Vijay Pattni is your host for this week’s Weird World of Wheels.

Its official – India has the highest number of road accidents on the planet.

But this statistic is unlikely to surprise you, considering the state of the country’s roads, the fact that cows, donkeys and elephants roam freely among pedestrians – and where drivers don’t really follow the rules of the road…

Kind of like this chap: 30-year old Indian cab driver Harpreet Dev, who has become famous in his home state of Punjab through his driving skills. Or rather, by driving everywhere backwards.

The taxi-ist reportedly began driving in reverse after returning one night from a party to find he could only operate one gear in his car. No prizes for guessing which one.

After discovering his new found ‘skill’, Dev decided to paint his Fiat Padmini with the words “Back Gear Champian”, and redesign his gearbox to have four reverse gears and just one forward gear.

The legend notes that  he does get “pains in the neck – frequent pains in the neck”, closely followed by “severe vomiting”.

In fact, he reports having a “severe backbone problem” from driving fast in reverse.

But like any champion, he appreciates the sacrifices involved in achieving true greatness: “Achieving something special is never easy”, he says.

Watch the master in action now:

Gallery: When Top Gear goes backwards