Chinese bicycle traffic rules
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jknops2
Posts: 171 Member
Traffic in China seems like completely chaos at first. But, after bicycling for 11 months in China, I think I figured it out. There is a system, but there are 5 important differences with the US.
1. At intersections left turning traffic has preferences before straight going traffic. The same with merging traffic, and traffic entering a street; they all have preferences and will take it. Simple rule, but very different from the US, watch this and you avoid most of the problems.
2. When in traffic always assume that everyone else is trying to cut a corner, they always do. So constantly look around 360 degrees and keep track of everyone else is, and assume they are taking the shortest or fastest route to where they want to go. So no relaxing and listening to an MP3 player, you need to look and anticipate all traffic everywhere, including pedestrians, dogs, etc, on the sidewalk next to the road.
3. If you see an opportunity to cut a corner to get a bit faster/shorter route, take it, everyone else expects you to do it. Not doing it, leads to confusion and problems.
4. Nobody gets angry in traffic here. Everyone does stupid things in traffic, and accepts that everyone else does stupid things to. And, when you get use this this, yes, you just kind of accept what is going on around you in traffic.
5. Never, ever, forget about the open, random potholes, sink holes, bricks, and other random debris on the road.
Following these five rules, actually bicycling is not that complicated here. Note this is in Lanzhou, a relatively small city in China.
Next funniest thing when bicycling. Having bicycles/motorcycles look at me when I bicycle, then do a double take and look again, when they realize that I am not Chinese, then do a triple take to look again when they see my 4 year old on the back of the bicycle. And at that stage they are about to run into someone else or worse and panic since they forgot to observe rule number 3 and 4 above. Happens like every 5-10 minutes when I bicycle.
1. At intersections left turning traffic has preferences before straight going traffic. The same with merging traffic, and traffic entering a street; they all have preferences and will take it. Simple rule, but very different from the US, watch this and you avoid most of the problems.
2. When in traffic always assume that everyone else is trying to cut a corner, they always do. So constantly look around 360 degrees and keep track of everyone else is, and assume they are taking the shortest or fastest route to where they want to go. So no relaxing and listening to an MP3 player, you need to look and anticipate all traffic everywhere, including pedestrians, dogs, etc, on the sidewalk next to the road.
3. If you see an opportunity to cut a corner to get a bit faster/shorter route, take it, everyone else expects you to do it. Not doing it, leads to confusion and problems.
4. Nobody gets angry in traffic here. Everyone does stupid things in traffic, and accepts that everyone else does stupid things to. And, when you get use this this, yes, you just kind of accept what is going on around you in traffic.
5. Never, ever, forget about the open, random potholes, sink holes, bricks, and other random debris on the road.
Following these five rules, actually bicycling is not that complicated here. Note this is in Lanzhou, a relatively small city in China.
Next funniest thing when bicycling. Having bicycles/motorcycles look at me when I bicycle, then do a double take and look again, when they realize that I am not Chinese, then do a triple take to look again when they see my 4 year old on the back of the bicycle. And at that stage they are about to run into someone else or worse and panic since they forgot to observe rule number 3 and 4 above. Happens like every 5-10 minutes when I bicycle.
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I have thus come to the conclusion that cycling in China is for winners.0
