[Sankar]

Non Stop Entertainment is true, at our own cost sometimes

Few points from my side...

All can drive here, absolutely no discrimination. If they are born here they can drive here. Just need to apply and get the Aadhar oops the DL.

Justice is instantly served by the people to the people. No need to waste time in courts (if one is alive).

Advanced telepathic communication between drivers and cars. We don't need lamps. Telepathy doesn't always work though.

Discounts in traffic fines. If you agree to save the trees.

We don't waste road space. Highly efficient. If there is a will it will squeeze in there.

We are leaders by birth. So we do that enmasse when light turns green sometimes even before.

Our citizens enforce speed limit on multi lane highways. I am doing 80 and that is good for you too, so I am not moving.

We follow a dynamic social status system. If you are a pedestrian you are a have not. If you are on a bike you are a maybe have. If you are in a car you are a have. If you are in an SUV you are a lots of have. If you are in ATGATT you are an alien. If you are in a sports car you are a cartoon (source of entertainment).

One of the best reasons is that you can get away with a lot of circus on Indian roads. And that is also the reason why it is sometimes entertainment and at other times dangerous. You won't be able to do that in a foreign country and get away with it easily.

[ABHI_1512]

Interesting thread this morning and dare I say, driving is love in India despite many obstacles and hinderances. Having driven across many states and landscapes, all I can say is that driving always brings a smile and I am not talking about the daily city commutes !!

Driving in India is challenging for sure and I do agree with SS-Traveller above that returning back hale and hearty after a drive is a monumental achievement in itself

I would like to share an interesting anecdote here which happened in Munnar some year’s back. I met a guy from Israel who was riding an Enfield all the way from New Delhi.

The conversation went off like this :

The stranger: Hello, how are you doing ?

Me: Hello, I am doing good. How do you find our country ?

The stranger: Oh, your country is incredible. I am riding from Delhi and it’s like I am travelling through many countries after every 50-100 kilometres !!

Me: Thinking for a moment.

The stranger: You see, after every 50-100 kilometres, the weather changes, the language of the people changes, the food habits change and the overall demographics change. It’s like travelling through many countries.

Me: Of course, never thought this way ever !!

The stranger: My country Israel only provides me sand and hot weather and here you guys are experiencing different weather and everything different in your country after every 50-100 kilometres.

Lastly, he offered me to change places with him and we heartily laughed over a cup of hot coffee. India is a driving pleasure written all over it. Pleasures of the highways are mentioned above already, so it’s given that I love the experiences of the highways. What we have here in India can only be felt despite many bumps that we get every now and then.

The Dhabas, meandering village roads, the architecture, historical places, snow filled places, lip smacking variety of food, awesome scenery, variety of beaches, challenging terrains, you name it and you will get that in our country. Truly magical I say.

Adding some pictures which we are clicked in India

[mmxylorider]

Originally Posted by GTO

In USA, no matter which freeway you are on, it all looks the same with the same indistinguishable roads + exits + food stops + speed limits. BORING.

Agreed!! But will call out the fact that long drives especially in the south is an experience. I drove from California to Texas crossing Arizona and New Mexico and I can relate to Buzz Aldrin's phrase (re. the moon) - Magnificent Desolation. Miles and Miles of arrow straight freeway with hardly any resident population visible. That I believe cannot be experienced in India.

That said, I do miss
1. The dhabas and food places along the highways.
2. In-expensive repairs from your FNG - you do not have to worry much about the vehicle from that angle - especially for mass market cars
3. Human GPS assist
4. Inherent defensive driving.

[sidharth_j]

Now that I have been driving in Australia for a couple of years now, I never thought i'd say this, but there ARE some days when I do feel that driving was much better in India.

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining about how orderly the traffic is in Australia, or how most people follow the rules and how less stressful it is to drive here, but if I had to put my finger on a few points, then it would be -

1. The lack of speed limit enforcement.

YES. this is a massive plus in India . I don't think I have ever watched the speedo while driving in India as you just need to be in the ballpark of the posted speed limit. In the events that I have been stopped, that was when i was going egregiously fast (like 79 clicks in a 60 zone).
But my goodness, driving in australia means you got one eye on the speedo literally all the time!. You get pinged with massive fines if you are even a little over (like 1km/h over...i'm not kidding)

2. You learn to be a defensive driver

No choice really.. You got to drive like a good christian in India and anticipate stuff that will happen 10 seconds later. This is a real skill. The brake and horn are your friends.
You will miss this defensive driving when you drive in Australia as
a) you forget the skill involved in taking evasive action
b) the first reaction to an unexpected situation is to hit the horn rather than the brakes (see Scott's dashcam videos on youtube and you will see how bad a tangle people get into in sticky situations cos they just don't anticipate)

3. You will stay alert

Well yeah, this is a consequence of point 2. But its rare to ever feel drowsy on long drives in India as there's so much happening and you gotta be alert.

ANY long drive in the freeways of Australia is just mile after mile of soul sapping boredom.....yawn away!!!

4. Cheap insurance, Cheap servicing, Cheap everything!

Just recently renewed my registration in Australia. Here's a break down -

1. Registration fees to the govt. - $377 AUD
2. Compulsory 3rd party insurance - $433 AUD
3. Comprehensive insurance - $1100 AUD

$1910 AUD just for the privilige of putting your car on the roads.
Annual servicing is another $300 give or take

You could buy a good second hand car for such money back in India.

These are some of the things that i think of whenever such points of discussion come up.

....Sid

[abhii176]

I absolutely love driving. PERIOD. And I have enjoyed driving in India for the past 20 years for the many reasons that have already been mentioned in this thread.

The one biggest attraction of driving in India for me is the varied landscapes one encounters on a long highwar drive. From mountains to deserts to valleys to countrysides to villages and farmlands, our amazing country offers us every possible driving condition! And I have to especially mention mountains, because i just absolutely adore mountain drives. Post COVID, I have been living with my parents in Dehradun and have been having a blast with multiple drives through the Himalayas almost every weekend!

[rrsteer]

My reasons why I love driving in India:

1) There is always something happening on the roads. E.g. this huge tractor procession we encountered on a recent road trip.


2) The culinary experience on the road. I'd prefer a dhaba over a restaurant any day, any time.


3) Driving in the rains. The smell, the scenes, its all just so very intoxicating.


4) You get to drive on some really scenic mountain roads.


5) Your driving skills are constantly checked!
(Check out the fake T-bhp sticker in the Alto)


6) And a recent addition for me: staying the night in a dhaba, now that have a bandobast for it.

[aniketi]

Driving in monsoon in India - No match in the world! You just feels like you are in heaven, feeling is just awesome, no words can describe it.

Just take out your car in monsoon and go to nearby places like Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Konkan, Amboli, Lonavala-Khandala or nearby dams like Mulshi, Pavna etc. and have some hot Masala Chai along with Garma-Garam Wada-Pav & Kanda Bhaji, Life set! That feeling is just out of the world.

Just go to Tiger Point - Lonavala in Monsoons. It's heaven on earth Last year I missed it due to Corona, this year it is on top priority in my to do list.

[ostreichwein]

I believe if one loves cars and is enthusiastic about driving them in general, countries, roads, topographies, rules etc all become secondary. Have been driving everyday to work in dense Bombay traffic, and I still look forward to getting in my car every morning (in spite of knowing the chaos that lay ahead), just as much as I look forward to doing a monsoon road trip around the western ghats in Maharashtra, or driving interstate around the west coast of US, or experiencing beautiful countryside landscapes in Sri Lanka while driving a minivan, or cruising through the ever changing topography of New Zealand.
For someone who gets attracted towards cars and roads, driving anywhere in the world is an enjoyable, unique experience each time an engine is cranked. Things around you become mere ancillaries.

[bosem123]

Gosh.. I just so feel like getting into my K10 and embarking on a road trip RIGHT this moment, even though I am working at present!

So many of these situations seem familiar, as if the entire 20 year driving journey comes flashing right in front of my eyes. Yes, it made me realize that I've spent that long a time driving, without once finding a dull moment!

I did see information about those pressure horns that were banned in Delhi many years. Another aspect I used to find funny was to first get irritated due to incessant honking, thinking of it to be truck, turning back to see a car or a scooter instead!

Anyone remember the railway crossing ads on Doordarshan during the 80's and 90's? This post took me back there too.

[Rajeevraj]

Although we complain a lot about our population and crowd and traffic, in reality once you get out of the urban pockets, the roads are much more free, and in the recent years the quality of roads have gone up significantly-Even a lot of the small interior roads are well paved with even proper markings. It is a joy to cruise along these roads.

The other thing I love about driving here is how fast the landscape, the terrain, the type of road all changes within short durations which really makes it a unique experience driving here.

The third thing is that there are generally always 2-3 options to drive between point A and B depending on your needs, and of course , once you post a query here, experienced travelers will tell you option 4,5 and 6 also

[amol4184]

I have felt sleepy and actually taken naps at rest stops, view points in the USA. Not in India for whatever reason.

Recently did a 1700~kms trip in new to me Thar and I don't remember a single time I felt sleepy. We had some really slow but long driving hours in that trip (average 25-30km/h) and yet it was enjoyable.

The area where you are travelling matters a lot. I get bored travelling on Pune-Mumbai e-way. Same while crossing a 70-75km patch to our farm. The highway is super boring but once you turn into interim with fraud they call it as roads, its all fun.

[OldWays]

It’s in the eye of the beholder, I guess. I go through horror, pain, stress, regret, melancholy and a host of other unwanted emotions especially while driving in India.

Nowhere else have I encountered the horrors of motoring as I did in India that I only clock 100-200 Kms a month. I am a happy camper now!!

There are occasions where I use eye blinds and ear plugs just to insulate meself from regressive roads and road users while being driven.

These days I am calm, don’t complain and getting used this new found happiness

[AutoConsultant]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

100% Alertness required
Attachment 2116846

100% agreed

Driving (read Cutting through) in medium city traffic in a small hatch is one of the most underrated driving experiences. Competing with highly skilled auto rickshaw and e-rikshaw drivers should be declared a national sport

I specially enjoy the Gurgaon-Delhi highway : fast moving traffic on a broad road, plenty of overtaking opportunities!

[shashankjain16]

What I love most about driving in India is seeing that everyone gets his/her space on the roads. Seeing a bullock cart or an overloaded tractor crawling slowly on a highway does irritate me at times. I might think that highways built with my tax money are not meant for them, that they should be banned or fined. But then, once I cross them, I forget about it. And I am sure, nobody really thinks of taking strict action against them. Because Indians are the most accommodative people you will ever meet. They will give you space in their own house even if it is inconvenient. They will share their food and help you in every way possible. And this simple fact is reflected every time there is a bullock cart crawling on the road. I will adjust myself but not deny that person his/her space on that highway.

[TSI47]

What a beautiful thread! I was just thinking about a long road trip to kolkata someday and then stumbled upon this thread. Sharing some of my memories