It used to be said that in India, the bigger your vehicle, the more right you have on the road. This in a place with no known set of traffic rules apart from the one that I like to call ‘Dont die and dont kill’. But even in such a place, there was a sense of respect for ones life. Though no one follows rules, there is frequent honking, tons of road rage (in the form of shouting and blazing horns etc…), there was a sense that you ‘look out’ and remain safe.

Most drivers I have a talk with always have similar expectations (as you relate) of the other road users. I have never seen some one say, ‘I am not a particularly good driver’. Though everyone superficially follows the rules as per the book, no one I know of follow the rule on its spirit. I see people accelerating when the light is amber. People hustling pedestrians at crossings, frequent lane changing to get in front of the line, illegal parking, avoiding parking tickets, waiting illegally, dropping off passengers at lights etc…

I suppose with so much crimes they commit, they are always in the lookout of the authorities to avoid being caught and there is little time and patience left in them to look out for the ‘smaller’ vehicles in their way.

I can understand their frustration. But I do think it requires rethinking on how the traffic design should be. And how we can set up a system where harmony can be effected in the chaos of traffic.