Post by Hauskaz on Sept 13, 2010 2:08:42 GMT -5
According to Chinese statistics [1], China has about 100,000 traffic deaths a year, more than twice the number in United States even though the US has more than four times as many cars
The concept of right-of-way is quite different in China than in many other countries. "First is Right," or less succinctly, any vehicle with a slight position lead or access to a gap before another vehicle has defacto right of way to enter that gap.
A vehicle with a government or military plates, including police and fire departments, may not follow any rules. It may run a red light or simply go in the wrong direction or weave in and out of traffic.
Chinese drivers routinely go through red lights if there is no opposing traffic. Pedestrians do not count as traffic; just honk at them to get out of the way or swerve around them.
Bicycles and motorcycles and sometimes cars ignore one-way signs. On divided highways, seeing pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles going the wrong way down the shoulder is entirely normal
Many Chinese cities have bicycle lanes fenced off on either side of the road. These carry two-way traffic: bicycles and motorcycles plus the occasional car, truck or pedestrian. Cars routinely take to these lanes if traffic in the main lanes is jammed; they then honk at bicyclists to get out of the way.
Lorry drivers may not bother with switching on lights at night. Few Chinese drivers seem to know about dimming their headlights for approaching cars. Except on some freeways, driving at night is unpleasant and dangerous. Avoid it if at all possible.
Public buses and many private buses, rather than acting as professional drivers responsible to their human cargo, are often among the most aggresive drivers;
