[Verkehr]

Tips for driving in India….

Although the process of driving a vehicle can be contemplated to be a logical process, the unique mixture of our chaotic traffic, a blatant disregard of traffic rules, corruption/apathy at various levels, bureaucratic insurance support and distinctive social factors make driving in India, more an “Art-Form” rather than a rational process.

Having driven a car in India for several decades, one can tabulate a list of do’s and don’ts when driving in our environment. At the outset, I must clarify that this is from the perspective of a self-driven private car in a large city environment. So, all the points on this list may not be applicable to everyone. Even so, I thought it would be useful the share some ‘wisdom rules’ of driving Indian-style.

Observing salient points about vehicles around you can predict how comfortable you should be driving in their vicinity.

Psychologists have noted that one can try to forecast how a vehicle (car/truck/two-wheeler) will be driven based upon certain salient criteria which characterise it. To give a simple example, studies have suggested that a red-coloured vehicle is likely to be driven more rashly because it reflects an inherent perspective or aspiration of the driver to own/drive a “sports car”. This is a general prediction, though need not always be true. Exceptions being some cars like the Maruti 800 which used to look aesthetically appealing in that color.

Just as Sherlock Holmes used to amaze Dr Watson by prophesying a host of characteristics of people they met based just upon observation, it is possible to make predictions about how a vehicle within your driving vicinity will behave by observing it critically.

The pain of seeing your car damaged, the paperwork of processing claims and days lost due to non-availability of your car during repair, suggest the “precaution should trump valour” when driving in India.

Watch out!!

Here is a list of vehicles where you take extra precaution when they are your within your driving vicinity, possibly even allowing them to overtake and get away from you.

Obviously, the first on the list would be scooters/motorbikes/auto-rickshaws – the bane of Indian traffic. Absence of any semblance of discipline makes bike drivers a menace wherever they are. There is no way to suggest “following the traffic rules” – so don’t waste your breath or anger on them. That’s the way they are – learn to accept and adapt.

There is a certain sub-set of these “road devils” that you should be particularly cautious of.
Most bike drivers have the following demographics – most are young and are males (which is probably the genesis of the indiscipline and reason why it is difficult to correct).
Broadly, the inverse relation to age is applicable. The younger the driver the greater the chance you should expect some crazy driving around you. Added to that, in cities like Mumbai where helmet-wearing is the traffic rule, if you observe an un-helmeted bike driver, – expect more trouble. In Covid times, the un-helmeted mask-less rider reflects an even more adventurous attitude to life. As they say, teenagers have an inherent perceptive flaw as they consider themselves to be immortal. So, be happy to allow these idiots to pass by.
Delivery bike riders e.g. Swiggy, Zomato, etc. are universally a disaster on the road. There is no corporate oversight, so they are completely not bothered. Steer clear.

On the other hand, the rare instance of a cautious bike rider could be a woman especially if she has children on-board. You can expect some modicum of caution there.

Another observation which can predict a bad rider, is the presence of multiple religious logos and symbols on the vehicle. This rule is also true for cars. In general, any vehicles which have plethora of religious stickers are to be red-flagged. Their occupants seem to believe that they have guaranteed protection by a “higher-authority”.
As an outcome of this world-view, for them …….. good driving be damned.

In Maharashtra, it is necessary that all license plates should be in English. Use of vernacular in license plates is against the law. And yet, you will occasionally come across a car or bike using non-English license plates. Just as the helmet-less driver, these personalities are essentially rebels with a chip on their shoulder. Don’t bother to expect disciplined driving here.

If you observe, a bike rider using a high-quality helmet, properly suited for motorcycle driving using special boots and pads, let your heart beat in a more relaxed manner. You will actually perceive turning indicators being used and lane rules being followed.

Two interesting tips for trying to control the menace of bike-riders who try to push their way as they inter-twine between cars with the risk of damaging your car’s bodywork.

The first is called the “slow-creep technique”. Whenever your car comes to a halt at a long traffic light or during bumper-to-bumper traffic, most car drivers will keep a good distance from the vehicle ahead of you. To prevent bikes from subsequently using this gap as a thoroughfare, once you have come to a halt, you should gradually creep forward to reduce the space between your car and the one ahead. It should be enough to separate the cars and at the same time is should be narrow enough to prevent bikers from using it to make right-angled crossing. Requires some judgement and practice in the beginning, but not so difficult if you do it routinely.

The second is called the “slide-to-the-right technique”. All vehicle owners know that bikers try to use the gap between the right side of your car and the oncoming traffic when cars are halted on both sides or if there is bumper-to-bumper traffic. Bikers will try to squeeze their way forward from the right side. The same principle described above applies.
When coming to a halt at a traffic signal or if your car is crawling forward in bumper-to-bumper traffic, slide your vehicle to the right side to narrow the gap between your car and the road divider or the oncoming traffic. Just gap should be just narrow enough to prevent bikers from using it as a freeway to squeeze forward and possibly scratch your bodywork in the bargain. Even the most idiotic biker will not venture forth. Again, may take some practice at first, but is easy to do in the long run.

Essentially, both the above methods are gentle “denial-of-space” methods to soothingly guide bikers to use the left side. If most car drivers use this method, all bikers would veer to the left side. If they then venture to use the pedestrian pavement on the left side to drive ahead, so be it. Your car is spared!

Another set of vehicles to be vary of is those that are not driven by owners. Anyone driving a self-purchased or self-financed car is going to drive in a completely different fashion. That is why we get bullied by local and interstate bus drivers/tankers/trucks. Their Labour Unions ensure that bad driving will just result in a minor reprimand at worst.
Government and Municipal vehicles have little to lose in case of an accident. In fact, as Tax Payers we are ultimately paying for damages of both participants even if it is caused by their bad driving. Even a private car driven by a personal driver will take more precaution than these guys. Couple of months ago, as a pedestrian, I came across an accident where a C class Merc was rear-ended by a Police vehicle. There was nothing wrong about the private car’s driving in that event.
I felt sorry for him. Really difficult predicament for him.
Who are you going to complain to about bad driving by the Police …….. ‘the Police’ ?

Another useful observation, is to note the condition of the vehicle in your driving perimeter. Some two wheelers are in such bad shape, the entire bike probably costs less than your car’s bumper or head-lamp. Similarly, for cars which looked bashed up and un-attended/un-repaired. These types fall in the category of “nothing-to-lose”. So, any collision, and you are the only loser. Therefore, a General Rule to Thumb …. the worse the condition of the vehicle, the worse the driving standards you can expect.

Another useful observation is to identify how properly a truck is lit to identify itself. In India, every large vehicle is supposed to have large broad highly reflective tapes marking the rear and edges of the super-structure. That’s in theory. Not infrequently, there are large trucks and tankers with no rear lights or reflective tape. That’s why Indians demand high-throw LED lights for their cars. Safer to use high beam headlamps always especially on highways.
On the other hand, trucks with large reflective markings can indicate that the trucking company has actually bothered to follow the rules. Such vehicles often have GPS tracking of their fleet as a corporate policy. You can expect these truckers to be motivated to drive in a proper fashion.

Cars with diplomatic license plates have special immunity. Though most drive carefully, some are particularly rash because of their special protection.
Some years ago, I read a news report of an American Diplomat involved in an accident in the UK resulting in a fatality. She fled to the US and the case has not yet come forth to the British courts as per newspaper reports. Justice can be elusive to victims of diplomatic vehicles. Be careful of this lot.

Similar un-written rule applies to cars belonging to various political parties. These are easily identifiable by innumerable Party posters/symbols. Whereas they get immunity due to our partial system, unlike diplomatic cars, they are often badly driven and are usually large SUVs to make things worse. Let the politician drive ahead and out of sight.

Another situation to take precaution was taught to me by my father ages ago. This applies to a situation when traffic is crawling upward on a steep upward incline. Particularly so, on angled “ghat-road” hilly inclines. If there is bumper-to-bumper traffic, strictly avoid tail-gaiting the vehicle ahead of you. Truly dangerous if it is large overloaded truck or tanker. Due to older generation technology, there is no “Hill-Hold” function. As a result, these hulks can slide backward by several meters while trying to crawl up inclines when there is start-stop traffic. Consequently, they can land on your car’s bonnet. The same applies if there is a car ahead driven by a novice driver. In the absence of “Auto Hill Hold” feature, these cars tend to roll backwards before the driver is able to pull forward. Keep extra space more than normal in such situations.

This is driving tip is only for the innovative driver. In India, the definition of a smooth flat road is a matter of perspective as far as road construction is concerned. Which means these so-called smooth flat roads in cities have multiple huge undulations, craters or pits around all drainage covers and debris from construction lying around. All this is besides our omnipresent pot-holes. Most of these irregularities remain unattended for years if not decades. If you are an expert driver and using the same road regularly, you can memorise all these undulations, cracks, drainage covers, pot-holes and speed-breakers. As a consequence you can veer your car to wind between this novel obstacle course.
Drivers with good memory and advance skills can use this technique to spare their spines. Definitely helps your car’s suspension and makes for a smoother ride. No wonder there is a WhatsApp meme doing the rounds in India. It’s a car sticker that says “I apologise for my driving. I am not drunk. Just avoiding the pot-holes”.

Two additional circumstances demand your special attention.

Firstly, are religious processions. As one of the countries having the highest percentage of followers of a religion in the world, anything to do with religion in India trumps everything else. Notwithstanding the potential of processions to cause traffic to be completely disrupted there is little you can do in such situations. At least in Mumbai, during major festivals like the “Ganesh festival”, the municipality and police generally do a remarkable job every year with advance notices and police presence to control traffic. However, for more spontaneous processions, “The Crowd” rules the road.

Secondly, one must be extra cautious while driving through areas of dense slum dwelling in urban areas or small villages in rural areas. I have often noticed small kids scurrying across unattended in these narrow sections which are often cheek-to-jowl with the edge of the road. This somewhat more cavalier attitude may create a dangerous situation while driving in these locations.

Easy Going

With a long list of vehicles to terrorise your driving experience, let us consider the few exceptions.

Obviously, the first on the list would be a new car. These are easily identifiable by the ribbons, the fresh glossy paint, the license plate series and to Auto-enthusiasts who can identify the new car make and model number. These cars/SUVs are driven with extreme precaution. So, you can zip by these with confidence.

Another situation, wherein a car driver can overpower a titanic truck or bus is when there is an upward incline on the road. You may come across a bus or truck bullying you on a flat stretch of road. Be patient. If there is an upward incline such as a bridge is coming up, it will tame these beasts to crawling tortoises. Diesel/torque/on-board weight cripples these giants on upward drives and your nimble car can swiftly overtake them. Patience pays ….

On Highways

Highway driving is one of the few pleasurable experiences for an enthusiast. Unfortunately, despite scientific evidence of the exponential economic benefits of having high-quality roads, the highways in India are no match to International standards.

Firstly, even on a divided multi-lane highway, don’t make the error of assuming that it means the traffic will flow in a unidirectional fashion. While driving on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway for over a decade, on many an occasion, I have come across all sorts of vehicles – motorbikes, cars, and even fully-laden trucks and tankers driving nonchalantly towards unidirectional traffic on the wrong side of the road.
So, if you see a set of oncoming headlights, make sure which side of the divided highway they are coming from and steer and veer accordingly.

A situation which often arises on our highways is what I have named “The Wall” Nothing to do with the famous song by that name. As we all know, in a multi-lane unidirectional divided highway, the lane on the right side is supposed to be for cars, over-taking and fast traffic. And yet, you will suddenly come across a situation where all three lanes are being used by three sets of heavy vehicles. No amount of honking is going to remedy this. Sit back, brake, drive at snail’s pace, catch up on changing the music or quench your thirst. If you are lucky, the one of the trucks has a lighter load and will overtake the others allowing you to pass.
Watch out for the “The Wall” and chill out till it breaks.

Many highways do not allow two wheelers or pedestrian crossing. These are wishful principles which are often not followed. Unfortunately, there were many accidents due to villagers crossing highways and unable to gauge the speed of oncoming high-speed traffic on highways. Somewhat reduced when the government finally took notice and built pedestrian over-passes. Of course, that does not prevent the four-legged pedestrians like dogs and cows from using the highway. You may be able to get away with bumping of an unfortunate dog, but be beware of “the holy cow”. Ubiquitous on our highway systems. A collision can land you in deep trouble. I believe cows can cost as much as a small car nowadays.

Highways are supposed to be long stretches of smooth rolling roads where you can switch-on “cruise-control” to look around and enjoy the scenery. Indian highways set their own standard for ‘smoothness of roads’. Mostly not. Even on newly built stretches, there are sudden rough patches which can make your high speed vehicle veer. Particularly dangerous are collected pools of water in the rain. Highways are built to poor standards of smoothness/flatness. As a result, they allow patches of water to collect on stretches instead of draining off. Consequently, even when it has stopped raining, during the monsoon, you may suddenly find your car “aqua-planing” and lose direction.

Puzzling Highway sign-boarding is not common in India. For example, you will be lucky if you find a signboard that will warn you in time of an upcoming speed breaker. Yes, India is unique where you will find speed-breakers on certain highways.
Similarly, the authorities seem confused regarding the speed limit on certain stretches of highways. Paradoxically, you will find a Speed-Limit sign stating 80 kmph and another stating 100 kmph just about a km ahead. Most likely, there is a change but some authority forgot to direct the removal of the old signboard. Of course, it is for you to guess which of these is the ‘old’ signboard least you get penalised. Don’t know what will happen to the new ADAS-fitted vehicles which can read signboards and adjust the car speed. They’ll go crazy.

Cruise control is mostly challenging to use in Indian Highway scenarios. However, it does prove very useful if you are driving on known stretches of road where traffic speed-cameras are installed. Set you cruise-control to within the speed limit in that stretch and enjoy the drive without worrying about a speed-ticket. After that section ….. it’s your call.

Road side assistance is a hit-or-miss in the Indian scene. As far as directions are concerned, Google Maps helps a lot, but can lead to errors and misdirection. It’s not fool-proof. If you need to take directions from a passerby or another vehicle, you should use your sixth-sense to judge the veracity of the directions being given to you. People are embarrassed to say “I don’t know”. Try to get directions at a petrol station or a vehicle with local state license plate or Taxi. Out-of-state travellers may not be too knowledgeable.
For breakdowns, you should note down the local emergency contact number mentioned at the Toll Booths (just take a photo with your phone). Other “helpful” persons who turn up suddenly need to be scrutinised before placing confidence.
In general, the precautions from potential ‘assistants’ should be higher in the night.

When stopping on the Highway (only if necessary), ensure that your vehicle is well away from the last lane. In India, it is not uncommon to overtake from the left and use the shoulder of the road as an extra lane to overtake. Unfortunately, stopping on Highways for a break and opening the door on the drivers’ side or even standing there has often lead to disastrous accidents. There is a reason why the ‘Emergency’ reflective sign is provided with a new car. Use it.

An indicator of the primitiveness of our Highway system is the rarity of readily available clean loos. Unfortunately, some toilets at Petrol stations are so unhygienic, that you are safer doing it outside. Whereas, this may not be such a problem for men, it is a challenging situation for women. So, if you have to do it outside, then park as close to the left side of the road, open both the front and rear passenger-side doors in order to create a makeshift three-sided ‘cabin’ between which women can do the needful without being observed. Of course, large trees and bushes are good alternatives if available.

Even if you have a high-tech vehicle which seldom needs coolants and has tube-less tyres, it’s better off knowing how to change your tyres. Always keep a bottle of water (even if it is not for drinking) as you never know when you may need to wash-up due to unfortunate situations on the Highway. Medical kits are an extra boon.

Making Turns

In the city, turning off the main road into a gate on either side presents a unique set of challenges for the Indian road driver. Let us consider each situation one at a time.

Turning Left
Suppose you are on the main road and intend to turn left into a gate to enter a premises. The natural thing to do would be to give your left indicator signal in advance and slide your vehicle towards the left side of the road and then turn in. Not so, for the Indian scenario.
Having given your left indicator, there can be bikers immediately behind you who will try to overtake you from the left. Often they will even turn in towards the gate on your left side and try to bypass you. Therefore, beware! Indicators have limited application when there is a bike rider behind. Fortunately, cars cannot do the same to cut between you and the gate due to limited space.

Cars create a different scenario when you want to turn in on the right.

Turning Right
This technique is called “break the bubble” which is to be used when you are on the main road and want to turn your car on to the opposite side to enter a gate. In case you thought you could slide to the center of the road, switch-on the right indicator and then turn and drive into the gate on your right, then you are correct only if there is no traffic on the opposite side.
If there is a load of traffic on the oncoming side, occasionally a gracious vehicle will stop to allow you to make that right turn. This is more an exception than the rule. Therefore, as you will be blocked from turning right, the technique to follow is called “break the bubble”. Basically, after giving your indicator, you start turning to the right, gradually inching forward as each adamant vehicle tries to prevent you with a “me-first” attitude. Gradually, the entire oncoming traffic turns into a curved arc as you move forward, thus creating a semicircular bubble. Finally, oncoming vehicles don’t have space to cut your path and will allow you to drive into the gate you intend to enter. Success!

Parking

In large cities, when you invite someone for a function, even before you mention the day and time, it is necessary to mention whether parking facility is available or not. Such are the woes for parking in our cities.

An old trick to keep in mind if you park in a large parking facility in a mall or building society is to photograph your vehicle with some nearby signboard. Makes it easy to remember where you parked your car when you want to return to it a sea of vehicles.



The Parking that you won ….. and lost!!

Frequently, the tragic setting due to the scarcity of vehicle parking spots in large cities makes drivers so desperate that they will take all sorts of risks whenever they find a spot.
This may prove more harmful than expected.

To describe a few situations …

Even if you have parked in a Non-Parking zone (oddly the limits of which are never clearly highlighted fully from end-to-end in India) and your vehicle has not been towed, you should beware. You can still be ticketed because the police can click a photo of your car in the No Parking zone and penalise your offence.
Secondly, occasionally you may find a narrow challenging spot and just about squeeze your car in order to park it. Sounds wonderful, but can result lead to scratches as the adjacent neighbouring car’s passenger opens his door in a rough-shod fashion cracking the paintwork of your car.
Thirdly, there is danger of parking in parking spots which have been self-authorised by local thugs. I used to park in a parking area which could be used by any vehicle. Unfortunately, that zone was also used by tourist vehicle drivers. They were “offended” by my use of their “private parking spots”. As a result, every time I used the parking space, I used to find deliberate scratch marks and damage to the bodywork of my car. This, despite this zone being a stones-throw from a Police Station. There are instances of similar problems wherein certain locals use various forms of bullying to ensure they capture parking spots for themselves. Unfortunately, there is little justice to be obtained in such situations. All depends on your resilience for a long hard fight. Alternately, drive away and find another parking zone.
Lastly, beware of that juicy parking spot which is in the vicinity of any building construction activity. More than a decade ago my car was parked some distance away from a tall skyscraper under construction. When I returned to it, I observed that a large “bullet-hole” had punctured my rear wind-screen. Upon further observation, I noticed a large piece of construction material which had pierced right through the windscreen and was inside the car. I photographed the details and sent it with a letter to the On-Site supervisor. Was lucky that they paid for the windscreen repair. However, I think this was a lucky reaction. I doubt others construction companies would have been compliant. Shudder to think what would have happened if that piece had fallen on a bystander’s skull. Keep in mind that even seemingly minor repair works can create large sprays of cement or paint which can blow and cover your car like a canopy and become harrowing to clean.
Moral of these stories is to be prepared to park at spots which may be some distance from the place you want to visit as long as it is safer for your car. It’s healthier for you to walk a little and your car can rest in a more sheltered environment.

Google Maps and Car Music

G-Maps are both a boon and bane. They are an amazing technological revolution making driving in India that much easier. A friend of mine uses it every time he drives anywhere even if he knows details of the route. His logic – it lets you know it advance about all the hot spots of bad traffic ahead and gives a reasonably good estimate of your time to the destination. If you are comfortable with the ETA then, then don’t sweat on the road situation. Advance knowledge of traffic conditions and time of arrival can be a good stress-buster.

On the other hand, a huge flaw in Google Maps is that it cannot indicate the type/condition of road that you will be driving on. For example, when driving back to Mumbai towards its southern end, there are two possible routes after you exit the Freeway – one through one of the most chaotic congested traffic-hell-of-a-street which is shorter, and another which may take 5-10 minutes longer but goes through more sedate sections with traffic lights. Similarly, for stretches out-of-town. Sometimes it makes sense to drive 15-20 minutes more on a flat well made road rather than go through a stretch of very bad road which may be ‘shorter’ as per Google Maps’ algorithm.

In India, it is useful to have the choice. Would you rather drive through highly congested portion of the city or over extremely pot-holed sections or would you prefer to take a little extra driving time to avoid these sections. Google Maps only offers options like shorter drive or with no tolls. It has nothing to indicate about road condition. This fore-knowledge is necessary in the Indian scenario and is as yet unavailable.

Android Auto and Apple Car Play can go a long way to calm your nerves while driving in India. YouTube/Apple Music, Spotify, Gaana, Audible, and a host of similar services should be used. Music, Audiobooks and Podcasts can add flavour to your driving pleasure.
Just a couple of tips in this regard. If you are going for a long drive in sections where network coverage may be poor, it is better to download your favourite music on the phone for uninterrupted stream of music. And a suggestion or warning. Preferably avoid listening to the news. By its inherent nature to whip up emotion, “The News” is used to fire you up with awe, fear and anger. You don’t need that when you are already performing a stressful activity like driving in India.

Let’s break the Rules …

Having driven for decades in India I have come to the conclusion, that there is often no choice but to overtake from the left. Sometimes, on highways, no amount of honking or light-flashing will convince the vehicle in front of you to move into the left lane. On one occasion, when I honked to indicate I wish to overtake the vehicle in front of me, the driver slid his car further to the right side of the right lane and switched on his left indicator to indicate that I can overtake. One wonders how people obtain their driving license!
Overtake from the left if you must and with extra precautions.

I generally dislike using the horn. Unfortunately, there are situations which don’t leave you with an alternative. Most often is to warn daredevil bike riders performing extreme traffic maneuvers such as diagonally crossing from the extreme left to the extreme right lane without an indicator so that they can cross the road divider to the opposite side of the road. All this while assuming that every car will halt for them. A loud honk of annoyance can sometimes drive some caution down their throats. Similarly, you may come across a car riding between two lanes of a highway for miles on end. Honking may be the only way to inform the driver to stick to one lane. Despite the woes of noise-pollution, unfortunately, in India honking is the only way to get some discipline from errant drivers/pedestrians.

On a comical note, in India, a vehicles’ Hazard Lights have extended applications.
A friend of mine was driving his German business associate from Mumbai to Pune on the Expressway. As their car entered a tunnel, all the cars started flashing Hazard Lights. The German was terrified. What happened ? Was there a major accident ? A natural disaster ? A terrorist attack ? Calmly my friend explained …. this is our Indian style of driving in tunnels. International traffic language be damned. The German had a hearty laugh.
Another application of hazard lights in cities is that it allows you to double park on city streets. That’s what all drivers do when the “Saheb or Memsahib” has popped into a nearby store for some quick shopping.

Artificial Intelligence

Anyone reading the above will realise that AI driven autonomous driving has a long long way to go before it is even considered an option for driving in India.
Which is wonderful news for all car enthusiasts who prefer to drive themselves!

Conclusion

I have highlighted a few observations from my experiences of driving over several decades in India. Hopefully, the information will be useful for some. Others can have a laugh. The text should be taken with a spoonful of humour as I have tried to present it in a tongue-in-cheek style.
As mentioned earlier, these tips are limited to self-driven self-owned cars in a big city. I am sure there are many more pearls of wisdom from other drivers based upon their driving conditions in other parts of the country. I have not commented about other challenges to driving in India such as road rage, what to do if there is an accident or driving in rural/off-road areas.
Driving should not be mentally stressful or challenging. Road accidents – minor and major should be infrequent. Despite a long catalog of taxes, tragically, the hierarchy of authorities controlling our roads and their usage seem unwilling, unable or uncaring to woes of driving in India. Internecine political warfare concentrates on small things of no consequence whereas fundamentals like good roads and traffic conditions which can actually raise the GDP of the country are poorly managed. As a consequence, the road and traffic environment in India is euphemistically described as “Organised Chaos”.
Hope the above tips helps you to keep calm and drive safe.

.

[gkveda]

The only tips I follow to drive in India is, don't follow any tips. No, I am not joking here. I firmly believe that Driving is not an activity with some 20 steps and follow all the steps suggested in an instruction manual with some tips and you become an expert.

It is a continuous learning experience that we keep imbibing with every inch of forward/reverse movement of the car. There are examples where international expert drivers who have driven lakhs of kilometres and still have met their end through accidents. There are novice drivers who have less than 100 kms experience but still have made their journey successful on the same route where experts have died.

So, the point is, if we are careful, consciously drive with anticipation of risks, we can be successful (again, success is confined only to that instance of drive). Else, we have all possible ways to fail. (Failure is also confined to that instance of driving)

[achyutaghosh]

Hard to follow tips in India. The situation is so dynamic. I have one rule- while I am driving I continuously imagine every scenario that can possibly unfold. Like the bike in front suddenly stopping, or the truck coming opposite me swerving in, or the odd cyclist cutting in, or the cow deciding to take on the car, etc. Everything that can possibly happen, I try to imagine, and while I may not cover all that could happen, most of it gets covered I guess

I also admit that this kind of possible scenario imagining leads to stress, but it also keeps me hyper-attentive on the road, which is what you need in India.

[jigar1791@gmail]

Excellent rule-book to drive in India, friend

This post should go to RTOs and Learning Schools as an SOP for all those who're about to start driving OR as a refresher course for folks like us who have been driving ever since !

Truth be told, India is a land full of surprises. No amount of text-book learning will help us navigate life on the roads on a daily basis.

While a lot of your points do relate to situational experiences encountered by many of us when we are on the roads, sadly, every situation is a different experience altogether.

It's nice to be aware of the tips mentioned here in this forum, reality is - you may see yourself improvising a lot more everytime you face a situation on-road.

And that's the only learning we'll have, especially on our roads. Every single day will bring a different experience, every situation though similar, will ask you to adapt to a new course of action to tackle it. And that's how you'd gather experience as time passes by and as and when you'll drive more and more!

Closing thoughts - nice OP to begin with

Regards,
Jigar Shah

[Crow]

Lots of great tips here, particularly the ones about vehicles to avoid and the folly of blindly trusting Google Maps especially in Mumbai.

I disagree with the part about denying bikers space to move forward. I deliberately leave spaces around my car so that bikers can pass without scratching it. It’s totally fine by me. If someone is in a hurry, let them go, why waste energy trying to stop them. It makes absolutely no difference to my ETA so why bother?

[raksrules]

This thread has come at the right moment. I had my first driving lesson today with the trainer. I have driven for 5 years in US but when I drove today in the trainer's car, I realized that was all waste. I literally was sweating while driving and found it difficult to manage the ABCs (Accelerator, Brake and Clutch) together. Good thing I am buying AMT / Automatic.

The situation unfolding on roads is so dynamic. I completely forgot to pay attention to my left side where bike and active drivers keep zooming and I have to avoid hitting them. Getting left side judgement was very difficult on first day.

Wish me luck as I embark on the most difficult journey of my life for next 20 days to get training in driving on Indian roads.

[GTsunny]

Originally Posted by raksrules

This thread has come at the right moment.

Please be patient and relaxed, drive slow and steady, do not mind too much with people cutting and / or honking in Mumbai and every place else, if they are in a hurry then, let them pass.

You do not want to reach quickly, you’d rather reach a bit more relaxed and, a bit less stressed out.

Enjoy your road trips with that automatic and some good music and company

[raksrules]

Originally Posted by GTsunny

Please be patient and relaxed, drive slow and steady, do not mind too much with people cutting and / or honking in Mumbai and every place else, if they are in a hurry then, let them pass.

You do not want to reach quickly, you’d rather reach a bit more relaxed and, a bit less stressed out.

Enjoy your road trips with that automatic and some good music and company

Yes, the trainer told me same thing. "Ghai nahi hai apne ko". He told me to drive using only clutch and brakes for now and not focus much on accelerator. RPM should not go above 2000. I will try to be more relaxed from tomorrow. But I was really terrified today and worst part is 2 wheelers who cut from left side.

One thing I didn't like with my trainer was that he would tell me at last moment when we are going turn. I will be telling him from tomorrow to tell me well in advance which side we are turning as that helps me prepare mentally. If I am using my own car in future, I will know where I am going and what I am going to do so need to know the same here.

Today I did regular driving, reverse little bit, several U turns, only one involving full U, all others were the ones where we first turn 3/4th U and then reverse and then again go ahead. Even in a super small alley type road.

Whenever I had to give signal, I was turning on wipers. This was because I have driven left hand drive cars in US where the turn signals are on left side so my mind subconsciously would go there.

Anyways, it is a new experience for me.

[Learner]

Very informative post. One point from my side:

Do not get stuck to the left of a truck or bus in a bumper to bumper traffic. The drivers of these vehicles may not be able to see you while changing the lane and they do change it quite often in these conditions. The worst part: once you find yourself in that situation, you cannot do anything in most cases. When you see that a crawling truck/bus is about to side swipe your car, no amount of honking or shouting will get their attention as almost every vehicle in the vicinity will be honking.

Suffered once. Was quite lucky the second time as my co-passenger exited the car at the right time and stood ahead of the truck to get the attention of its driver.

[adisan]

The one thing which I rigorously follow on the roads, whether walking, riding or driving: do not change lanes without making sure it is safe, even when there is an obstacle or vehicle or bad road in your path. Other vehicles seldom anticipate or consider what your next move might be. At times they leave only inches when passing you; even a minor tilt of the wheel could result in a collision. Even on the highway, a vehicle which appeared far behind in the RVM could pick up speed rapidly, and be very near just when you are about to overtake the vehicle ahead of you.

On the other hand, expect that pedestrians and other vehicles will randomly change their lanes, again without paying attention to other vehicles.

[pd1108]

I often suggest to my wife to take the homoeopathic medicine Passiflora if she plans to drive in the city on multiple errands. Passiflora helps in keeping the nerves calm

[TechSavvy]

Driving in India requires few sets of subconscious vision at any instant
1. Immediate after bonnet for potholes
2. Car ahead of you doing
3. Then far ahead vision which could result in hard breaking of cars ahead you
4. Side view mirrors for motorists or cyclists overtaking

Then just work on your reaction time and breaking rules
Then screw up few times (close calls)
Then you’re fit for driving in India.

You can’t say in India “It was his fault”, you have to learn to take steps ,either moving or stationary, your car doesn’t get hit.
Then prepare yourself for when you do everything right someone is still going to hit you.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by gkveda

The only tips I follow to drive in India is, don't follow any tips

Well put

No amount of tips will help because Indian roads are like living our life, no two days are the same & what worked in one scenario may or may not work the same for an identical scenario another time; because everything here is situational!!

Originally Posted by gkveda

if we are careful, consciously drive with anticipation of risks, we can be successful

And I too believe in what you say - think negative act positive; means, keep the anticipation for all possible worst cases and ride/drive extra cautiously with a determination of reaching the destination safe.

[saurabh2711]

Brilliantly articulated - (Satire if I may say) & almost all scenario fits our driving culture.

Few Serious pointers:

1: Install a DASHCAM (FRONT & REAR BOTH - if possible). This is not a luxury anymore, however has become a necessity, for your own safety.
2: If there are animals on road go via their backside. Its easy for them to move forward then move back.
3: Though I agree & disagree to the world class highways part - I want to add: that you can expect any vehicle on any road (specially highways with very few median/intersections) coming from wrong side & that too on any lane - Extreme left, extreme right. Very very very dangerous practice - on few highways that are trying to be world class. --NOM--


Few Cents from my tent:
1: If it was not mandatory - Most of the owners would have opted out of "indicators, rear lights (entire set)". Hence - these are rarely used or found functional on most of the vehicles. So expect a vehicle in front of you to do any random act of "Inertia/Gravity defying stunt" in front of you. Summary - Only light active in majority of cars is headlight that too out of focus.
2: If somebody rear ended you - its your fault : as you breaked suddenly without sending the rear vehicles a proper invitation to brake as well.
3: Get your eyes checked regularly & keep the report card handy with you all the time. As no matter how careful driver you are - someone (at least once a day) will ask you (even when she/he is at complete fault) - "Andha hai kya...***** " (with few additional adjectives) - Which translates : Are you blind?? You can show it to them that you are not.
4: Drive with an assumption - Everyone on the road has kissed their family GoodBye & is on a Suicide mission. Hence it is your moral responsibility to ensure that they reach home & don't succeed in their mission. (have written it on another thread as well).

Its basically a chain reaction - No matter how careful other drivers may be, one wrong move leads to series of event. Be extra careful with all vehicles that are driving around you. Exactly what Mr. GKVeda has said

5: Do visit "Accidents in India" & "Bad Drivers on Road" thread regularly to enhance your Analytical capabilities - on what all can go wrong on Indian roads. So that one can be extra vigilant. Subscribe to these - if you have not already.

[Dibyendu Bose]

Thank you for engaging on this topic.

One comment on your first part. Want to add to the list of people you need to be careful about are drivers of State government owned buses. At least in Kolkata, my experience is that they drive pretty recklessly with impunity. Probably they are not exposed to the consequences of any wrong action as any other bus driver will be exposed to. That’s my experience.

A few more suggestions:

A) Drive at the speed at which others are driving to avoid others overtaking you. The more the overtaking the more is the probability of someone brushing your car. The differential increases, as you may be trying to be too careful because your car is a personal vehicle and an expensive one, whereas others are not, but this irony plays up the risk

B) Generally, unless absolutely necessary, avoid driving after dark on highways. The risks substantially increases, especially if you are driving on unknown roads. The visibility substantially decreases and with evening smog the risk is much higher.