Beware, speeding drivers! Gods can see you

In a country where only images of deities can stop men from peeing on every wall, it stands to reason that the gods might also be able to put the brakes on bad driving.

Vehicles going at breakneck speed are a common sight on the roads of Delhi NCR. In some of them, Sai Baba or Shivji or Ganeshji or Devi Saraswati would be telling the drivers: “Your soul is permanent, your body is not. Drive slowly”, or “Why are you in a hurry to meet me, child? Drive slow, drive safe.”

This is an initiative by an automobile-related website, which is selling small idols of gods carrying recorded messages. The idol sits above the dashboard (right) and it is connected to the speedometer by a wire — since this is meant for city driving, the idol responds to speeds above 60kmph. Each Talking God idol is priced at Rs 6,500. Sale proceeds go to good causes.

Sandeep Aggarwal, owner of Droom, the company that has launched the campaign, says, “Delhi tops the list of fatalities in road accidents. So we came up with this idea. Indians are god-fearing, so we thought it will work.”

One person, who got an idol installed in his car last month, feels better for it. “Having Ganpatiji on my dashboard reminds me there’s a power protecting me when I’m on the road,” says the IT employee, who works in Gurgaon.

A.K. Singh, DCP (Traffic), Delhi Police, says, “Anything that helps one stay within the speed limit is good. It can be a god’s idol or one’s kid’s picture.” But psychologist Gorav Gupta says that a reminder like this may actually distract drivers.

A MOTORIST WHO HAS INSTALLED A TALKING GANAPATI IDOL ON HIS DASHBOARD SAYS IT MAKES HIM FEEL SAFE