Don't Drive In India

[jnorth88]

I think the problem is that they never had a culture of ordered traffic. In Europe, there has been centuries of keeping traffic to one side or the other while on the road. Even the Romans practiced this to a degree, and passed people on the left. This has grown, and been ingrained on society as it developed, eventually being cemented with the rules of the road for driving. I don't think anything of the sort existed in India. The roads were packed for commerce, and people were let to their own freedom. It will be generations before they learn to respect the law. But of course, they can be forgiven. They have been driving for a shorter time than many others in the West. A friend here in Uruguay has been behind the wheel for only eight years. She is a year younger than my mother, who has been driving for fifty-eight years. Big difference in experience.

 

[GinaMax]

It is strange how my town and India have so much in common. The other day some guy was shooting up heroin, and crashed into a light poll. He took out the power for a two mile stretch. Lots of drivers here don't follow the rules either. Honestly, cars are like giant tanks that we go zooming around in. My advice is this, if you are going to drive in India, or anyplace where lots of people break traffic laws, be a strong, confident defensive driver.

 

[Steve Dawson]

India follows the British system. They drive on the left side because that's how the British do their driving. If you're British or from a country that follows a similar driving system (many Asian and European countries drive on the left side too), then there's no problem driving in India as long as you have a GPS tracker and a road map with you.

I can't say I've gound that to be true. I'm English and wouldn't dream of driving in an Indian city, its confusing and chaotic and no-one should really attempt it if they are not used to it. Out in the countryside its a lot better, I have driving in more rural areas when I've had another driver with me, ready to take over in case things get tricky but the cities are crazy. Theres a lot of taxis about and they're fairly cheap so stick to them if you can.

 

[knitmehere]

You've heard 100% correct that it's not a good experience to drive. The streets, people, and even other drivers are a complete mess and it's very easy to get in a rut because of it. By all means, have someone drive you though.

 

[samfad55]

Well i don't plan on driving in India but for someone who comes from Africa i don't think i would be scared with this kind of driving because it's something I'm used to. Anyways i plan on enjoying the tricycle when i get there

 

[OursIsTheFury]

LOL, pretty much all of third world countries do that. Because of the lax rules of the road, and to be honest, the lax law abiding motives of society, it's basically the wild wild west in those parts. Who needs traffic lights when you can just sort it out for yourselves? You needs pedestrian lanes if you can just run really fast before the cars come in your direction? Welcome to the real world!

 

[Destiny]

Oh My God! All the times I've taken a taxi in India, it's been terrifying! I one had a cabbie that ran wvery single red led light! I swear i peed on that back seat!

 

[KAREN MARTIN]

On no, this is one of the countries that you don't have to worry about me driving at, because India's road patterns and driving patterns are completely different from the United States and I wouldn't have the patience and time to learn to handle that driving experience; without coming back home ball headed with gray hairs! Driving in India is a real stressful driving experience that I wouldn't recommend no one to drive not unless you have experience of driving in challenging countries with unusual driving conditions!

 

[ladydaydream]

I completely agree, driving in India is a very scary and dangerous experience! I can't speak for myself, but my significant other describes driving in India is totally chaotic and scary, with near-accidents being very commonplace and even taxi drivers making ridiculous maneuvers and running red lights like crazy. I think it would be best to leave driving to the very minimum that you can!