Driving in Delhi; A Guide.

Driving in Delhi can be quite intimidating. There are a few simple rules to go by to make your experience a little less life-threatening;

1. Watch out for cows.

Cows don't give a shit about traffic rules. Cows go wherever the urge to graze takes them, even if it takes them right in front of your car.

2. Don't trust traffic lights.

They sometimes decide to screw with motorists, and not work. Mostly, it's red for 'stop'.. yellow for 'slow down'.. and no light at all for 'go'. Green lights seem to be more temperamental than the others.

3. Steer clear of tractors/trucks.

Often, they carry cargo like.. sand, or mud, or massive rocks. They have no reliable mechanism for keeping the cargo inside the truck, so if you travel too close behind, you might be rewarded with a boulder on your windshield.

4. Don't overtake from the left.. but beware of those who do.

Always check to your left before changing lanes. You won't expect that unnervingly silent scooter to zoom out of nowhere, but it will.

5. Watch out for autos filled with people.

You might not think this is a real concern.. but it is. Steer clear, because if you don't, you might run into an arm or a leg that's sticking out of one of these over-filled vehicles. Also, these clown-car-esque vehicles tend to be unresponsive to repeated beeping. So if they're drifting slowly towards you, it's probably because someone's rear end is pushed against the wheel, and the driver has little to no control over directionality.


6. Be wary of pedestrians.

Due to the lack of zebra/pedestrian crossings (and motorists' complete inability to actually stop at a zebra crossing), you'll find people darting out to and fro from various hidden avenues to cross the road. Right in front of your car. And sometimes they won't even run the whole way, sometimes they get shaken, and kind of hesitate.. RIGHT IN YOUR PATH. It's extremely unsettling. Keep a foot on the brake at all times.

7. Don't stop at zebra crossings.

You'll regret it. The sea of humanity spilling onto the road will never end, and will probably engulf your car.

I'm fairly new to driving, so this is what I've noticed over a month or so. I will likely come across more heart-attack inducing scenarios, and I will add to this list as and when threats to my well-being on the roads make themselves felt.