Driving in China

When your speaking about driving in China, you need to distinguish between some developed cities and the countryside.

I think the biggest difference is, in China you cannot count on the other one following the rules. You need to be very attentive, keep a close eye on everything that's close to you. Because many drivers will without any announcement, suddenly change lines, pedestrians cross street's as there wouldn't be any cars on this world and the mopeds and motorcycles don't care about any rules. It's crazy if your coming from a country where everybody follows the rules, everybody stops for pedestrians to cross the streets, and everybody will let you line in if you open your blinker.
On streets are close to anarchy, everybody is looking for himself, and fighting for every cm. But it's improving, at least in the developed cities. After 1/2 a year I got used to it, made a Chinese driver license, and started driving here in China.
But the worst part is not to get used to driving in China, the worst is to drive again back home, to get used to the well ordered traffic again.

Agreed, the standard of driving in China is not good, but it is getting better.  Over the last few years, the introduction of a more rigorous driving test (where a driving license can (usually) no longer be obtained by just paying black money), and the introduction of much tougher traffic regulations has had a very positive effect.   Traffic regulations in China are now as stringent as most western countries, not that everyone necessarily obeys the rules.    The zero tolerance policy on drink driving has also helped enormously.   

When driving in China, as long as one drives the same way as the Chinese drive, then it is no big deal, in other words, always push in and never give way to anybody!   One thing though, you can not let up concentration for a second, and this is even more so the case when driving in rural towns in China.

Mark

Driving in Shanghai is a challenge too big for most expats. Not only is it dangerous due to a lack of rules and regulations, it's a crammed business as well. The biggest problem is that the locals love to make a collision with you and then make you pay. It's business as usual. Stay away from traffic as much as you can!

When my father first starting letting me drive around the age of 15, he always told me to drive defensively. That has really helped me driving on the mainland in big and small cities as well as Hong Kong. Really it's all about being able to move with the traffic and keep an eye out for the bicycles, mopeds, and pedestrians that are either going the "wrong" way or jumping over the median into 4 lanes of oncoming traffic. Although I've had some really close calls it's really all about driving defensively and not drinking at all. In my home country it wasn't a big deal to have a beer or two and then drive home, but in China you really have to have 100% focus and everything going for you to be able to drive safely. There are just too many people on the road that have bought their licenses with cash through various means without a test whatsoever or just simply driving a car that is too big for their skill level. Rules do not apply. This can make driving more fun and exciting, but at the same time it gets old fast. In Hong Kong to get a motorcycle license you have to jump through many hoops and pass two skills tests. The second test is the toughest. Still getting ready for that. You have to do a figure 8 on a 50 degree hill without touching the ground. It's pretty hard to get which means if you do get out there on the road in Hong Kong on a motorbike you've earned it. For cars its relatively the same, though easier.

Main point here is if you don't have to drive in China don't do it unless you're willing to sacrifice some of your sanity.

The rules of driving in china is okay for me bcecuse they are all afraid of their Goverment.

From a different perspective (I don't know your experiences here and cannot speak of them), I would strongly disagree. The insane driving in China has nothing to do with the control of the government. If that were the case I think we'd have fewer deaths and maiming of random people on the streets which mostly goes on unreported. I would agree on the reason why there are so many "hit-and-run" accidents because people fear the extremely severe consequences. That being said, in Shenzhen I've seen quite a few car accidents in 4 lane highways blocking one lane to wait for the police to arrive (for up to an hour causing massive traffic jams) before any kind of real confrontation with the other car owner, etc. In my home country we normally will pull over to the side of the road to exchange insurance cards, but I imagine due to the high amount of fraud in China with insurances of all kinds there is really no alternative and I would probably do the same.

So true so true

The difference betwenn germany and china is simple: In germany exist exactly 1 traffic rule for all, in china has everybody his own rule. And chinese woman driving most aggressive.

I have been in mainland on and off for several years now.....the biggest problem I see, is in the past year, 5 million new drivers have flooded the roads as a result, we have all this inexperience causing the problems.  In most cities, the infrastructure has not caught up with the number of new drivers.  I have been to a car dealership several times to purchase a new car but always manage to talk myself out of it because I am simply afraid to drive in China.  My wife is a recipient of the "pay for a license" and I would not trust her to drive me across the street.  There is a tv program here that highlights all the traffic problems in various cities around China and I marvel at the absolute lack of concern of some drivers.  I even hear myself saying, after viewing some of the clips, how could he or she be so damn stupid.
Road rage is pandemic in China, a female driver cut off a car changing lanes and he chased her for several blocks, cut her off, pulled her out f her car by the hair, and began to beat her up so badly she ended up in the hospital.  What I find is the police don't seem to understand even their own rules.  there are rules regarding speeding but go mostly ignored, U turns in the middle of heavy traffic take place constantly, 
In Canada, you are not allowed to place dark film over your windows however, here, almost every car has it and that is dangerous for the police when making a routine traffic stop..
I take public transportation and daily witness accidents or near accidents therefore, even going public can be dangerous oh well, walking is much healthier.

Hi,

I have started driving in China since 2002, once you get used to the driving Social Norms, then you are OK.

- Try to avoid hitting anyone on the road as you have to compensate a lot.
- Buy a high amount of 3rd party accident insurance is recommended like 300,000-500,000RMB
- Buy a car with quick pick up as sometimes you need to fight for the positions.

- How to turn left at Traffic Lights would be a very important skill to learn, :
1. Look at the oppostie lane.
2. Watch your right lane of your side to see whether there is any vehicle rushing in to turn
3. Before you turn, watch your left side to see whether any vehicle squeezing in from your left.

Hv a nice day.

I thought this article would add a little fuel to this driving fire...please understand, I did not write this, so please don't bombard me innuendo.thanks Laurence.

Search YouTube for "driving in China" and up pops a string of videos all with the same general theme – "crazy,"… "insane"… "total disregard for rules"… and worse. But is it really all that bad?
China has a major problem with road safety and much of this may have to do with the inexperience of so many drivers, and also the relative inexperience of other road users with high volumes of automobile traffic.

In the past decade automobile traffic has exploded. One report estimates that in the past year about 5 million new drivers entered the road traffic system. Research conducted by the Medical School of Jinan University in Guangzhou indicated that traffic accidents have risen from about 6,000 in 1951 to some 770,000 in 2003.

A CNN report cites current figures of 600 fatalities per day – more than 200,000 per year, and almost double the 2003 rate. "To drive in China, says the report, is to risk some of the deadliest roads on earth." With some 2% of the world's cars, China has 15% of the world's road fatalities.
Comments
I have lived and worked in China for over 2 years, I can tell you 100% these people are (expletive) crazy! No joke! Road sense = zero! Go to crazy china it will blow your mind! I work In Shanghai and its a little less crazy to drive here, as they do have "some" rules "sometimes". Leave the big cities and enter Crazy China!

I know what you mean bro…I have worked in China for several years and two years ago I gave up driving my car after I had been hit for the 4th time.  Every time, it was determined that I was not at fault..but the other drivers continued to get on their phones and argue that I was at fault.  You are right..its (expletive) crazy to drive here.

I have witnessed some horrific accident in China, not to say they don't have accident where I come from but here there are so many more..I wont drive here, I take the bus, but even the bus drivers are awful.  They have problems with the gas and clutch and their braking is dangerous.  I will not get out of my seat until the bus comes to a complete stop.  Then I must rush to the door before the driver closes it so I can get off…Also, the bus drivers let people get on the bus by the back doors.  This causes many problems with people trying to get off a crowded bus.  Once I was pushed back into the bus as I was trying to get off then the bus driver would not let me off till the next stop.

I have seen crazy and dangerous driving activities by the drivers. For examples. Honking to the pedestrians crossing  on green light, as if to say they have the drive away rights and the pedestrians on green light are wrong? What's the use of having the pedestrian crossing marked with white line when no driver pay attention and keep driving through in such a reckless manner.
The first thing that should be practiced  in every driving school is to respect the green light signs and respect people crossing the street in a safe manner.  not to mention that as soon as the light turn green for pedestrians  many cars are still driving through with disrespect to people's safety.

do not even think about driving in china. I no many chnese driver who got their licence America and none of them would drive in china

Notwithstanding the above comments and replies, I would stick by my earlier post, and driving in China is do-able, as long as one drives defensively, as freeglobetrekker has mentioned, and doesn't let up on concentration for a second, as for sure, there will be somebody doing something, crazy, bizarre, or downright dangerous!   Having said that, in a relatively "small" developed city such as Xiamen, apart from the sheer volume of cars on the road, it isn't too bad, but in less developed outlying towns, weaving through thousands of motorcycles, which have no road sense whatsoever, brings its own challenges.

I remember when I was in Shanghai (Pudong) a few months  back, I was walking on the zebra crossing when the lights turned green. To my shock I found taxis and cars  crossing over even when  the pedestrian lights were green. When I stopped a taxi and pointed out that it was my turn to walk at  the green light, he yelled back at me in Chinese saying ' Move over you dumbo this is Shanghai,we are allowed to move even if the lights are green for a pedestrian' I was shocked to hear  the same answer when I checked with a friend later on. What a silly rule!!
This never happens anywhere in any country. You stop at red light and you proceed when it is green.I found this very strange in a place like Shanghai

We know what the lights are for, the people who installed the lights, know what the lights are for, the government knows what the lights are for, however, no one has informed the car and bike operators.  I threw a basketball at a motorcycle driver that ran a red light and almost hit me.  then a car flattened my ball...

Only one advise: observe how they drive and drive like them. Don't be shocked with their way of driving, never complain (very important !!) and don't try to follow the rules of your country, you would face the risk of a bad  accident !!

Sorry, I live and drive in China for 12 years, in Kunshan near Shanghai to be precise. I drive a lot, including in Shanghai.

In 12 years I had only one very small accident without any consequences. I have seen several small collisions, mainly between a car and a bike, sometimes bad,  but I have never seen a very big car accident here.

It doesn't mean that there are no big car accidents in China of course. Chinese drive their way, don't consider at all the other drivers, but it is easy to anticipate what they might do and roads here are so large that most of the time you have space to escape in perilous situations.

Driving in India,  Indonesia or Philippines is much much more dangerous and honestly when I return to France and see how people drive there, fast and nervously,  I feel more safe in China !!

My real concern are the bikes and pedestrians at night moving in dark roads with cars in front using full headlights, creating a "black hole" so you might not see them.

If I could teach one real important thing to Chinese drivers is to manage well the lights of the car. I was told that they don't learn it when going through the driving license.

I was even told that the teacher advises them to only use full headlights all the time....to see better !!

But it is getting better compared with 12 years ago.

On last thing: in general China has develop in the last 10 years a superb road infrastructure that many countries would envy!