Fearlessness. A characteristic one must possess to drive on the roads of India. On the streets you will find all types of vehicles… rickshaws, bikes, trucks, buses, cars, SUVs, three-wheelers, tractors, bullock carts — even all types of non-vehicles… people, cows, goats, dogs. With no real lanes and various speed limits, you quickly realize that your horn is the most important asset!
In the United States we reserve honking our horns for important situations (usually). In India, you use your horn to alert other vehicles of your presence. This could mean you’re going to pass a larger vehicle, trying to stop a pedestrian from crossing the street or trying to nudge a heard of sheep out of the road. After dark, drivers asked to flash headlights instead of use the horn — while most people follow this rule, don’t expect a silent night!
While trucks are used to move goods from place to place, they are by no means the only way! You’ll often find goods piled high like this…
and this!
