Keeping pace with China's crazy drivers

Foreigners are often astonished by the daring and sometimes dangerous tactics of Chinese drivers. Here is what our expat readers have shared about learning to survive on China's roads.

ManfromEngland (UK)

I also drive a car in China. In the city it's not too bad as no one can drive very fast most of the time, but it's a different story on the highway. Looking through my windscreen, it's like watching a computer game. It's crazy. People don't care about how they are driving or the risk they put on others. People are always using the hard shoulder to undertake and then speed back into the slow lane. I think many accidents are caused because of this.

RonJaDa （Canada）

I have been amazed at how few accidents I have seen in China, and the ones I have seen appear to cause relatively minor damage. I amalways careful walking across crosswalks with green lights here in China or any other country I happen to be in. In Canada, cars must andusually do stop and yield the right of way to pedestrians, if the pedestrian is within three feet of the intersection during a walk signal.

TedM （UK）

I wonder how Chinese people can be so friendly, polite and kind to each other, and yet become completely unaware of the dangers oncethey step into the streets or take to the wheels.

Pedestrians cross roads without a care about their safety. Motorcyclists speed down pavements and roads without any regard forpedestrians and other vehicles. Cars and trucks constantly cut across lanes. Pedestrian crossings and traffic lights are largely ignored bymany.

ExileMick (Canada)

Oh, come to Chongqing! Here you will see the very best Chinese driving possible - or the worst, depending on how you choose to see it.Viewed with western eyes and through western experiences, the traffic is absolute madness but, looking with the openness of impartiality,you will see how it flows and quite smoothly at that. No one becomes angry at another's driving and everything is accepted as normal. Thereare no raised fists being thrust out of windows, no birds being flipped, no shouting or screaming, no fights about someone taking 'your'space on the road. In brief, there is no road rage whatsoever and everyone accepts everyone else's driving, simply moving around oradjusting to the new situation in an almost Taoist way.

Expatter（US）

I got my drivers license in Nanjing in 1994 and drove for one year in that city. It was unbelievable and amazing, just like a video game. I donot give way to pedestrians either. I now live in a smaller city and whilst not quite as exciting as Nanjing it's still pretty funky. Even in thissmaller city I use my car horn more in one trip than in the whole of my previous years driving abroad.

My favorite part of driving in China is when the drivers flash you twice with their headlights. In the West this means, please go, after you. Herein China it means, "don't you dare, I am not stopping." It is still fun to drive in China though.

Bloke（Australia）

After 24 years of living I had been to 20 countries before coming to China, living 23 of those years in Australia. In that time I had seen lessthan 5 accidents. Within 6 months of living in Changchun I had seen over 100 accidents. Only 3 or 4 of them bad, most minor hits but thecars remained on the road blocking traffic.

Источник: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2014-06/26/content_17518555_8.htm