A 35-year-old man from India’s Tamil Nadu state recently set a new world record for the longest distance driven in reverse in under 30 minutes – 16 kilometers and 140 meters.

During an event that took place last week at Edappadi Bypass in Tamil Nadu, Chandramouli, a passionate motorist from Salem district, managed to set a new world record by driving over 16 kilometers in reverse gear in under 30 minutes. The man, whose passion for driving cars goes back to when he was only 10 years old, practiced hard for the task, knowing that he had to beat the previous record set by 22-year-old Tesson Thomas from Pathanamthitta of Kerala, who had covered 14.2 km driving in reverse for 30 minutes. Chandramouli managed to blow that record out of the water, backing up for 16 kilometers and 140 meters in just 29 minutes and 10 seconds.

Photo: Batu Gezer/Unsplash

Explaining why he decided to break this particular world record, Chandramouli said he wanted young people to understand the importance of safety. And while that may not make much sense at first sight, we all know how tricky driving in reverse, even for short distances, can be, especially in busy traffic.

Although he practiced driving in reverse for the attempt, Chandramouli said he had to deal with excruciating neck pain throughout the 29 minutes and 10 seconds.

The Indian motorist advised anyone wanting to attempt this record to take all safety precautions to avoid putting their own lives, and those of other motorists, in danger.

Chandramouli may have broken the record for the longest distance driven in reverse in 30 minutes, but the record for the longest distance driven in reverse ever has been standing since 1984. That’s when Brian ‘Cub’ Keene and James ‘Wilbur’ Wright from the US drove their Chevrolet Blazer for 14,534 km in reverse, in 37 days, passing through 15 American states and parts of Canada.

Driving in reverse seems to be pretty popular in India. A few years back we wrote a Punjab man who only drove his car in reverse.