Association for Safe International Road Travel Road Safety Review: Know Before You Go Driving Culture • Traffic laws are generally disregarded and poorly enforced. ‰‰ Driving is on the right on the mainland; left in special • Traffic in cities is highly disorganized. administrative regions in Hong • Heavily congested city traffic includes a mix of bicycles, cars, trucks and other Kong and Macau. vehicles. ‰‰ Road signs are generally written • Motorists routinely ignore pedestrians and pedestrian zones. in Chinese; English may be • Drivers often pass on both left and right in city traffic. included in major cities. • Drivers commonly merge into roads without regard for moving traffic. ‰‰ Driving while under the • Drivers often fail to dim headlights at night in two-way traffic. influence of alcohol is common. • Drivers often do not use headlights or windshield wipers. ‰‰ Rental cars with automatic • Horn honking is common and may indicate a greeting, turning, passing or a transmission should be reserved variety of traffic maneuvers. in advance. ‰‰ There are 18.8 road deaths • Pedestrians often walk in lanes alongside slow-moving traffic in cities. per 100,000 people in China, • Pedestrians commonly walk in the middle of rural roads at night. compared to 10.6 in the US and • Motorists often cross onto sidewalks or into lanes designated for bicycles. 2.9 in the UK. • Headlight use by bicycle and motorcycle riders is rare.

Road Conditions • Road quality varies widely from province to province. • Road quality in major towns in cities is generally good. • Gaps may exist between paved sections on county highways. • Traffic in cities is generally heavily congested. • Except for expressways, tunnels may be unlit. • Clearways are roads where no stopping is allowed; signs indicating these roads are blue circles bordered by red with an “X” in the center. • The letter “G” followed by three digits on road signs indicates China National Highways. Most are toll roads. • G200 roads run east–west; G300 roads run north–south. • Provincial roads are indicated by “S” and may be in poor condition. • County highways are indicated by “X” and may be unpaved or poorly maintained. • Expressways are often toll roads with multi-lingual signs and well-marked exits. • Expressways are marked by the letter “G” followed by one, two or four digits. • Double-digit odd numbers on expressways indicate north-south city-to-city routes. • Double-digit even numbers on expressways indicate east–west city-to-city routes.

Regional and Seasonal Conditions • Tourist scams are prevalent and often target students. • Acts of terrorism do occur. Practice vigilance. • Avoid public demonstrations and political gatherings. • China is subject to natural disasters including floods, tsunamis, landslides and frequent earthquakes. Be aware of emergency procedures. • Adverse transportation and road conditions exist during National Day/Golden Week Oct. 1–7, Chinese New Year/Spring Festival (dates vary) and Summer Festival in July/ Source: CIA Factbook August. ©ASIRT 2016 1 Association for Safe International Road Travel Road Safety Review: China • Unusually wide highways include the G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway, which has 50 lanes. • These roads present special challenges to drivers: »» China National Highway 219 (G219) on the southwestern border of China; surfaces are in extremely poor condition. »» on the northern border of with China has poor surfaces and icy conditions; the world’s highest elevation border crossing. »» Torugart Pass is a high elevation pass in the mountains on the border between and the Region; surfaces may be icy and in poor repair. »» Tuen Mun Highway links Tuen Mun and Tsuen Wan in Hong Kong; highly congested conditions are common. »» China- Highway (the Friendship Highway) scenic route on the Tibetan Plateau; gravel surfaces and multiple high-elevation passes. »» China National Highway 217 (G217) in southwest Xinjiang Uyghur region is isolated with poorly maintained asphalt surfaces. »» Guoliang Tunnel located high in the Taihang Mountains of the Henan Province is regarded as one of China’s most dangerous tunnel roads; tunnels are unlit and surfaces may be icy.

Traffic Regulations Speed Limits • Headlight use during daylight hours is prohibited. • Drivers routinely ignore red lights except where traffic Type of road Maximum speed 80 kph (50 mph) police are present to direct traffic. China National 40 kph (25 mph) when Highways • Right turns on red are allowed unless otherwise signed. single lane • Drivers commonly make left turns at the beginning of Express roads within 100 kph a straight-through green light, obstructing oncoming cities (62 mph) traffic. Expressway city-to- 120 kph • Traffic lightpatterns include yellow before green. city routes (75 mph) • Traffic lightsat intersections in large cities may have Single lane city roads; 30 kph (19 mph); Multi-lane city roads 70 kph (43 mph) traffic cameras. with center divider • Parking laws vary by province; most city parking is metered. Always adjust speed according to signage, hazards and weather conditions.

Signs are generally pictorial and may not follow European Union conventions.

Toll gate Stop and yield Yield ahead Use of horns Ferry port ahead Expressway Domestic No Asian road to moving prohibited animal dangerous Highway traffic crossing goods road Network

Public Transportation • A network of public transportation routes covers much of the country. • Familiarize yourself with schedules, routes and fares in advance to ensure you are able to use safest forms of transport. • Public and private bus drivers often behave aggressively and ignore red lights. • Buses often do not slow significantly when turning. • Bus equipment varies in condition; signage is generally restricted to Chinese. • Trains and metros are often densely crowded; buy tickets in advance. • Subways are available in most major cities; maps and signage may not include English. • Taxi drivers may ignore traffic rules.

©ASIRT 2016 2 Association for Safe International Road Travel Road Safety Review: China • Taxi drivers commonly use turn-only lanes to Beijing (Capital) overtake other traffic. »»Most public transportation shuts down at 11 p.m. • Public taxis include pedicabs, also known as »»Some subway lines may stay in service until midnight. rickshaws; available in smaller cities and rural »»Few taxi drivers speak English. When using taxi services, have locations. your hotel address written down in Chinese to show your • Avoid unauthorized taxis, known as “black cabs.” driver, or carry a hotel business card. May be any color; “black” refers to them being »»Local and long-distance bus service is available. unlicensed or unsanctioned. »»Buses are generally quite crowded and routes can be • All legitimate taxis in Beijing have plates that start confusing if you are not familiar with the city. with a Chinese character followed by the letter “B.” Hong Kong • Insist that taxi drivers use meters and remove »»Public rail transportation is highly organized. luggage before exiting the vehicle. »»Rechargeable city travel cards (Octopus cards) allow access to • There is regular ferry, boat and hovercraft service all public transportation. between Hong Kong and Macau, and between »»Metro and tram maps and signs are in Chinese and English. Mainland China and numerous destinations. »»Most metro information kiosks have English-speaking staff. • Electric bicycles have been banned in Beijing, »»Bus routes can be confusing. Shanghai and Guangzhou. Use is limited in »»According to research conducted by Hong Kong-based Shenzhen. Kwiksure Insurance, double-decker public buses may be safer • Scooters and motorcycles are banned or restricted than white minibuses that carry up to 16 persons at a time. in many major cities. »»Minibus drivers pick up passengers on busy streets, and drop off passengers when stops are requested regardless of location. Passengers must call for stops. »»Taxis are color-coded by city region. »»Taxis may be hailed on the street. »»Ferries are available to the mainland and outlying islands. »»Pedestrian tunnels and overpasses avoid busy roads. »»Covered walkways connect main city buildings.

Shanghai »»Subway service is extensive and efficient. Tickets are required for both entry and exit; ticket machines have English options. »»Subway maps and exit signs are in English. Announcements are given in both Chinese and English. »»Buses are generally crowed. Route maps are in Chinese. »»Some bus drivers may call out stops in English. »»Most taxi drivers do not speak English. »»Taxi driver licenses carry a number; lower numbers indicate more experienced drivers. Look for numbers below 200,000. »»Bike rentals are readily available; helmets are not included. »»Long distance train service is available from several stations, including one next to the airport. »»Regular ferry service is available from a public terminal south of Riverside Promenade.

©ASIRT 2016 3 Association for Safe International Road Travel Road Safety Review: China Emergency Information • Mainland China: »» Police 110 »» Traffic police: 122 »» Fire 119 »» Ambulance/health emergencies 120 • Hong Kong: »» Police/fire/ambulance 999 • Pre-program emergency numbers into your phone before departure. • If involved in a crash: »» Call the police and wait for authorities to arrive. »» When injuries are involved, the driver at fault may be responsible for the cost of medical care for injured parties. »» Authorities may confiscate passports until financial obligations have been fulfilled. • If a crash occurs without injuries: »» Parties may come to an agreement without contacting the police. »» Crash disputes may be resolved by the local courts.

ASIRT is a non-profit humanitarian organization established in memory of Aron Sobel, age 25, who was killed along with 22 other passengers in a Pamukkale Bus Company crash on the roads of Turkey.

Disclaimer: ASIRT provides this information as a service to travelers. This Road Safety Review is intended to provide general guidelines for travelers driving in country, whether their own or rental vehicles. ASIRT in no way recommends driving in an unfamiliar country. Any electronic links provided in this Report are for illustrative purposes and ASIRT is not responsible for the content provided within these electronic links and/or videos. Copyright: Purchasers of this Road Safety Review are entitled to use it for purposes of research, education, information on health, safety and general road and traffic conditions or other non-commercial uses. Neither the whole nor any part of this ASIRT Road Safety Review may be copied in any form or provided to any other party without the prior written consent of the copyright owner. Flag images are © Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook.

To order more copies or to order Road Travel Reports for other countries please contact: Association for Safe International Road Travel, 12320 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852 USA, 1-240-249-0100, www.asirt.org; [email protected]

©ASIRT 2016 4