Safety Tips for Women on Road Trips [Especially in India]

Is it safe for women to travel by themselves in India?

Let’s address the Elephant In The Room.

If you ask me, nothing is 100% safe – whether you step out of the house or stay in. There are some things more unsafe than others obviously but women travelling by road is certainly not that.

Despite that, it is a rarity to see women-only vehicles outside city limits.

Even now, when I stop to pay tolls or stop at a highway restaurant, I would be lying if I said I do not attract undue attention. Not necessarily in a bad or intentionally negative way though.

Mostly.

I would like to think their reaction is more of a surprise while some of them even show borderline amazement or awe.

That said, there’s no doubt women need to be extra-vigilant while being on their own and below are few tips that women can follow to maximise their safety; just like I do on my women-only road trips.

To view these tips on Youtube, click the below link:

Safety tips for roadtrips in India

Be Connected

Always let someone know of your whereabouts. Technology has certainly made this easier. I turn on the live location setting on Whatsapp and share it with my family.

Also, make sure that someone back home is aware of your overnight stops.

Arrive Prior to Sunset

Try and arrive at your halt city before sunset. Daylight definitely makes me feel safe.

That being said, there have been occasions when I have travelled on national highways/expressways at night. These are not unsafe as long as you stick to these highways; internal roads on the other hand can get quite deserted and rarely have street lights.

I have travelled on the Mumbai-Pune expressway as late as 11PM without feeling unsafe.

Having said that, there have been instances where I have had to break this rule – One was during my MP roadtrip. Absolutely not recommended though! Read about the trip here.

Another was when my mom and I were driving from Delhi to Jodhpur and our car broke down. Read about it here: Car failure on the Highway

Dress Appropriately

While I personally believe women should be able to wear what they want and are comfortable in, this may not work on road trips in India.

The reason being that on most of the road trips, you would be crossing conservative villages and towns where showing of skin may be seen as being provocative or may even hurt religious sentiments.

Hence,  I suggest – avoid the tank tops, spaghettis, hot shorts and mini-skirts.

For me the attire really depends on where I am travelling to. If it’s a Mumbai – Pune trip, shorts are okay. However, if I am going on longer trips or visiting interiors of any state, then I wear comfortable loose clothes which are at least of knee length (again, depends on the state too!).

I usually wear maxi dresses, loose knee length shorts or track pants.

The only thing that I avoid is tight fitting clothes. The idea is to not attract unwanted attention.

Save Highway Emergency Number

Most National highways in India have emergency contact numbers that are displayed all along the highway.

Note down these numbers and keep them handy. Preferably, save these numbers in your phone on speed dial.

The national emergency numbers for India are:

• Police: 100 (I have personally dialed 100 though not on a roadtrip. I had to dial it once when I was stranded on a beach in Goa and can personally vouch for the prompt action by the officials. Read about my experience here.
• Ambulance: 102
• Emergency highway number: 1033

Always Trust Your Instinct

If a particular hotel/highway stop is making you feel uncomfortable, then split. Even if it means letting go of some deposit.

Similarly, if you feel someone is tailgating you, take a turn or stop your car and throw them off. If this does not work, drive into the next police station or dial the emergency number.

Never ignore that instinct. ‘Women’s intuition’ is not a myth.

I once had such an experience while on a roadtrip in Madhya Pradesh with my mom. I wanted to visit a temple in Morena for which I had to take a diversion and head towards internal roads of Morena. Somehow the vibes just had a negative feel and both of us had a very strong instinct to not go there. We played it safe and listened to that instinct. Read about that experience here.

Pick Decent Highway Restaurants With Washroom Facilities

I am usually not picky about these. The only places I avoid are the ones frequented by truck drivers. If I have a choice, I pick the one where a few cars are parked.

In my experience, there is no dearth of decent highway restaurants on the national highways. On expressways, usually there is only one convenience plaza (usually in the centre of the expressway) which includes restaurant, washrooms and petrol pumps.

The options on State highways/village roads are still limited though, for restaurants as well as washrooms. If you are aware of your route well in advance, I suggest taking a pit stop before turning off the national highway.

For detailed information on washroom facilities for women while on the road, read my article here.

Lock The Doors Of Your Vehicle

As soon as you get inside or exit your vehicle, lock your doors.

Obvious, right? Wasn’t with me!

This happened on one of my Delhi-Chandigarh trips with my mom. We stopped for breakfast at the famous Sukhdev Dhaba at Murthal and probably in my eagerness for eating the parathas, I left the car door ajar. Yes, not even a simple unlock – I left it ajar.

When we returned to our car, we saw the security guard along with two other men guarding our car. I couldn’t believe what I had done.

Moreover, we noticed that my mom’s purse was lying on the backseat of the car and was open. I could even see some cash overflowing from one of the pockets. It seems that my mom had opened the purse to pay our toll and had forgotten to close it.

Thankfully, there was nothing missing. We later thought the guards may have assumed this was a set-up. Afterall, who could leave a car door ajar on a highway and also leave valuables in plain sight! Yes, us!

You may not be that lucky.

Do Not Stop or Engage with Meddlers

You may feel tempted to shout at the driver who just overtook you from the left side or the one who crossed you mouthing something about “women drivers” – I suggest you control your emotion.

Take the high road and drive on.

There is no point engaging or provoking such meddlers. Choose safety over anything else.

Keep Valuables Safe and Out of Sight

Firstly, avoid carrying valuables on road trips. Wear minimum jewelry (preferably artificial) and do not open a purse filled with cash in front of strangers. I usually divide my cash and keep most of it in my overnight bag.

Also, do not carry important documents like passports, PAN cards, Aadhar cards (unless this is your only Identity proof). Preferable is to carry driving license which can double up as your identity proof while checking into hotels.

If you need to leave valuables like camera, laptop etc in the car,  keep them out of sight, preferably in the boot of your car.

Do Not Stop for Hitchhikers

At times, you may feel compelled to stop for hitchhikers, especially if you see stranded women. I do not do that or recommend you to do that.

Safety is always a priority for me.

The only experience I have had with hitchhikers is when I was around 10. I was on a road trip (Delhi-Agra) with my uncle’s as well as my family.

We were coaxed into giving a lift to a passerby for which we had to go out of our way.

Apart from that, we were already four adults, two children and one toddler in a non AC Maruti 800 car in north India summer heat (40 degree celsius) and had to really squeeze to get the passerby in.

The cramped ride lasted for nearly half an hour and left us too exhausted to continue to our planned destination.

You might ask, why were we ‘coaxed’ when our situation was that precarious anyway. Good question and here’s what actually made us stop for him.

My experience was more from an inconvenience than safety point of view. But why tempt fate.

Make Sure Your Car is Roadworthy

Now, I am no technical expert in cars.

In fact I still remember an incident from about 10 years ago when my car was giving me problems and I had called my dad for help.

Being an engineer, he ranted off for a good couple of minutes about checking the engine of my car for the spark plug, apart from speaking about a few other technical terms I barely understood then and I barely remember now. After some time when he finally took a pause for breath, I asked:

“How do I open the bonnet though, dad?”

I do know now how to open the bonnet of a car. And I now know most parts of a car.

After years of paying for car servicing, you do learn these things!

However, that is the extent of my car technical knowledge. I still don’t know how to change a tyre.

That is why I always make sure to get my car serviced before any long road trip (>1000 km). I also keep the roadside assistance number handy.

Although I make it a point to get my car serviced, I have had a few mishaps with respect to my car on highways. Read about the experience below:

Women’s roadtrip Mumbai to Delhi via MP- issue with battery

Women’s roadtrip Delhi to MP – issue with puncture

Coincidentally both these incidents happened on my ‘Shivpuri to Delhi’ stretch.

Keep Some Sort Of Self Defense Product

I usually keep a pocket knife with me. I used to keep a pepper spray in the dashboard of my car; until I read articles on it possibly being hazardous during summers.

Having the knife gives me a safe feeling. Thankfully, I have never had to use it.

Be Alert While Picking Highway Overnight Stops

Till date, I have only had overnight stops on NH48 (around Bharuch). I don’t usually book these in advance as I like to stop depending on my exhaustion level/time.

The options on NH48 are quite good and you can get a decent AC room for INR 1000-1500/night. Since the idea is to only have dinner and sleep, these work perfectly well and are right on the highway.

I usually check these places are registered on one of the travel aggregator sites/trip advisors with decent star rating.

The only two things that are on my checklist with respect to the rooms is that they need to be clean and have a latch that can be bolted from inside.

Avoid Parking or Walking In Dark Areas

If you need to walk or park your car after sunset, avoid dark areas. If possible, park close to the entrance of your hotel/restaurant.

I don’t mean to say you should not be out after sunset. With road trips, you already have lesser number of meals to peacefully enjoy in a relaxed manner.

Make the most of these meals and enjoy a good dinner to get the feel of your destination. Read about my Desi bar experience while on a Mumbai-Diu roadtrip.

My only suggestion is to try and avoid isolated, dark areas.

Keep an Eye on The Fuel Mark

Make sure that the vehicle has enough fuel especially if you are travelling in hilly areas or remote locations as the frequency of petrol pumps in these areas is low and at times the pumps may only have petrol or diesel or CNG.

Start actively scouting for fuel once you reach the quarter mark on your fuel tank. You can use the search petrol pump function on GPS which is accurate on most occasions.

Be Alert While Driving

I prefer to break my trip and take a pit stop every two hours.

There have been multiple occasions, especially on expressways where I have had to pull over and either take a coffee break or change drivers. Somehow expressways make me very drowsy.

Don’t drive if you are sleepy or have had alcohol (yes, even a can of beer) or are distracted (with phone, music or any other distraction).

And no, driving with a cup of that take-away coffee or Red Bull does not make you instantly alert.

Actually, I should not even be mentioning this and hence it’s my last point. If you are going on a road trip, you are obviously an experienced driver and know this!

Final Words

Don’t let lack of a male co-passenger stop you from experiencing the ‘inner’ beauty of India. I have wasted and cribbed for many years of my exploring life due to this lack.

Women co-passengers are also more fun 😉!

Apart from these safety tips, you also need to be prepared for a road trip and pack appropriately for it.