Basic Traffic Rules

Sorry for this silly blog , but I am not sure how many of them after reading this will think of it as news.

Summary of Traffic Rules
Please find below some rules broken even by those who think they follow traffic rules.
At junctions with a traffic signal:

• Stop before the stop line, i.e. the line before the zebra stripes.
  
• Go ahead only when the signal turns green for you.
  
• If you see the signal turn from green to yellow you should slow down and stop, unless if you were very close to the signal and stopping suddenly would cause an accident.
  

Tip: Even if the signal is green, it might become yellow anytime. Slow down as you approach even a green signal. Never speed up after you see the signal turn yellow.

Never drive on the wrong side of the road, even for a short distance:
Many people drive on the wrong side, especially when taking a right turn from a small lane onto a large road.

Test: How do you take such right turns? If you see oncoming traffic from right, do you:
start driving slowly on the right for a few feet, then merge left?-OR-
wait till the oncoming traffic stops?
If former, you are driving dangerously as well as breaking a traffic rule.

Never violate signs for 1-ways, no right/left turns:

Unless specified explicitly, 1-ways, no turn signs apply 24 hrs a day.

There is nothing like "1-ways are not there after midnight"!

Please follow these rules as well.

Use turn indicators well in advance

Use turn indicators/ hand signals when you want to turn, change lanes, or slow down.Start giving the signal well in advance, not when you have started taking the turn!

Follow lane discipline

Change to the correct lane before taking a turn.Never enter a wrong lane just to be near the signal. If you are the tenth vehicle at the signal, so be it - follow the queue!

Park your vehicle properly

Never park:

In front of a gate or a fire hydrant.
On a bridge/ footpath
Within 15 meters of a bus stop/ within 50 meters of traffic signal
In a "no parking" zone
Overtake carefully
Never overtake where it is not allowed. (e.g. where there are two unbroken yellow lines at the center of the road)

Use of mobile, helmets, seat belts:
These rules are the same all over India!
Don't use a mobile while driving/ riding a vehicle. Use of "hands free" equipment is also not allowed, because a mobile phone diverts your attention, not just hands.
Please we are not kids, if we are driving,we are responsible adults. No mobile phone chat when on wheels.

Always use a helmet when riding a 2-wheeler. You might debate whether this rule is appropriate or not, but this is the rule.


Always use seatbelts,
at least when occupying the front seat of a car.

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Let's also do these following things, so that we contribute to making a cleaner and quieter environment.

Let's stop the engines at the signal junctions, when you have to stop more than 30 seconds.

Lets keep our vehicles tuned.
Let's use our horns to an absolute minimum. What’s the point in starting to honk when it turns from red to green? Let’s have patience. Let’s have quieter surroundings.

Let's use bicycles for shorter distances. Let's do vehicle pooling when we can.

Let's use the public transport when we can. Let's work towards reducing traffic as much as we can.