So You Think You're a Good Driver??

So ever since I (Azeem) got here about a week ago I've been fascinated by the way people drive in India. My first experience was taking a cab from the airport to the hotel, it was 6:30 AM so the roads were pretty empty. However the first thing I noticed was that even if there are lanes on the road drivers don't stay in them. This is because they are constantly keeping their options open. The second thing I noticed is that all kinds of vehicles are fair game on all roads. Here is a list of the hierarchy of vehicles/items on the road: monkeys, dogs, goats, pedestrians, bicyclists, rickshaws, food vendor carts, horse or ox drawn carts, farm equipment, construction equipment, scooters, motorcycles, motorized rickshaws, small cars, SUVs and vans, buses, large trucks, and lastly cows. Yes cows trump everything else on the road. You don't have to stop for a pedestrian but you do need to yield for the cow. The cow is revered in the Hindu religion as the provider for all sustenance. It is referred to as "Mata" or "Mother" translated into English.

The rules of the roads were very confusing to me at first. Coming from the US we are used to some of the most structured driving rules in the world. I consider myself a good driver in many respects. But I would never even try driving here. First of all I have no idea how to use a horn! In India the horn is the most useful feature in a car. It is more important than your brakes! The horn is used to convey the following: get out of my way, move off my lane, you're in my lane, I'm in your blind spot(this is the most important), I'm coming through and not stopping for you, and lastly watch out I'm about to hit you! All this seem the same, but actually, how you honk the horn actually conveys certain messages. I'm still learning this part.

As confusing as everything is on the roads here, I have to say, I have yet to see a fender bender or accident, which is amazing once you see this video:

Lastly, two more important things to note, seatbelts are rarely used if at all available in cabs and they drive on the wrong side of the road (like in Great Britain). I am really looking forward to getting into my car, strapping on a seatbelt, and driving on the 405, in my own lane... :)