China's Rules of the Road Travelling on Chinese roads is an hallucinatory experience of movement, colour, sound and emotions. It is frequently heart-rending, sometimes hilarious, mostly exhilarating, always unforgettable -- and, when you are on the roads, extremely dangerous. Most Chinese drivers observe a version of the Rules of the Road based on an Jiaguwen, or Oracle Bone Script. ARTICLE I The assumption of immortality is required of all road users. ARTICLE II Chinese traffic, like Chinese society, is structured on a strict caste system. The following precedence must be accorded at all times. In descending order, give way to: ducks, chicken, official cars, heavy trucks, buses, camels, light trucks, sheep, jeeps, ox-carts, horses, private cars, motorcycles, scooters, auto-rickshaws, pigs, pedal rickshaws, goats, bicycles (goods-carrying), fowl, handcarts, bicycles (passenger-carrying), dogs and, last of all, pedestrians. ARTICLE III All wheeled vehicles shall be driven in accordance with the maxim: to slow is to falter, to brake is to fail, to stop is defeat. This is the Chinese drivers mantra. ARTICLE IV: Use of horn (also known as the sonic fender or aural amulet): Cars (IV,1,a-c): Short blasts (urgent) indicate supremacy, that is, in clearing dogs, auto-rickshaws and pedestrians from the intended path. Long blasts (desperate) denote supplication, that is, to an oncoming truck: "I am going too fast to stop, so unless you slow down we shall both die!" In extreme cases this may be accompanied by flashing of headlights (frantic). Single blast (casual) means: "I have seen someone out of China's 1.3 billion people whom I recognise" or "There is a bird in the road (which at this speed could go through my windscreen)" or "I have not blown my horn for several minutes. "Trucks and buses (IV,2,a): All horn signals have the same meaning, viz: "I have an all-up weight of approximately 12.5 tonnes and have no intention of stopping, even if I could." This signal may be emphasised by the use of flashing headlights. Article IV remains subject to the provision of Order of Precedence in Article II above. ARTICLE V For all manoeuvres, use of the horn and evasive action shall be left until the last possible moment. ARTICLE VI In the absence of seat belts (which there is), car occupants shall wear Buddhist Mala bracelets (commonly referred to as 'power' beads). These bracelets should be kept securely fastened at all times. (See Articles I and X). Optional are wedding licence plate covers. ARTICLE VII Rights of way (VII,1): Traffic entering a road from the right has priority. So has traffic from the left, and also traffic in the middle. Lane discipline (VII,2): All Chinese traffic at all times and irrespective of direction of travel shall occupy the centre of the road. ARTICLE VIII Roundabouts: China has no roundabouts. Apparent traffic islands in the middle of crossroads have no traffic management function. Any other impression should be ignored. ARTICLE IX Overtaking is mandatory. Every moving vehicle is required to overtake every other moving vehicle, irrespective of whether it has just overtaken you. Overtaking should only be undertaken in suitable conditions, such as in the face of oncoming traffic, on blind bends, at junctions and in the middle of villages/city centres. No more than five centimetres should be allowed between your vehicle and the one you are passing -- and no more than two point five centimetres clearance in the case of bicycles or pedestrians. To make eye contact with an 'opposing' driver is to concede the road. ARTICLE X Nirvana may be obtained through the head-on crash. ARTICLE XI Reversing: no longer applicable since no vehicle in China seems to have a reverse gear. *************************************************** best regards, DILLIGAF
That's it you've scared me to death. I'll only go to Nanjing if I get signed in my contract that I have exclusive use of the company HELICOPTER.
What makes you think you'll be any safer ? But no worries, at most you'll be flying shotgun with an 'Air-wolf' or 'Blue-Thunder' pilot wannabe!!!
G'Day, there are no company helicopters in PRC! only one private owned heli in Shanghai, Chinese heli owner needs to get approval for take-off and flight path at least 7 days in advance...... signing a contract in PRC, read some simple business rules: 1. Everything is possible in China. 2. Nothing is easy. 3. Patience is the essence of success. 4. The answer "yes" is not necessarily an indication of agreement or confirmation. 5. "You don't understand our country" means they disagree. 6. "Provisional regulations" mean they can change the rules any time they want, even retroactively. 7. "Basically, no problem" means a BIG problem. 8. "Signing a contract" means the beginning of the real negotiation. 9. When you are feeling optimistic, think about rule number two. 10. When you are feeling discouraged, think about rule number one. 11. If they tell you, that you know China very well, say NO - otherwise they'll show you, that you don't! Have fun in China! Best Regards, DILLIGAF
very clever indeed and most certainly applicable to my driving experience today. on the way from danyang to shanghai, right before my eyes, we witnessed a lorrie carrying hundreds of pigs cross three lanes of traffic and go head on into the center wall. sadly, i think there were no survivors, pigs included...........................
I had a friend in China whos favorite quote was "Signing a contract in China is merely a pause in the negotiation process"
Haha! Now that is spot on, and don't forget reversing a few hundred meters up the motorway to get onto the off ramp they just missed. Also just stopping in any lane on the motorway to make a call to find directions. Why don't the stop on the shoulder lane? Because to Chinese that's just another passing lane.
although chinese driving looks chaotic at first, once you have been doing it for a few days you get into it and it all makes sense. this is one of my more sensible runs - qingdao 2003 in an old beijing jeep. www.fightingtorque.com/video/qingdao2020cruise.wmv
PRC classics! typical Moron Driver in Zhejiang province / China: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQvqNO9Rr-w driving in Beijing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSOFMt8JUAE running over...: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubXqio8dgb0 crossing the expressway (japanese talk, but it's in China!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt_T_cC87ts regards, DILLIGAF ps: avoid Chinese amusement parks...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUcUay-KJX8 (japanese talk, but it's in China!):
