Signs And Signals

Follow the directions given to drivers either through police officers regulating traffic or through road signs or traffic signals. Violation of rules is an offence and dangerous for you and others.

Slowing down

Slow down at road junction, intersections, pedestrian crossing and road corners. If you are entering a main road where traffic is not being regulated, give way to vehicle passing on your right side.

Turning Left or Right

When turning left, keep to the left side of the road you are leaving as well as the one you are entering. When turning right, move to the centre of the road and carefully arrive near the left side of the road you are entering. Use flashers with your hands signals throughout turnings.

Hand Signals with indicators

When slowing down ,extend your arm palm down and swing it up and down.

When turning right or changing to the right lane, extend your arm straight out, palm to the front.

When turning right or changing to the left lane, extend your arm and rotate it in an anticlockwise direction.

Avoid parking in

At or near a road crossing.

At the top of a hill.

On a footpath too near a traffic light or pedestrian crossing

On a main road or a road with heavy traffic.

In front of or opposite another parked vehicle.

On roads that have a white continuous line.

Near bus stop, school, hospital entrance.

 Right next to a traffic sign thereby blocking it for others.

At the entrance of a building Near a fire hydrant thereby blocking access to it where parking is prohibited.

One way roads

Do not drive on a one way road in the direction prohibited.

Keep left

Keep left on a two-way road to allow traffic from the opposite to pass on your right. On a one-way road, allow vehicles behind you to overtake from your right.

Drive in your lane

The lanes dividing traffic like yellow line for heavy vehicles two wheeler/cycle lane must be followed
 

Stopping at Intersection

Do not cross the stop Line painted on the road when you stop at a road junction or intersection or a pedestrian crossing.

Horn

Use the Horn only when essential and never in a silence Zone. Do not install loud pressure horn, multi toned or harsh and shrill sounding horns or alarms in your vehicle. Vehicles with defective silencers are also prohibited on the road.

Maintain distance

Maintain an adequate distance from the vehicle ahead of you to avoid collision if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows down or stops.

Braking

Do not brake suddenly except for safety reasons. Do not switch off the engine when doing downhill as it can be dangerous. For safety the gear in uphill or downhill should be the same. Do not brake suddenly causing hitting the rear vehicles.

Up hills

Drive the vehicle in lower gear and keep the accelerator pressed. Do not interrupt your momentum otherwise vehicles will go backwards. Use stopper always while in parking in hilly roads.

Down hills

On mountain and steep roads, the vehicle driving uphill must be given the right of way by vehicles coming downhill. If the road is not wide enough then stop on side and allow the driver going uphill proceed first. Use exhaust brake at down hill and use low gear.

Road Repair

Follow the speed of 25-30 Km/hour if repair work of road is going on.

Driving backwards

Don't drive backward longer than necessary and be careful.

If unwell or drunken

Do not drive if you are not well ,under influence of some medication or alcohol.

U-Turn

When Taking a U-Turn signal by hand the way you would for a right turn, observing the traffic behind you in your rear view mirror at the same time. Do not take a U-turn where it is specifically prohibited.

U-turns can be dangerous. Be extra careful while taking one. Make sure it is safe and let other motorists know by signaling at least 30 metres before you turn.

Remember U-turns cannot be made at traffic lights, on high-ways or if your U-turn disrupts traffic. Also U-turns are prohibited on a road marked with any single unbroken line or double centre lines whether or not one line is broken.

Overtaking

When overtaking do so from right of the vehicles you are passing. If the driver of the vehicle in front of you indicates that he is turning right, you may pass from his left. Remember not to cut in onto heavy vehicles. They need more room to slow down and stop.
Do not overtake when you think it might endanger other traffic on the road; if the road ahead is not clearly visible, for example, near a bend or a hill. If you know that the vehicle behind you has begun to overtake you; if the driver ahead of you has not yet signaled his agreement that you pass him.
If you cannot see for more than 150 metres ahead, because of a hill or curve or if the road is narrowing, avoid overtaking.
If a vehicle has stopped at a pedestrian crossing, intersection or railway crossing, do not overtake it.
In a multi-lane road, you must remember to give way to traffic already in the lane you are moving into.
When being overtaken do not increase the speed of your own vehicle. This creates confusion for the driver trying to overtake you.

Driving at night

There are fewer cars on the road at night. This does not increase your safety in any manner. This is because speeds are higher, people and bicycles are difficult to see and other motorists or pedestrians may have been drinking. Drive slowly and you will be able to react better. At higher speeds, the stopping distance exceeds the seeing distance thereby causing accidents.

The high beam is useful for extra seeing distance. However, you must dip your headlights to low beam when an approaching vehicle is within 200m, or die other vehicle's headlights dip, whichever is sooner. Also dip your headlights when driving 200m or less behind another vehicle.

Remember not to use high beam in foggy conditions as your light reflects back, reducing visibility. Also remember to use your dipper at night.
If oncoming traffic does not dip its high beam, look to the left side of the road and drive towards the left of your lane.
If you are dazzled, slow down or pull over until your eyes recover.

Right of Way

At some crossroads there are no traffic lights or signs. When you come to one of these intersections you must give way to vehicles traveling in the intersection on your right as marked below:

You must also give way to the right at intersections where the lights have failed. If yours and an oncoming vehicle are turning right at an intersection both cars should pass in front of each other.

If the other drivers do not give way to you, do not commit the same mistake they are doing.

Give way to fire engines and ambulances by driving your vehicles to the side of the road.

Roundabouts and How to Approach them

An intersection with a central traffic island is called a roundabout. Give way to vehicles already on the road. If you are turning, as you approach or exit the roundabout, you must use your indicator to show where you are going. Always slow down  and prepare to give way at a roundabout. Please follow lane markings on the road leading to the roundabout.

If there are no lane demarcations, do not overtake from the left. Enter the roundabout when there is a safe gap in the traffic.

When turning left, stay on the left. When going straight, from whichever lane you enter, drive in the same position through the roundabout. When turning right, drive close to the centre of the roundabout. Take care while changing position on the roundabout, particularly when exiting.