A note on Chinese driving

Chinese Rules of The Road

1. Right of way works on the “chicken” principle.

2. Driving is on the right. Unless you prefer the left. Motorcyclists may optionally use the pavements. (In either direction)

3. Use of lights at night is optional for all vehicles except motorcycles and bicycles for which it is forbidden.

4. All vehicles must sound their horns at least once for every thirty metres travelled, or thirty seconds elapsed, whichever is shorter.

5. Pedestrian safety is the responsibility of pedestrians. It is forbidden to slow down to avoid hitting them.

6. All road marking, road signage and traffic light systems are purely decorative.

7. Whenever driving you should look only straight ahead. Checking left or right is forbidden especially at junctions.

8. When reversing “blind” from a narrow space onto a busy road, no assistance may be sought or given.

9. Overtaking is ALWAYS permitted but no account must be taken of oncoming traffic. Blind bends are the preferred location.

10. Where a road has multiple lanes you may only change lanes if there is less than one metre between your new position and the car immediately behind you.

11. Where a road has multiple lanes AND they are marked by white lines, the purpose of the white line is to indicate where the centre of your car should be positioned.

12. When merging onto a busier road it is not your responsibility to merge safely, it is everyone else’s responsibility to get out of your way. Your car will go into any gap that is at least one centimetre bigger than the vehicle.

While these rules may be somewhat cynically stated, they are in broad principle correct.

If you doubt me I found this video on YouTube which is nothing unusual, just an everyday drive in any Chinese town. It lists a few more rules that I missed above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPxinqO3f8o

Now go out, have your brain surgically removed and apply for that Chinese license.