Delhi is undoubtedly a special city for many reasons. One of them being how well planned New Delhi is. In fact, it’s one of the best planned cities in India. This means, the city is blessed with well maintained, wide roads. While exploring Delhi is always a lot of fun, exploring Delhi on a bike has a unique charm of its own.
The Beautiful roads, and all the historic sites Delhi is blessed with makes the ride even more fascinating. Also, being on a bike, means it’s a lot easier to navigate the chaotic and haltingly slow Delhi traffic, we have all come to rue.
While Renting a bike and exploring Delhi is extremely straightforward, it’s imperative to adhere to all the safety rules in place. Riding a bike in Delhi is an extremely fun experience. Delhi, however, also has its fair share of rash drivers and traffic violators. They are the ones who give the capital city a bad reputation.
Here are a few Road Safety rules you should always follow, before you set out on your journey.
Ensure you are in the right frame of mind
One of the most important things to take care of, before you get on your bike, is being in the right frame of mind. You may be on the safest bike in the world, but it would not mean much if you are distracted and not paying attention to your surroundings. You are a risk to everyone else on the road as well. Ensure that you are absolutely devoid of any stress and you are aware of your surroundings. A safe biker makes for a safe road for others too.
Do not drink and drive
This rule is extremely important. Not following it is a punishable offence. Do not ride a bike under the influence of alcohol or drugs. You would not only be endangering your life, but everyone else on the road too. If caught, you could be punished with a huge fine and a jail term. So don’t be reckless.
Use the correct biking gear
Your biking gear is extremely important for your safety and for others too. The most important biking gear, and this cannot be emphasized enough, is a Helmet. The only way you should ever ride a bike is with an ISI approved helmet. If you will be riding your bike in Delhi at night, we strongly recommend wearing a brightly colored jacket. This increases your visibility to other people.
Check Your Bike Regularly
Before you set out to explore all the delights that Delhi has to offer, ensure you have checked the condition of the bike. Ensure there is no oil spillage, the breaks work fine and the PUC (Pollution Under Control) checks are in place.
Especially when renting a bike, ensure you have all the papers for the bike in place, and the bike is in perfect condition. This will not only help you have a great time in Delhi, but also ensure your experience is not hampered in any way.
Click here to find some of the best bike rentals in Delhi to choose from.
Don’t Jump Traffic Signals
Being a responsible biker means always following traffic rules, so don’t jump a red light. Doing so is not only a legal offense, but can put your and others’ lives at risk. While we are on the topic of signals, remember to always give proper signals on the indicators before turning. Delhi is a big city with a lot of heavy goods vehicles and buses. Such huge vehicles may pose a threat, if you’re not being responsible and safe.
Always Signal When Turning
Check your rear view mirrors and signal left if you are turning to the left. This helps other people on the road coordinate their movements. At night, it’s good to honk a little at intersections, to alert people that you’re turning. However, this does not mean that you abuse your horn and be a nuisance to others.
Maintain a safe Distance
Delhi is notorious for having some of the worst drivers in all of India. While this may be a slight exaggeration, exercising caution always helps. Maintaining a safe distance with the vehicle ahead of you always helps. There is no way of knowing if the car ahead of you will slow down, break suddenly, open their doors or make a turn. Maintaining a safe distance helps in preempting such situations and avoiding accidents.
A good way to understand the intention of the vehicle ahead of you is by studying the movement of the tires. If the tires are moving towards you, it means the vehicle ahead will quite likely disrupt your path, so ensure you maintain a safe distance at all times.
Be responsible in traffic
Traffic and Delhi are synonymous with each other. Being on a bike means that you do have some advantages in navigating past traffic. Stationary traffic though, is a different challenge altogether. Stationary crowded traffic is not the place to showcase your bike riding skills. Keep your revs in check and be in sync with the rest of the moving vehicles. Help create a safe environment for everyone else and yourself.
Don’t try to overtake a vehicle during a turning
Delhi is a round city, and it means the city is full of turns and roundabouts. One of the most reckless things you could do is overtake a vehicle on a turn. Overtaking on a turn literally compromises everyone’s safety. Pay attention to the indication on the vehicle ahead of you. And if you intend to turn, signal the vehicles behind you so they know too.
Plan for others’ mistakes and maintain a safe distance
Accounting for other people’s mistakes allows you to be prepared and avoid the possibility of a mishap. The best way to be prepared is to maintain a safe distance between vehicles and to be aware of your surroundings.
Look out for potholes
The quality of roads in Delhi is fantastic and there are enough floodlights, so the visibility of roads is excellent. Yet, monsoons and winters could at times hamper visibility, and it is essential to keep an eye out for blind spots and potholes to avoid accidents.
Also, riding at night on a high beam can affect others’ visibility. It is a punishable offence too, so don’t be that person.
Conclusion
Riding around Delhi is an absolutely delightful experience. If you follow these rules, not only will it make your journey a lot more memorable, but it will also make you and everyone around you a lot more safer. So choose your ideal bike for this adventure from a list of bike rental companies in Delhi.
