The Hindu Business Line : Get behind the wheel

Driving to your holiday destination can be great fun. If you probe a bit, places full of history and beauty can unfold, making your trip really a memorable one.

Freight boats are a common sight at Thyacacatserry in Kerala but to the urban traveller it is a unique experience.

South India, every part of it, is fascinating. It is not all Pondicherry and Kovalam or Rameswaram or Ooty. It is also a small side street in Kollam leading to the old colonial settlement of Thangaserry and Bhimulipatnam on the Bay of Bengal with its fantastic seascape dotted with catamarans and fishing boats, grand and abandoned buildings and strange pyramid tombs on the beach. South India is also the beautiful backwater hideaway of Thycatuserry a ferry-ride away just off National Highway 47 near Allepuzha.

There is only one way you can get to see these places, enjoy their history and beauty, and that is by car. Sadly most people who own cars rarely take a driving holiday. They are put off by horror stories of accidents, bad roads and breakdowns far away from any help. To such folk I urge: think again and be adventurous. Travelling by road is not as bad as it is made out to be. So just pack up, get your family into the car and drive off. There is a fantastic world out there waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.

One advantage of hitting the southern trail is that places of interest are not too distant and levels of physical safety on the road are higher too. The roads and highways may not be great by western standards but they are not terrible either. By and large the rules of the road are observed but some homework and training always helps.

Before you start out on a driving tour get to know the terrain well and this requires maps. There are several good ones available — the most common being those by TTK, which has one for each of the states of the south as well another for the whole of Southern India. These indicate in fair detail the big and small roads.

However no map is available yet which is detailed enough to show smaller country roads and lanes. These are the ones loaded with mystery and surprise and getting to know them could prove to be an exciting experience. The process can be that much more rewarding if you would have consulted friends and colleagues before you start out — the information they have and can share, giving you important leads, can make all the difference to a holiday.

Equip yourself with an accurate road distance guide — one you can look out for is that of Indian Map Service which comes with a full country map. These distance guides are particularly useful in planning and budgeting a journey. Also, don't forget to get yourself a good guidebook — the best ones are foreign, with the Lonely Planet being a particularly detailed one, carrying more than enough information for the footloose traveller. These books are useful in many ways, telling you what to see, where to halt, what facilities to expect and at what cost. They even give the telephone numbers and addresses of hotels, enabling overnight halting arrangements to be made in advance.

When on the road, keep a sharp look out for the odd diversion, probe a bit and places full of history and beauty, but which are off-track and often ignored come alive in wonderful ways. If something catches your fancy get there if you have the time — in all probability you will not be disappointed.

Ferry points and tranquil riverbanks, the languid thrill of lazily drifting on country-crafts over scenic backwaters and rivers are all yours if you go by road and choose to drive yourself. However, a few mundane but important things have to be kept in mind to save oneself from nasty surprises.

Get to know the laws of the road and if possible check out with the local neighbourhood police on what has to be done in case of an accident on the road. Try and get information on the paper work involved and how to get on with the rest of your journey as quickly as possible. Keep all original documents — driving licenses, road tax receipts, insurance cover, registration and fitness and even pollution control certificates handy. Have several photocopies of all these made to ensure a set is available even if the original is lost or for use in emergencies. Keep proof of residence, persons to be contacted when in need, along with their telephone numbers and addresses. Don't forget to have your medical details such as blood groups and other health information that would be vital in a medical emergency.

Then there are things about your car you need to take particular care of before you start out. To begin with, get your car serviced and carry out a thorough overall inspection. Check all hoses, fan belts, tyres and brakes thoroughly — if in doubt replace the part. Take particular care to see that the suspension, brakes and steering are in good condition. These things, when neglected, can make a journey uncomfortable. Nothing can be worse than standing helplessly on a Sunday afternoon in a strange town with a burst hose or a snapped fan belt and the family expectantly looking forward to moving on. If you are planning to do some night driving, switch over to halogen lamps — these make a big difference to safety and comfort. Learn to use your wing mirror — for some obscure reason many people don't!

While on the road, gauge and understand the behaviour of other drivers around you. Truck drivers are by far the most considerate and I have always found that being helpful comes naturally to them. Stop over at roadside tea-shops and get to know the road conditions ahead from truck drivers because they are really well informed on such matters. Do this especially when you see traffic beginning to pile up ahead or notice an unusual number of vehicles coming in the opposite direction.

Be careful of buses of all kind and the larger vehicles on the roads ferrying large groups of people — they are a very impatient lot. Allow them to pass you, even if you have to pull over to facilitate this. When you see a number of vehicles overtaking a slow moving one on the road hang well behind — never be tempted to get it all over with along with rest of them. Never overtake in the face of oncoming traffic. Wait a while and the road will surely clear up long enough for you to get past the vehicle ahead. Shift to a lower gear if you must and ensure that you have adequate reserves of power to get past another vehicle quickly.

Survival is all about defensive driving. Remember that more than fast driving it is stupid driving that causes accidents. Avoid road rage building up in your system. Few things make you more accident prone than that emotion.

There is nothing new in all that is stated above, but observing them has helped me clock over two lakh kilometres — without difficulty or mishaps — most of it over long distance. So take a few sensible precautions and drive off on your holiday. Southern India and that too by road will never disappoint and you will come back safely!

Picture by the author

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