Driving in China - Rijden in China

WARNING: Due to the outbreak of the contagious disease COVID-19 (see coronavirus pandemic), caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, also known as coronavirus, there are travel restrictions worldwide. It is therefore of great importance to follow the advice of the official bodies of Belgium and Netherlands to be consulted frequently. These travel restrictions may include travel restrictions, closure of hotels and restaurants, quarantine measures, being allowed to be on the street for no reason and more, and can be implemented with immediate effect. Of course, in your own interest and that of others, you must immediately and strictly follow government instructions.

This article is a topic.

Most tourists find the Chinese traffic bad enough without getting behind the wheel themselves. Usually you are better off renting a car with a driver, or otherwise employing a driver when you buy a car. Given the Chinese wages, that shouldn't cost much.

Driving licenses

An International Driver's License ("IDP") is not valid in China; After all, China has not signed the corresponding treaty. Consequently do you need to have a chinese driver's license to drive around there. (The driver's license as issued by Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan is also invalid).

By law, foreigners residing in China may have a driver's license, and in principle this can be done by converting the IDP to a Chinese driver's license, whether or not after an extra exam. Unfortunately, this turns out to be the case in practice a difficult process because of the following obstacles:

• Firstly, there is the computerized theoretical exam; on a hundred (usually) multiple choice questions you have to give 90% correct answers. If that doesn't work, you get a second try for free. In the major cities this test is available in English; everything else has to be in Chinese, although you can sometimes (but not always) bring a translator.
• Usually, but not always, you can skip the driving test if you already have a driver's license.
• Some foreigners say that a few small gifts to the local authorities, at the suggestion of Chinese friends, can help the cause. Others have just been told by their friends that such a gesture is idiotic and dangerous.

In most places it's okay to learn to drive from someone privately, provided it's done fairly decently; this means that someone is present in the car with a driving license, even if it is not the driver.

In some cities, a electric scooter legally same as a bicycle. The scooter must then be registered, but only as a "bicycle", which is cheaper and also requires less paperwork. Consequently you also have no driver's license required to poke around on it. Other cities such as Guangzhou forbid electric (moped) bicycles; you are not allowed to use it everywhere, eg not in the busy main streets.

Legislation

Driving on the mainland right. In neighboring countries such as Hong Kong, Macau, India, Nepal and Pakistan, you drive on the left.

The official highway code in the People's Republic of China is the so-called Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国道路交通安全法). It applies to all vehicles except military and government vehicles. As a result, such a vehicle with a white (sometimes blue) number plate does not have to follow the rules, and can therefore ignore a red light or drive in the wrong direction without any problems.

There is also an additional traffic law to this Road Traffic Safety Law (中华人民共和国道路交通安全法实施条例), which specifies some of the more vague rules of the main law.

It happens more and more that the Chinese police will issue an International Driver's License, or translated driver's licenses similar to it. However acknowledges. Their main concern is whether the driver appears to be able to drive properly or not, and whether he is not endangering the safety of himself and others. However, as noted above, this is not an officially recognized document, so it is quite risky to rely on this "goodwill" of the agent; After all, driving without a Chinese driver's license can result in up to 14 days in prison. In Shenzhen, for example, special attention is paid to this, and foreigners are targeted, especially at the SEZ checkpoints.

If an accident only results in minor damage to the car, people usually continue driving. When you stop, it's best to just obediently agree to whatever, and then drive on slowly. Typically, the wrong driver gives a 100RMB to the other driver, and that's it. If you do want to argue, make sure that the cars remain where they are until the police arrive; they then check the papers and driver's licenses, and take a picture of the situation. If there are any injuries, it is recommended, as always, to stop and offer assistance.

Watch out for large foreign luxury cars. Often these are owned by crime figures, or otherwise immature relatives of party leaders or other persons with some power. These drivers sometimes think they are above the law, which unfortunately is often the case in China, which is still very corrupt.

If you suspect that the police are actually being bribed, which is not impossible, point out to them the existence of the "Ministry of Supervision" (which hacks into corruption with a blunt axe), the Olympic Committee, and the tourism ombudsman (" Tourist Complaint Board"). This usually has a neutralizing effect. In itself, however, the police are very helpful, with the necessary understanding for foreigners.

Speed ​​Limits

The following speed limits apply:

• 30 km/h on roads in the city center, if only 1 lane in each direction, 40 km/h on the "China National Highways";
• 70 km/h on the same roads if it is a main road with central reservation or double yellow line, 80 km/h if on the "Highway";
• 100 km/h on city highways;
• 120 km/h on highways.

During checks, a margin of about 10 kilometers per hour is taken, on highways even 20 km/h. However, from 15 km/h too fast you already have a fairly high chance of being flashed. Safety boxes and radar controls are indicated by "雷达测速区" (radar speed control zone) or "超速摄像" (speed camera).

Driving too fast will result in the following fines:

• up to 200RMB if more than 10 km/h too fast, but still below 150% of the maximum speed. Example: drive a hundred where you can only drive eighty.
• up to 2,000RMB and possible withholding of driver's license if you drive more than 50% too fast. Example: Getting 190 an hour on a 120 highway.

Speed ​​demons are called in Chinese biao che (飙车).

State of the road

Info

The condition of the road, and the extent to which it is maintained, varies greatly from area to area. ATTENTION with the car and the bicycle: it often happens that a large crack or an absent sewer cover creates a danger on an otherwise brand new or well-maintained road.

If you leave the main roads you will need both the technique and the vehicle for off-road driving.

In the cities

In the larger cities there is often a traffic jam, even on the numerous ring roads (except for the quieter outer ring, with a bit of luck). Beijing is considered a classic disaster area in this area, despite no fewer than five rings and nine express roads crossing everything. Shanghai is doing slightly better in relative terms, thanks to elevated express roads that go over the normal routes, or under them with a tunnel system.

This traffic density is more complicated than what we are used to in the West. Masses of bicycles are throwing themselves everywhere, and in some regions a pack of mopeds are added to that. In the smaller towns, a tractor or bullock cart can cross your path.

China National Highways

The Beijing district is the only place you can find on this Highways can be done without paying tolls. Everywhere else this is not the case at the national level, and sometimes a toll is added at the provincial level.

National weighing it type G invite you to relax driving. The maximum speed is eighty, but due to the low chance of speed checks, the average speed is rather 100 km/h.

provincial weighing it type S require a little more attention; in contrast to the G-roads, there is often no central reservation or even separation, sometimes there is only 1 lane per direction of travel.

Region "highways" from the type X after all, they are the most challenging, if not a disaster. More difficult are the roads to smaller hamlets, some of which traverse an area officially closed to foreign visitors.

express roads

Express roads and routes in China are a godsend: road signs in English and Chinese, facilities for emergencies and maintenance, sufficient gas stations, on-time exits, a high speed limit, and relatively little traffic jam.

The English signs speak of "expressways" for both the roads and routes, but the Chinese does make a distinction: "Express routes" there are called 快速公路, while "expressways" are marked as 高速公路. The aim is for the routes to connect local towns and the roads to the centers on a national level.

You have to drive slower on the express routes than on the express roads. In Beijing it is sometimes the other way around; the Jingjintang Expressway and the Jingha Expressway limit the speed to 90 km/h.

Hazards

Relatively quiet traffic does not care about bicycle paths.

As indicated indirectly above, Chinese traffic is not without danger for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike. Road accidents are common and often fatal.

To quote the WHO [1] "In China, traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for people between 15 and 45." According to Chinese government statistics [2] 100,000 people die in road accidents every year, twice as many as the US, for example, although the US has four times as many cars [3], [4]. The WHO believes that this figure is still far too low, and rather estimates 250,000 fatalities per year [5].

A first impression is therefore that traffic in China apparently has no traffic rules, or at least that they are ignored by citizens. and Police. Of course there are rules, which in any case lead to in general that no one runs into each other. The point is that the rules terribly different than (Western and other) travelers expect. In Western eyes, the Chinese driving style is very maladaptive, not to say insane and suicidal.

Never assume that a Chinese driver follows some traffic rules you thought you knew.

As a foreigner you can't help but adapt to this, or, less risky, to take a taxi or hire a driver. There's no immediate need to throw yourself into traffic with authentic Chinese driving style, but don't be alarmed if everyone around you does. So there's no point in getting angry if someone cuts you off, runs through a red light, or hits you against the direction of the road. You'd better give priority, and just let it be.

Every car/driver has a certain "body language" that shows what they are up to. The crucial art is to learn to read and anticipate these signals. For example, if you see a taxi on a different lane approaching a stationary vehicle or other obstacle, you can bet that this taxi will suddenly appear in front of your wheels without the slightest warning. In itself this is pretty standard defensive driving by looking and thinking ahead; only you have to go a bit further in this area in China, and even then it is impossible to keep an eye on everything.

In summary, there are two traffic rules in China: do not drive against anything, and make sure that no one drives against you.

That said, it's a matter of getting used to and adapting; there are plenty of foreigners driving around China with some confidence and even ease.

Priority

The priority-of-the-law system isn't holding up very well in China either. In practice, it's more like "First Comes...", which means that any vehicle that is just a fraction further than the rest, or that just finds a small hole to slide in, has de facto right of way. Consequently:

Insert- When a vehicle starts from an intersection, side street, alley, or parking lot, they throw themselves into traffic without giving way to oncoming cars (and often seemingly without even looking at them). Thus, if the merging driver sees an opening, he throws himself into it, and the oncoming traffic is expected to adapt and allow this "insertion" to happen.

change job- Changing lanes and turning are indeed correctly indicated by the direction indicators (usually anyway), but once the intention has been made clear, the insertion system from above applies again. Traffic that is already present has to make way; if you don't do this so that your lights dent in the side of such a person, then you are you the one being looked at skewed because you didn't give "priority".

Turn left- When the light changes from red to green at an intersection, you usually see that the cars that want to go left quickly throw themselves over the intersection before traffic from the opposite direction, which has to go straight, blocks this route. The safest thing to do is let it happen and wait. Often traffic lights give an extra "orange to green" in-between signal to help with this pattern. This orange light thus functions as a kind of "Left" green arrow, and de facto the transition from red to green also applies as such a green arrow to the left. Consequently, it is the intention that you also use this style yourself if you have to use links. You can use the vehicle in front of you as a shield; the cars behind you then use your car as a shield, often coming alongside to complete their turn without paying attention to you. In short, again "First Come...", and a "new" green light is in fact a green arrow Left.

Without lights, a turn to the left becomes a cowboy story altogether. Someone who wants to go left will usually not waiting neatly until there is a break in the oncoming traffic, and the coast is clear. Any gap is enough to get off, with "sufficient" being quite dependent on the vehicle the driver is driving; larger cars or dilapidated containers take more risks. Driving defensively and slowing down when you see something like this waiting is actually no good idea, because this is interpreted as giving way, which immediately makes the other shoot forward. The advice for oncoming drivers is therefore to continue driving well, but in the meantime be ready to apply the brakes or perform an emergency maneuver if the other person takes his chance.

Pedestrians and cars don't work well together either. The numerous pedestrians, bicycles and mopeds are either unaware of the traffic or willfully ignore it; nevertheless, they automatically have priority in the event of an accident, i.e. the Weak Road User principle. If a vehicle hits a cyclist or pedestrian, the driver is automatically at fault. Nevertheless, drivers use their speed and protected environment to honk their way through pedestrians, eg at very busy crosswalks. Pedestrians kind of expect this by now and get confused when a courteous driver suddenly stops to let them through. The zebra crossings are also not considered special "protection" for pedestrians, although the driver who hits a pedestrian there will not have his best day.

In summary, it seems that the overriding rule is: Whatever happens, keep moving. Cut others off, throw yourself in front of oncoming traffic, ride on the hard shoulder, ride on the bike path, go wrong driving for a while, all sounds fine as long as you keep moving, go about the right way, and don't cause an accident.

Red Riders

It is normal for Chinese drivers to ignore a red light when there is no traffic to prevent it. A pedestrian does not count as "traffic" in this case; give them a honk to scare them away and then you just go around it. It's not even completely unusual to drive through a red light despite other traffic.

A retired teacher in Lanzhou became something of an internet hero in China when he campaigned in 2009 to make a neighboring intersection safer. His campaigning style was to throw bricks at cars ignoring a red light; the counter was already at 30 pieces when the police showed up [6].

Why one-way traffic?

One-way signs are regularly ignored by cyclists and moped riders, and sometimes by cars. on highways with a central reservation it is the most normal thing in the world to see a bunch of pedestrians, cyclists and moped riders on the hard shoulder; the hard core simply walks or even cycles along the central reservation. Also at a roundabout, the right direction of travel seems to some to be a great detour, so they just turn left. Road markings are also of little importance; taxis, for example, often go straight from a lane that serves to turn left; after all, they can get past a lot of cars in no time.

Another example concerns the "small road" that you sometimes find at a roundabout, so that drivers coming from the west, for example, can immediately turn south (right) without driving up and down the roundabout. In China you get the effect that drivers coming from the south and wanting to go left to the west also take that shortcut instead of 270 degrees to go around that roundabout.

In several Chinese cities there is a wide cycle path that is shielded from the highway by fences. On such a path, bicycles, mopeds, and the occasional car, truck or pedestrian also travel in two directions. Cars use this path as if nothing happened when there is a traffic jam on the road itself; the legitimate users, the cyclists, are chased aside with the necessary honking.

What's more, even on a footpath you'll get traffic from both directions from bicycles, mopeds, and even a car on its way to or from a parking lot. The horn is also used on the footpath to get pedestrians to the side.

Lights on!

Truck and van drivers often don't bother using their lights at night. do this: use your lights, better yet, just activate everything you have as long as no other vehicle is approaching. Only do this at night; if you are seen during the day with lights on, the police can fine you.

When the Chinese drivers have their (strong) lights on, they often forget to dim them for oncoming traffic. Driving on the highways at night is therefore not very pleasant, downright dangerous. Try to avoid this.

One of the reasons why the lights are always on at full brightness is that pedestrians often walk around in the middle of the road, with their backs to traffic and in dark clothing. In rural areas it can even happen that people are sleeping on the street.

Bicycles usually have no lights and just as rarely have reflectors. Mopeds drive around without lights. Moreover, they also drive on the wrong side of the road at night.

Even more curiosities

A taxi passes a peculiar road sign.

Overtaking on the right is illegal, as in most places, but no less common for that. This is partly due to slow drivers chugging along on the central carriageway. If you yourself are stuck behind such a person and you want to overtake on the right, watch out for passers-by ranging from mopeds to horse-drawn carts.

Drivers on public (and often private) buses would be expected to show some caution out of professionalism for the sake of their passengers. Nothing could be further from the truth; often these guys belong to the most aggressive examples of Chinese horsemanship. Especially outside the cities, people routinely drive through a red light, ignore turn signals, go wrong-way driving to get past stationary or delayed traffic, and take advantage of the right of the fittest to insert the bus somewhere unsolicited. Again, if the front of one car hits the side or back of another vehicle, the front dented car is automatically at fault, regardless of what madness preceded the accident.

New drivers

Given the above driving style, you can already guess what the effect is in combination with someone who has yet to learn to drive. The label 实习 warns against a driving style that is one step lower, ranging from 'just acceptable' to 'deplorable'. You'd better stay away from them—they're just as lost in traffic as you are!

Motorcycles

Motorcyclists enjoy a favorable climate in China and are therefore numerous. As is already clear however, traffic is not to be underestimated and the same goes for the Chinese bureaucracy. After all, it can take some effort to get the appropriate driver's license, insurance and the necessary permissions to drive around on your own motorcycle. Despite this, several foreigners have managed to do this, and it is therefore not excluded in advance to try this as a tourist.

There are, however, some restrictions. Motorcycles are often banned from highways, and in some cities even downtown, in an effort to deal with traffic congestion. For example, the city center is prohibited in Guangzhou, Dongguan, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Hangzhou, plus some pieces of Beijing and Shanghai. Still, taking your chance will result in a fine and possibly a confiscation of the vehicle. You also have to be careful with the scope of your papers; a motorcycle registered in a suburban area may not enter a neighboring city in some areas.

Roughly 70% of Chinese motorcycles are a 125 cc, and the rest are typically a 50, 90 or 150 cc. Variants are the scooters and motorcycle-with-tailgate constructions on three wheels, also typically with a 125 cc engine. In some cities they simply don't issue driver's licenses for motorcycles above 250 cc. You can get a 125 cc Suzuki without frills for ¥4000 (about 410 euros). A hipper model with rocket or off-road allures will of course be slightly more expensive; a Chinese brand is slightly cheaper. The best thing you can do is look for a Chinese brand that builds its chassis itself, but orders the engine from Suzuki or Honda. The lowest impact on your budget is a "motorcycle" converted bike, a construction that you probably only find here.

If you are looking for an imported Japanese motorcycle, it is best to take a look on the outskirts of the larger cities; garages that carry out repairs sometimes have an older XR or CBR. A still decent, ten-year-old CBR400, for example, comes in at ¥4000. The Honda XR250 is also quite common but is already slightly more expensive, about ¥10,000 for a five to eight year old one. Keep in mind that the law isn't really clear around these vehicles; the police may confiscate your bike (although it is quite common in China to simply ignore the police). In 2006, some foreigners were arrested in Shanghai and subsequently expelled from the country for "driving without a license"

An imported motorcycle often does not meet the standards to be homologated, even if it is a BMW or Honda. On the other hand, even the "big bikes" in some Chinese cities can still be neatly registered. The safest thing is to ask the sellers what is allowed and what is not, and what you have to do for it.

The brands Jialing and Zhongzhen have recently launched a 600 cc motorcycle, starting at 35,000 RMB, registration included.

The Chinese usually tour around without a helmet, or without fastening the helmet under the chin. Two on a bicycle or three on a moped/motorcycle is standard, with peaks of three on a bicycle and up to five people on a motorcycle. Passengers sit sideways if necessary. People don't turn their backs for a cubic meter of luggage on the back, nor for much larger packages than that.

sidecar

In China you will find a striking motorcycle of the brand Chang Jiang [7]. In 1938 BMW designed a 750 cc sidecar construction of the so-called flat twin side valve type, at the request of the German army. After the war, the factory was completely moved to the Urals by the Russians, where the design was expanded to the Dnieper and Volga engines. China then obtained or bought the material from the Russians, resulting in Chang Jiang. The modern version has an electric starter and some other technical improvements known as "type OHV". You can't call the thing a performing monster; even the newest OHV barely gets 32 horsepower. However, thanks to their roots in military use, they are built very solidly. New you pay about 20,000 yuan. The sidecar is invariably present both at the time of purchase and during use; you may not be able to get a license for the thing if the sidecar is missing.

There are tons of older Chang Jiangs driving around, and if you buy one from a bygone era can it is officially an "antique" vehicle. As a result can you may return to your home country without any problems. After all, there are usually restrictions in terms of safety and pollution, so that you cannot just bring anything home, but an exception is made for "antiques". This is of course another dangerous gamble to take; with some bad luck do you lose the motorcycle at customs?. It is therefore important to inform yourself well about what is and is not allowed in your country before moving such non-trivial pieces.

An example of an exporter is Sidecar Solutions [8] in Beijing. They also rent out, organize tours, and help get a Chinese driver's license. A similar Chiang Jiang specialist in Beijing is Gerald [9]. Wild Wolf Sidecar is located in Shanghai [10] and an association for enthusiasts [11] including Chiang Jiang fanatics. These sellers (re)assemble their own machines and these are more expensive than a brand new one straight from the factory; the reason is that there is better quality control that way, they say.

The real enthusiast has tailor-made his adventure: driving the Chang Jiang from China to Europe along the so-called "Silk Roads"If necessary, you can have the engine work on the road by Russians who are familiar with the Dneiper and Volga; some spare parts are identical in both.

Tour by motorbike

There are mapped out routes for motorcycles in various regions, often with a Chang Jiang rental included in the price.

• HC Travel [12] operates out of England and offers Chang Jiang tours to the Great Wall of China, Tibet and Mongolia;
• Dragon Bike Tours [13] is Chinese and focuses on the Silk Road (Silk Road);
• Asia Bike Tours [14] works from India and has a route to Tibet with Enfields;

In Yinchuan finds it every year Motorcycle Tourist Festival Place [15] the end of June.

Electric scooters

Electric scooters are cheaper than motorcycles (¥1,500 for a simple model to 3,500 with all the trimmings) and correspondingly popular. You get less with it than with a motorcycle, and it also takes longer, but a scooter is quieter, cleaner, lighter, and easier to maintain. The scooter has one or more batteries that you can usually replace, and you can simply charge them with a regular plug. As mentioned above, in some cities a scooter is equivalent to a bicycle for the law, so you don't need a driver's license for it and you can use the bike path and footpath to pass other traffic. On the other hand, there are cities where scooters are not allowed, just like mopeds. The official reason is to prevent motorized theft of handbags and the like, although it is also claimed that people simply want to create more space for cars and taxis.

The scooter itself is also a popular target with thieves, so preferably secure both wheels with a decent lock. The batteries also want to disappear, so either you attach them to the scooter with the built-in system, or you take them out and just take them inside. Accommodations that allow you to park the scooter inside are ideal.

Buying a second-hand scooter is nowadays easiest done online. A Chinese friend with some knowledge can usually point you to a good website for a particular city or area in no time. Also pay attention to what exactly is on offer; especially the battery does not last that long on scooters. Often a new battery is offered together with the scooter.