Safety Tips in State of Tamil Nadu

The traffic in Tamil Nadu (and everywhere else for that matter) is like nothing I've ever seen. Roads that look narrow even for a single lane of traffic actually handle traffic moving in two directions. Motorcycles zip around and are often pushed to the side of the road by larger vehicles. You'll see everything from bicycles to huge trucks using the roads. The auto-rickshaws, which are a huge presence in the cities and villages, are even seen on major highways. And the only traffic "rule" I ever witnessed being observed was honking before passing another vehicle.

When you add it all up, it's a terribly dangerous environment for pedestrians, especially considering that decent sidewalks are rare. Most of the time pedestrians just share the roads with vehicles. I'm really quite amazed we never saw anyone get hit, though we did see a couple motorcycle accidents during our two-week visit. So be careful, and definitely don't drive unless you simply cannot avoid it.