Driving in India

Although India has a high car ownership rate despite being a country with major cities having high population density, road conditions are poor in India, and as of 2023, drivers in India are ranked the worst in the world. If you wish to drive in India, (despite English being one of the official languages, and although place names are displayed in both English and one of the local languages in India on road signs) learning a local language, such as Hindi, can be useful to answer to emergency services such as police and ambulance. If you are a tourist and you want to tour major cities, it is best to avoid driving in major cities due to traffic congestion, and take public transport instead.

The average city or village road is narrow, often potholed and badly marked. National Highways are better, but they are still narrow, and Indian driving discipline is non-existent. In the past few years, the central government has embarked on an ambitious project to upgrade the highways. The Golden Quadrilateral connecting the four largest cities of Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata with four-laned highways has been completed and is of a reasonable standard. Some of it is of an international standard, but that cannot be said for all of it. However, improving the quality of the roads does not improve how people drive. It is very dangerous to drive on the roads in India, as people drive as they like without regard to any rules and the existing rules go unenforced.

Indian road signage follows international conventions, especially Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. Road signage generally follows European patterns, but the main difference is that the "No Entry" sign is the "no straight ahead" sign.

In various Indian states, driving licences are administered by the Regional Transport Authorities/Offices (RTA/RTO). A driving licence is required in India by any person (either a citizen or a foreigner) driving a vehicle on any highway or other road defined in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

This act sets limits on the minimum age for vehicle operation ranging from 16 to 20, depending on specific circumstances.

Applications for a provisional driving license can be made from the age of 16. Valid for driving a moped or gear less motorcycle from aged 16, and a car or any motor vehicle other than a transport vehicle who are aged 18 or older. Thus, you need to be 18 or older in order to drive a car or a motorcycle, and 16 or older in order to drive a moped or a gearless motorcycle.

In India, two kinds of driving licenses are issued:

• a learner's licence, which is valid only for six months, and,
• a permanent licence can be availed only after the expiry of one month from the date of issuance of the learner's licence. (This type of driving licence cannot be received directly.)

When using a learner's licence L-plates must be conspicuously displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle.

To ensure that delays do not apply in the application process, the documents that are to be submitted have to be valid and correct. Thus, this is what you need:

• Proof of age (any one of the below-given documents)
• Birth certificate
• Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card
• Passport
• 10th class mark sheet
• Transfer certificate from any school for any class with date of birth printed on it.
• Aadhaar

Current proof-of-address:

• Rental agreement and electricity bill
• Rental agreement and LPG bill

Foreigners in India may use the holding foreigner licence without the need for any driving tests or being required to hold a learner's license for 30 days.

• Drive on the left side of the road — India drives on the left side of the road. Do not drive on the right side unless you are taking over another vehicle. If you are from a country that drives on the right, be careful so as you do not accidentally veer to the wrong side of the road.

• Never turn left or right on red — Americans and Canadians visiting India must know that turns on red are illegal in India. You must never turn left, or right, on a red traffic light. Wait until the traffic light is green, then you can turn left or right.

• Speed limits — Speed limits in India vary by state and vehicle type, and are in kilometres per hour. In April 2018, the central government has fixed the maximum speed limit on expressways at 120 kilometres per hour (75 miles per hour), for national highways at 100 kilometres per hour (62 miles per hour), and for urban roads at 70 kilometres per hour (43 miles per hour) for M1 category of vehicles. The M1 category includes most passenger vehicles which have fewer than eight seats. Pay attention to the speed limit! The number inscribed on the red-bordered white circle is in km/h, not mph. If you drive a car, focus only on the light motor vehicle section.

• Where to sound horn? — In many places in India, "Sound Horn" text is often painted on the back of the truck and the back of the bus. Thus, if you use your horn they will move over slightly so that you may overtake. Honk only once and do it politely, if they do not move simply stay behind them. Do not sound horn in quiet zones (this is marked by a "no horn" sign).
  • It is not permitted to sound horn in quiet zones.
  • This sign tells you to sound horn.

• Got an accident? — Remember that in case of an accident, if the situation gets out of hand then call the police immediately. The emergency number is 112. This will save you from getting a beating from the public. In case of an accident public involvement will surely happen and the guy with a smaller vehicle will get the sympathy. Using your local language may be useful.

• When driving to a small town or rural village, roads will be too narrow for two lanes, as the villages or towns themselves are not built for cars. — Therefore, traffic coming in the other direction will have to travel on the same path as you. When a car is coming towards you, move to the left side of the road so that you are only taking up half of the road.

At fuel stations in India, an attendant will pump the fuel for you. You need to engage in a conversation with the fuel attendant typically in a local language.

The emergency number for India is 112.

India is one of the deadliest countries when it comes to driving. Traffic collisions in India are a major source of deaths, injuries and property damage every year. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2021 report states that there were 155,622 fatalities, highest since 2014, out of which 69,240 deaths were due to two-wheelers. A study by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, U.S. shows that the use of seat belts significantly reduces the risks and injuries from road accidents, and yet there is no enforcement on use of seat belts in cars. A study by IIT Delhi points out that the national highways constitute only 2% of the length of roads in India, but they account for 30.3% of total road accidents and 36% of deaths. Thus, it is best to avoid driving in major cities.

A marriage party, minister or religious processions are regular and can hold up traffic. Weddings and religious processions are common occurrences in India. Thus, do not be shy in seeking an alternate route like driving an unpaved road to skip traffic.

While driving on wide roads, be alert. Wrong-way driving (WWD) is a big problem in India.

India has been ranked fourth among the countries with the worst drivers as of 2023, so please be careful on what you are doing when driving.

Car culture also contributes to air pollution in India, as cars typically use diesel fuels.