This is the first ‘big project’ that I worked on. This was done as a college assignment and took about 8 hours a week for 6 months. At the time I had just received my driver’s license and I was quickly becoming aware that passing a driving test had not nearly prepared me for the absolute chaos and indifference of traffic in my hometown, Bangalore.

Driving to college and back home I would notice how people behaved on the road was starkly different from what driving school had taught me. Traffic laws seemed like mere suggestions. There was a wildness to street traffic that made driving feel like being in the jungle. Whenever I could I would note down things that seemed absurd, and later sketch what I could remember. The most challenging part of this project was attempting to remember what I had seen while driving as I could not note these things down while at the wheel. All the while, I attempted to portray my observations factually with a touch of humorous insight.

The book illustrates the variety, both in the types of motorways, as well as the wide range of vehicles found around the city.

I go over the traffic laws as the government describes them, and contrast them with the patterns actually observed on the streets, finally arriving at the ‘spirit of law’, the natural order that underlies this chaotic manifestation.

The book details a diverse collection of driving styles and environmental conditions, and then ties them to the contents of the drivers’ minds. The vehicle and its operation are shown to be a form of self-expression.

The book is mostly in black and white with sparing use of colour where I felt it necessary to emphasize certain aspects. The section dividers are in blue. The glossary has solid blocks of colour to distinguish these pages.