case that you are one of those who love to keep something relics you better keep some of those light bulbs now which might be valuable in the futures.

Natural Lansdcape

This picture shows an interesting geographic information about the locality where the type of soil is mostly sandy and the landscape is hilly and rolling. The soil is heavily eroded due to  natural phenomenon especially due to heavy rainfall. There are only a selected type of plantation able to grow on this type of soil condition. For building purposes, this type of soil provide the strongest foundation ever given that the erosion phenomenon can be properly controlled.

Lotus Cars

The following are a couple of Lotus cars on display at Proton Edar Headquarters. The cars look very impressive and congratulations to Proton for being able to have those kind of cars.