traffic in India (I can mainly speak for Mumbai but I heard places like Bangalore are worse) is horrific. Want to go 10 miles? - you'll need an hour. And there are no highways and no basic auto infrastructure. The two lane roads somehow support 4 lanes.
One of the people who I met there said, "for India driving you need good brakes, good horn, and good luck."
Pedestrians are constantly tempting fate crossing the street. I count myself lucky that in my one week in India, I didn't hit anyone (though I sure have if I was driving ... Indian drivers must be the best drivers in the planet ... they can fit their car in the smallest places).
No Mumbai driver can be commissioned without a great horn - it is a necessity to ensure that pedestrians and motor scooters get out of your way.
Helmets for motor scooters and motorcycles are few and far between (despite the massive danger of getting hit on the crowded road). Luckily, because of the traffic jams, you never can go too fast.
