00:00COMM COMM
00:04COMM COMM
00:05Harpeet Devi has found a unique way of making his driving stand out. He travels everywhere
00:10in reverse.
00:11HARPEET DEVI
00:12I wanted to do something new and I saw that no one in the world could do it. So I started
00:25reverse driving.
00:26COMM COMM
00:28Harpeet's unusual style behind the wheel has been a regular sight on the roads of Batinda
00:33in the Indian state of Punjab since 2003. He's modified his car, a Fiat Padmini, so
00:40that it now has four gears for reverse and only one going forwards, allowing him to drive
00:46backwards at speeds of up to 50mph. However, the reason he started driving in reverse in
00:52the first place was out of necessity rather than choice.
00:56HARPEET DEVI
00:57After years of reversing, he now feels he's a safer driver going backwards than he is
01:26going forwards and has been granted special permission by the state government to allow
01:32him to continue with his unusual style.
01:35To ensure safety, he's fitted an ambulance siren to alert other drivers and pedestrians
01:41to the fact that he's reversing.
01:45Crucially, he's also added headlights to the rear of his car.
01:49And while driving like this has brought him fame, it's also had an adverse effect on his
01:54health, as he now suffers from back and neck problems.
