Chaos, conflict and confusion: Navigating the Indian streets explained through 5 gifs!

Finger licking good food, sasta shopping, growing hip-hop scene, some or the other festival and a million things more! There is absolutely nothing that you cannot experience on the streets of India. And there is one thing that’s present through all of this since time immemorial – Chaos. If you have ever tried crossing a street or driving on one, then you know what we are talking about. Today, we will attempt to hilariously explain what’s it like navigating the Indian streets because laughter is the best medicine, and you might need it to prevent blood-curdling in case you experience an unpleasant flashback. Here we go!

1. The plight of pedestrians

You are walking down the street minding your own business and at one point you need to cross over to the other side. Like a law-abiding citizen, you wait for the traffic signal to turn green so you can cross the road. While you are waiting for the traffic signal to turn green, you remember that one time in school when you were taught about the concept of a zebra crossing. You smirk at the prowess of your memory and look down, left and right for a zebra crossing but there is none in sight. The last one faded in 1995. You do see specks of white on the street but that’s probably pigeon droppings. via GIPHY Fun fact – The chicken crossed the road because it finally found a zebra crossing. Road safety index – Raipur has been rated the best city for pedestrian with all overall score of 70.40.

2. What happened to motor laws and traffic control?

A street and a sidewalk are two very different things. Streets are meant for motorists to go from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ and similarly a sidewalk is meant for a pedestrian to go from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’. All of this works well in theory but according to a popular Indian saying ‘Aisa kaise?’ Motorists park their vehicles on the sidewalk and even drive on sidewalks to bypass traffic which leaves very little space for pedestrians. But not all pedestrians are innocent. You can regularly witness people walking on the street next to perfectly good and empty sidewalk which causes traffic congestion and that leads to a few motorists using the sidewalk to bypass the traffic. via GIPHY Fun fact – We are all stuck in this vicious cycle and karma is a very unpleasant concept. Road safety index – Chennai tops the chart for motor laws and traffic control with a score of 70.65.

3. Keeping the roads clean

While you’re on the road be it on your feet or in a car there arises an occasion when you need to dodge other people and cars. This is a fairly common practice on the Indian streets, but when you add trash into the mix then things start to get a little messy. Now you not only have to dodge other cars, jaywalkers, occasional cows or dogs but also trash. And seriously, who would want to drive over that gooey thing lying in the middle of the road whose colour not even a woman with a 20/20 vision can describe. via GIPHY Fun fact – According to researchers, women are better at discriminating among colours. Road safety index – Indore has the cleanest roads in the country with an impressive score of 71.9.

4. The importance of street lights

Visibility is one of the most important aspects of travelling. It doesn’t matter if you are walking or driving, you need to see where you’re going. This is a non-issue during the day, but visibility plays an important role if you want to travel safely during the night. And for this particular reason, we have street lights. Street lights illuminate the streets thus increasing visibility which then ensures an accident-free journey. Sans street lights things start to get a little dark. Nonfunctioning street lights are the primary reason for the success of horror movies in India like The Conjuring and Lights Out. Just imagine walking or driving back home after watching a horror movie, and the street lights are not working. This will scare you even more and the next morning you’ll be like, “That was the scariest movie I ever saw!” You’ll proceed to write an amazing review about the movie just like other people who returned home without street lights, and it will end up becoming a huge hit. via GIPHY Fun fact – Marvel superhero Daredevil was blinded because of a car using high beam when the street lights were not functioning. Road safety index – Kolkata has ranked first for road lighting and maintenance with a score of 74.9.

5. It’s all about the quality of the road

It’s an undeniable fact that driving on a smooth and flat road is much easier compared to a road riddled with potholes. Driving on a quality road not only improves your driving experience but also keeps your internal organs intact. Although, a large number of Indian roads are far from being even surfaced. However, this has resulted in huge sales for off-roading bikes in the country. Now you can just ride with your friends in your neighbourhood and get the Ladakh experience. via GIPHY Fun fact – ISRO recently successfully tested its Mars rover on the streets of Indian metropolitan cities. Road safety index – New Delhi has the best overall quality of roads and a high score of 78.3. Well, this was fun but on a serious note road safety is an important issue that needs our attention and the responsibility needs to be shared between the concerned authorities and the general public. As a part of the Maruti Suzuki ‘ India Road Safety Mission,’ India’s favourite passenger car maker Maruti Suzuki has introduced a comprehensive Road Safety Index rating for ten Indian cities across different parameters. Let’s hope the authorities are taking note while we pledge to do our own bit towards happier, safer Indian roads. For more information about the Maruti Suzuki’s initiative and the Road Safety Index click here. This is a partnered post.