Road Sense: Traffic Rules & Safety

Driving in India, you see a road sign inside a blue circle. What kind of message is it giving you?

• Something you must do
• Where a service is
• Something you must not do
• A hazard ahead

Answer: Something you must do. Blue circles are mandatory orders, such as Compulsory Turn Left. Red circles ban things, and red triangles warn of hazards.

Late at night, a traffic signal is blinking amber. What should you do?

• Ignore it completely
• Stop and wait for green
• Slow down and proceed with care
• Speed up to cross

Answer: Slow down and proceed with care. Flashing amber means go carefully and give way where needed. A flashing red means stop first, then go when it is safe.

Drivers can recognise a STOP sign even from behind, or caked in dust, by its shape. Which shape?

• Octagon
• Circle
• Triangle
• Square

Answer: Octagon. No other sign has eight sides, so the shape alone says stop.

Your friend rides pillion on your motorbike for just two streets. Who must wear a helmet under the Motor Vehicles Act?

• Only the rider
• Both of you
• Only the pillion
• Nobody on short trips

Answer: Both of you. Section 129 covers everyone above four years of age riding or being carried on a two-wheeler. Sikhs wearing a turban are exempt.

Joining a main road, you see an upside-down triangle with a red border. What does it mean?

• Stop
• Give way
• No entry
• Hospital ahead

Answer: Give way. Give way to traffic on the road you are joining. You only need to stop if there is traffic coming.

You rush an injured stranger to hospital after a crash. Under India's Good Samaritan rules, what can the police force you to share?

• Your name and address
• Your phone number
• Nothing at all
• A written witness statement

Answer: Nothing at all. Section 134A and the 2020 rules protect helpers. Sharing your details or being a witness is your choice, and you can leave once the victim is handed over.

After a party, a colleague insists he is "fine to drive". What is India's legal limit of alcohol per 100 ml of blood?

• 30 mg
• 80 mg
• 50 mg
• 100 mg

Answer: 30 mg. Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act sets the limit at 30 mg, lower than many countries. The safest limit is none.

An ambulance with its siren on is stuck behind your car. Under Section 194E, failing to make way can cost you how much?

• ₹10,000
• ₹500
• ₹1,000
• ₹2,000

Answer: ₹10,000. As of 2026 the section, added in 2019, allows a ₹10,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both.

On Indian roads, from which side should you normally overtake another vehicle?

• From the left
• From the right
• Whichever side is clearer
• Only on the hard shoulder

Answer: From the right. India keeps left, so you overtake on the right, where the driver ahead can see you.

Rain on the expressway. What does the "two-second rule" help you keep?

• Good fuel economy
• A steady speed
• A safe following distance
• Correct tyre pressure

Answer: A safe following distance. Pass a fixed marker at least two seconds after the vehicle ahead does. Double it in rain.

A car's number plate is green with white letters. What does that tell you about the car?

• It is a taxi
• It is a diplomat's car
• It is a learner's car
• It is a private electric vehicle

Answer: It is a private electric vehicle. Battery-electric vehicles get green plates: white letters for private cars, yellow letters for commercial ones.

Carrying a child under four on a motorbike, Indian rules require a helmet and a safety harness for the child, and cap your speed at what?

• 30 km/h
• 50 km/h
• 60 km/h
• 40 km/h

Answer: 40 km/h. MoRTH's 2022 amendment to Rule 138 set the 40 km/h cap and crash-helmet rule for children aged nine months to four years.

Where seat belts are fitted, who in a car must wear one under Indian rules?

• Only the driver
• The driver and front passenger
• Everyone, including those in the back
• Only children

Answer: Everyone, including those in the back. Rule 138(3) covers rear passengers too. A rear belt can stop you being thrown forward into the front seats in a crash.

A traffic officer asks for your licence and RC. Under a Ministry of Road Transport advisory, which digital versions count as valid?

• A photo in your gallery
• Copies in DigiLocker or mParivahan
• A scan sent on WhatsApp
• An email from your agent

Answer: Copies in DigiLocker or mParivahan. Documents pulled from these official apps are treated like originals under the IT Act. A photo or scan is not.

A continuous yellow line runs down the middle of a winding hill road. What is it telling you?

• Parking is allowed here
• Buses only in this lane
• Slow vehicles keep left
• Don't cross it to overtake

Answer: Don't cross it to overtake. A solid centre line marks stretches where you can't see far enough ahead to pass safely, so stay in your lane.