Driving in India: It has been said that many an Atheist has gone to India.   After having driven on the roads there, he has returned as a believer of God.   Which country, then, has a more powerful spiritual presence??!!

We are again reminded of what INDIA stands for, as my friend Jorge says:  If Needed, Divinity Is Available.  I wonder how often he was on the Indian roads!!

Many of the places we will be visiting, as called in the local parlance, are in the "interior" of the country, which means that there are no air or even train services, with the only access being by road. Consequently, we will be on the road for extensive periods of time, and you will experience Indian traffic which has its own unique attributes.

Within the seemingly chaotic system, there are few accidents, due to an assimilation of self survival, slow speed (due to the pot holes and agricultural traffic on the road), extra defensive driving by the smaller vehicle (who will be hurt more than the bigger vehicle) and also extra defensive driving by the more expensive vehicle (who will have to pay the driver of the less expensive vehicle irrespective of whose fault it was).

All in all, a relatively safe, but unique and an unforgettable experience.

The frequency of traffic collisions in India is amongst the highest in the world. A National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report revealed that every year, more than 135,000 traffic collision-related deaths occur in India.

Multiple vehicle collision occurred on a busy road crossing at office time in Kolkata.

Extent of traffic accidents:-

In New Delhi , the capital of India, the frequency of traffic collisions is 40 times higher than the rate in London, the capital of the United Kingdom.

Traffic collision-related deaths increased from 13 per hour in 2008 to 14 per hour in 2009. More than 40 per cent of these casualties are associated with motorcycles and trucks. The most accident-prone time on Indian roads is during the peak hour at afternoon and evening.

According to road traffic safety experts, the actual number of casualties may be higher than what is documented, as many traffic accidents go unreported. Moreover, victims who die some time after the accident, a span of time which may vary from a few hours to several days, are not counted as car accident victims.

Contributing factors:-

The "Global Status Report on Road Safety" published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) identified the major causes of traffic collisions as driving over the speed limit , driving under the influence , and not using helmets and seat belts. The report noted users of motorcycles and motor-powered 3-wheelers constitute the second largest group of traffic collision deaths.

Economic cost:-

The Planning Commission in its 2001–2003 research estimated that traffic collision resulted in an annual monetary loss of $10 billion (INR 550 billion) during the years 1999–2000. In 2012, the International Road Federation (IRF) estimated that traffic collision results in an annual monetary loss of $20 billion (INR 1 trillion (short scale)) in India. This figure includes expenses associated with the accident victim, property damage and administration expenses.

Measures to reduce traffic pollution:-

The Campaign Against Drunken Driving (CADD) is an organization founded by Prince Singhal which is campaigning against driving under the influence. But this campaign has been ineffective. The IRF asserts that people in India's political sphere do not have the will to curb traffic accidents. Harman Singh Siddhu of ArriveSafe, an organization working for improvement in road traffic safety , asserted that a general lack of respect for traffic rules in India is a contributing factor for road accidents. He also has pointed out that although the 2010s was declared by the United Nations as "Decade of Action for Road Safety", no celebration was held in India.