Why I am afraid when driving with a person from India

[Eric Pascarello]

When I drive with with people from India, I feel like I am going to be in 500 accidents in a mile drive. They say they drive this way because of the way they drive back at home. Changing lanes on the highway is like going to a amusement park with bumper cars! Thank goodness for airbags and seatbelts.

Well Google Video showed me proof of why: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2063667852598904740&hl=en

You can tell the video looks to be in 2x speed because of the way people are walking and stuff, but still talk about crazy.

Eric
[ September 08, 2006: Message edited by: Eric Pascarello ]

[Srinivasa Raghavan]

Eric, dont worry it's all a part of life !

[Ashok Mash]

0% safety, 100% efficiency!

[Mani Ram]

Have you ever observed an ant colony closely? If you follow the track of an individual ant in a colony, it will be crazy. Every ant in the colony will have it's own way - they go straight, take U-turns, turn left, turn right. But still, the ant colony as a whole will be moving in a predefined path, with out any problems.


That's what happens in India

[Eric Pascarello]

I was told everyones car needs iron bumpers simce you run into things as a way of saying: "Hey buddy move your ass"

Eric

[Deepak Bala]

hahahahaha !!! trust me thats nothing ! you cant move your butt in India if you dont drive agressively. If you want to define the word confidence ask any guy that drives this...




This is how i travel to work and i love it ! Once the driver who takes me to work held up 150+ vehicles just to take a path that was a short cut, and it was really narrow. He seemed oblivious to all the screams asking him to move along and his aggression got him through in the end. This one man stood against all those people like it were nothing. haha ! He was so confident about where he was going.

Very very rarely will you see an accident. If hollywood is looking for stunt car drivers look no further !

[Madhav Lakkapragada]

Driving with a person from India is as harmful as driving in general. There's nothing to be afraid of.

Now regarding the google video you posted well its about "driving in India". And for that you need to know the rule of the land, right! So here it is (not because it is right or wrong, but from a safety aspect):

The biggest vehicle on the road owns the road. Meaning, the biggest vehicle at any given point of time has the right of way.

Its that simple.

When there is a truck/bus on the road, everything else must yield.
When there is a car on the road, auto (some) / scooters / bikes/ cycles / pedestrians must yield.
When there is a 3-wheeled auto on the road, scooters / bikes/ cycles / pedestrians must yield.
When there is a scooters / bike on the road, cycles / pedestrians must yield.
When there is a cycle on the road, pedestrians must yield.

Now go back and watch the video. Everyone follows the rules. Its that simple.

- m

[Jesus Angeles]

Sooner or later, they will probably adjust to the 'more relax' driving environment in USA.

In some countries, it is like a 'lets see who chickens out first, or who loves his car more' . In some bumper to bumper intersection traffic, 'Whoever gets his car's nose first get the road'. In same situations, it can be an inch game. It is not unusual to see 2 car bodies just 1 cm apart.

[agrah upadhyay]

Its that simple.

When there is a truck/bus on the road, everything else must yield.
When there is a car on the road, auto (some) / scooters / bikes/ cycles / pedestrians must yield.
When there is a 3-wheeled auto on the road, scooters / bikes/ cycles / pedestrians must yield.
When there is a scooters / bike on the road, cycles / pedestrians must yield.
When there is a cycle on the road, pedestrians must yield.

Now go back and watch the video. Everyone follows the rules. Its that simple.

He he nice analysis!Really true....
[ September 09, 2006: Message edited by: agrah upadhyay ]

[Axel Janssen]

Originally posted by John Meyers:

Once the driver who takes me to work held up 150+ vehicles just to take a path that was a short cut, and it was really narrow.

This might be interesting, but its not eficient.

[R K Singh]

Originally posted by Madhav Lakkapragada:
When there is a truck/bus on the road, everything else must yield.
When there is a car on the road, auto (some) / scooters / bikes/ cycles / pedestrians must yield.
When there is a 3-wheeled auto on the road, scooters / bikes/ cycles / pedestrians must yield.
When there is a scooters / bike on the road, cycles / pedestrians must yield.
When there is a cycle on the road, pedestrians must yield.

And other fact is also that if there is an accident then the person who has bigger vehicle is help responsible.

It does not matter whose fault it is?

[Arjunkumar Shastry]

And if see this car with beacon light and VIP cap you must yield and make a way for the car.

[ankur rathi]

Originally posted by Madhav Lakkapragada:
Driving with a person from India is as harmful as driving in general. There's nothing to be afraid of.

Now regarding the google video you posted well its about "driving in India". And for that you need to know the rule of the land, right! So here it is (not because it is right or wrong, but from a safety aspect):

The biggest vehicle on the road owns the road. Meaning, the biggest vehicle at any given point of time has the right of way.

Its that simple.

When there is a truck/bus on the road, everything else must yield.
When there is a car on the road, auto (some) / scooters / bikes/ cycles / pedestrians must yield.
When there is a 3-wheeled auto on the road, scooters / bikes/ cycles / pedestrians must yield.
When there is a scooters / bike on the road, cycles / pedestrians must yield.
When there is a cycle on the road, pedestrians must yield.

Now go back and watch the video. Everyone follows the rules. Its that simple.

- m

I think, this rule is true till the first level, I mean, people just wait (fear) for buses/trucks. After that, no body has any respect for anybody. In fact, two wheelers rule the rode after buses/trucks.

[Amit Batra]

Dont forget the cow. WE All Yield to the Cow!!.
There are just 2 main rules to driving here
1. I have right of way
2. When in doubt refer to rule no.1

[Pradeep bhatt]

Originally posted by Arjunkumar Shastry:
And if see this car with beacon light and VIP cap you must yield and make a way for the car.

Otherwise they will kill you.

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

Out of curiosity: are there any actual laws in India regarding who has the right of way? In the US, these things are spelled out pretty clearly, and in many (if not most) situations, people tend to follow the laws.

[Rambo Prasad]

Out of curiosity: are there any actual laws in India regarding who has the right of way? In the US, these things are spelled out pretty clearly, and in many (if not most) situations, people tend to follow the laws.

There are good number of traffic rules but no one respects the rules ...If you are interested in following the rules then you will be the odd man in the road...
[ September 13, 2006: Message edited by: Rambo Prasad ]

[Deepak Bala]

In India look left, right, and up before crossing a one way street

[ankur rathi]

Originally posted by John Meyers:
In India look left, right, and up before crossing a one way street

[Sumit Chopra]

Originally posted by Amitabha Batranab:
Dont forget the cow. WE All Yield to the Cow!!.

Also sometimes goats, donkeys, buffaloes and dogs too !

[Sripathi Krishnamurthy]

Originally posted by Arjunkumar Shastry:
And if see this car with beacon light and VIP cap you must yield and make a way for the car.

even ambulance?

[Jayesh Lalwani]

Originally posted by Ernest Friedman-Hill:
Out of curiosity: are there any actual laws in India regarding who has the right of way? In the US, these things are spelled out pretty clearly, and in many (if not most) situations, people tend to follow the laws.

The car that is in front has right of way. It doesn't matter if that car iz zigzagging all over the road. The car that is behind has to avoid the car in front

When coming into a intersection, if there are no signals, the traffic with the heaviest flow has right of way.

When you are on an undivided 2 way street, the side that has the heaviest traffic has most of the road

Lastly, every bit of drivable surface is suppossed to be driven on. Distinctions like road, footpath and dividers are meaningless. If your vehicle can go on it, you can drive on it. If someone doesn't want you to drive there, they should put a wall or something

Simple rules:- Go with the flow, don't hit anyone, forgive minor bumps and scrapes

[Vijay Kumar koganti]

Hellooo All,

At the end It would be a Journey Worth to discuss on the Forum. As an Indian I would like to Invite every one on this Forum who doesn't had the chance of experiencing such a Journey(Infact a journey worth discussing) to Mark your Foot-Steps (for a Bon-voyage) , Be proud to be Indian-MRF Tyres(Made for India).Dont forget/ignore that the GreatestBat'sMan SachinTendulkar is the official Sponsor for MRF(He made the highest century's with his MRF bat).

[Suresh Thota]

Looking at the paint of bus, I guess the video must be shot in Hyderabad.

Cheers

[Raghav Sam]

It is a pity that people dont realise the need to obey traffic rules. Something of a deep-rooted problem I guess. It is easier to get a legal driving license by bribing! In fact this is the norm of the day. If you try to be straight forward you will be stumped everywhere.

Public apathy and the lack of will to enforce strict rules are the main causes. I wonder if imposing strict fines as in S'pore will bring the required change. Even then general public should understand the beauty, if things are done in an orderly manner and the necessity to follow laws. :roll:

[Dave Lenton]

Originally posted by Jayesh Lalwani:
Simple rules:- Go with the flow, don't hit anyone, forgive minor bumps and scrapes

How do Indian drivers cope when they go to countries with more strict/safe driving laws/conventions? It must seem very boring!

From the sound of it, I can imagine driving in India to be very very scary... especially if you have a nice car!

[Raghav Sam]

Originally posted by Jayesh Lalwani:
Simple rules:- Go with the flow, don't hit anyone, forgive minor bumps and scrapes

Sometimes it is not so simple! At times even minor bumps can cause rage flare-ups and can cause endless traffic jams.
[ September 15, 2006: Message edited by: Raghav Sam ]

[Arjunkumar Shastry]

I think its difficult for few months but later one should get used to it.I think Govt too is responsible for this mess.With haphazard grwoth everywhere roads are taking atleast 10 times more load than ever.


You can't definitelt drive peacefully on these types of road.You need to be 'brave'

[Jerome Pacleb]

-deleted-

[Chetan Parekh]

Originally posted by Jerome Pacleb:
Traffic here in the Philippines is very much alike India's.
The above rule also applies here.

Because we are colonial brothers

[Pradeep bhatt]

In my village there are no roads.