How to drive in India (2015) • Hacker News Board

Re: How to drive in India (2015)

#11

Post by pretty_dumm_guy » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 4:11 PM UTC

I was recently in India and I noticed something that troubled me. The traffic signals change on opposite ends very quickly without giving the other side some time to adapt.

For e.g, When there is a change from green to red at one end, there must be a time gap in order to make sure all the vehicles have cleared the passage before changing the signal from red to green at the other end. This doesn't seem to be the case. I saw at least three minor accidents happen because of this in a time span of four days while I was in India few weeks ago.

As trivial as it may sound, I think it would help regulate the traffic more if they implement a better traffic signal system which takes this into account.

Re: How to drive in India (2015)

#12

Post by 0xmohit » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 4:32 PM UTC

> Often when you are pulled over they will try to find a reason to give you a ticket ,even when there seems to be no breach of the traffic law.

So true. The policemen know for sure that they'll manage to find _something_ that'll enable them to ask for a bribe. Even if one were to insist on paying the fine in case of a real violation, they'll ensure that they don't end up issuing a ticket and grab money _unofficially_ so that they can pocket it.

> Driving at India is similar like driving all the way with brakes applied. It’s slow, unpredictable and tense.

Driving in India is stressful. But walking on the roads is even more so. You may be walking on a one-way road and suddenly a bike travelling in the wrong direction might run into you. What's worse is that the guy is more likely to be abusive than sorry.

Re: How to drive in India (2015)

#13

Post by 0xmohit » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 4:33 PM UTC

jnty wrote: post #2

I can only assume that the people who predict that self-driving cars are just a few short years away from universal adoption have never visited India!

India had self-driving cars back in 2002.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/2002-hit-and-run-case-s...

Re: How to drive in India (2015)

#14

Post by Krasnol » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 4:36 PM UTC

Coming from an East European country I thought I've seen it all traveling through Europe where even Italy didn't bother me. Where I come from, road traffic is a fight. With hate and madness.

Then I went to Egypt. I've been picked up by a local friend on the Airport at night and I was shocked that once we came upon one of those north/south highways, the first thing he did was to turn off the lights! From then on he used them only to blink at the traffic coming towards us. Which made the whole situation even worse as it was pitch black outside in the desert. But everybody seems to be very chilled about it This day I learned: there is real madness on the roads out there but I'd be happy to witness (and survive it) all. Especially in India and certain other Asian countries where "driving" seems to be a different way of flowing with the rest but also somehow similar to a German Autobahn where you can flow with 200kmh and every small mistake may be the last one you witness.

Re: How to drive in India (2015)

#15

Post by paulvs » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 4:51 PM UTC

A couple more from around the world (esp. Paraguay): 1. To drop a passenger off where there is no street parking, just turn on your hazard lights and stop in the middle of the road. 2. In the seconds before a red light turns green, the cars behind you will honk to get you moving. 3. Be prepared for squeegee men at traffic lights who clean your windscreen for coins even if you say no. 4. Most city parking spots are controlled by guys who "take care" of your car while you're away for notes (really your car would be better off without them, they sometimes scratch your car if you don't pay). 5. Asphalt streets have preference over cobble stone. 6. Speed bumps come in all shapes and sizes (and are not always marked). 7. Drove through a pothole? Hey, you should've been looking where you're going. 8. Pedestrian crossings (zebra crossings) have no real significance.

Re: How to drive in India (2015)

#16

Post by maxxxxx » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:01 PM UTC

Krasnol wrote: post #14

Coming from an East European country I thought I've seen it all traveling through Europe where even Italy didn't bother me. Where I come from, road traffic is a fight. With hate and madness. Then I went to Egypt. I've been picked up by a local friend on the Airport at night and I was shocked that once we came upon one of those north/south highways, the first thing he did was to turn off the lights! From then on he us…

I would never, ever drive in India. I have driven in Cambodia and Laos and there traffic was chaotic but pretty slow and you could get used to it. India is on a whole different level. Chaotic, fast and unpredictable. I wonder what the accident statistics are. When I was there I saw surprisingly few accidents.

Re: How to drive in India (2015)

#17

Post by asteli » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:09 PM UTC

When I was a kid visiting family in Bangalore, a motorcycle hit the rickshaw we were in. The rickshaw driver and motorcyclist stopped right where they were, in a large (4-6 lane?) roundabout, and proceeded to argue with each other for a couple minutes. I still have no idea what they were saying, but the motorcyclist eventually picked up his bike and left in a huff. For his part, the rickshaw driver got back in, kicked a huge dent out of the sheet metal on his rickshaw, and we set off again.

Re: How to drive in India (2015)

#18

Post by npmn2 » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:14 PM UTC

Ok, I learned to drive in Kanpur, infamous for drivers not following anything. Driving around there, you felt alive as you needed to constantly scan the road for potholes, unpredictable vehicles, unannounced speed bumps, running pedestrians, animals and high beam oncoming traffic with no lane separation. Bad Side, driving in other cities has painfully boring and an easy task for me, as you now have lesser variables to worry about.

Re: How to drive in India (2015)

#19

Post by Synaesthesia » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:14 PM UTC

paulvs wrote: post #15

A couple more from around the world (esp. Paraguay): 1. To drop a passenger off where there is no street parking, just turn on your hazard lights and stop in the middle of the road. 2. In the seconds before a red light turns green, the cars behind you will honk to get you moving. 3. Be prepared for squeegee men at traffic lights who clean your windscreen for coins even if you say no. 4. Most city parking spots are co…

>3. Be prepared for squeegee men at traffic lights who clean your windscreen for coins even if you say no. 4. Most city parking spots are controlled by guys who "take care" of your car while you're away

This so much in South Africa.

Re: How to drive in India (2015)

#20

Post by onetimemanytime » Tue, Dec 04, 2018, 5:15 PM UTC

>>How to drive in India

So don't drive, hire someone. The worst thing for a stranger is to have an accident in such places, between the family of the "victim" and the police you'll be royally screwed.