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China Road Rules

Posted: Thursday, June 28, 2007 2:00 PM
Filed Under:

By Warren Pettine, NBC News Researcher, Beijing Bureau

On my first trip to China, my cab slammed into the side of a van. The second trip, I was hit while crossing a street – luckily no injuries. So I had plenty of personal interest when I was assigned to cover a forum on road safety in China.

Automobile accidents account for 3,000 deaths per day worldwide. As China gobbles up steel to produce automobiles, its contribution to this number is starting to look like its contribution to global warming: huge. Every five minutes in China a person dies of road traffic injuries.

Cyclists cross the east section of Chang'an street in Beijing
Reinhard Krause / Reuters
Cyclists cross a street in Beijing. 

Injuries and violence in China, grouped together in World Health Organization reports, now cause more deaths and disabilities than disease and nutrition combined. Traffic injuries account for 25 percent of injury-related deaths in China, surpassed only by suicide at 28 percent.

To shine light on the problem, the WHO this week organized a forum on road safety in China. The event brought together members of the seventeen agencies responsible for road safety, along with foreign experts for a series of lectures and discussion sessions.

Rampant road accidents
The conference room was filled with more than 120 people from China and abroad. Every 10 minutes, an attendant would appear with a bottle of hot water to fill our tea cups to the brim with green tea. During the break we were served Nescafe – a Chinese staple – and cookies.

The Chinese government estimates that 45 percent of road traffic deaths are due to poor driving. The majority of those deaths are pedestrians or bicyclists.

Official rules state that to obtain a driver’s license in Beijing, the driver must attend 58 hours of practical instruction and a week of theory classes. In practice, according to a number of Chinese interviewed, often a small bribe will secure a license nicely. As with many other aspects of Chinese society, corruption is rife.

The World Bank estimates China road traffic fatalities increased 243 percent between 1975 and 1998. Predictions are fatalities will rise another 98 percent by 2020 unless preventative measures are taken.

Ray Shuey, a former assistant police commissioner of Victoria, Australia, spoke about the effectiveness of cameras, advertising campaigns and enforcement on reducing accident rates and how those methods might help in China.

Long way to go
Swerving between trucks and a median, going the wrong way down a one-way street and creating an extra turning lane on the way back from the conference in a cab, I had trouble imagining those kinds of measures gaining much traction here.  


Crazy traffic patterns in China have even inspired video on YouTube. Click above to watch footage of traffic at an intersection in Zhaoqing, Guangodong Province.

 Part of the problem, an event organizer told me, was the low priority of road safety when compared to other problems like HIV/AIDS or SARS.

China it seems, as the saying for so many problems goes, has too many people, especially when they all take to the road.

Until the forum’s advice is implemented, I’m looking into extra health insurance.

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Comments

I think many people are missing the point.  No one is saying that the traffic system in America has no flaws; we all know that is untrue.  There are plenty of traffic accidents, including fatal ones, in the US.  However, the US system is not the point here.  Though there may have not been any accidents in the video provided, you've got to look at the statistics!  There's nothing wrong with a bit of chaos in traffic situations as long as nothing happens, but the numbers clearly show that traffic in China is a problem, sometimes a fatal one.  

Shannon, St. Louis, MO (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 11:48 AM)

And you wonder why they can't drive when they get to the US....

John, New York (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 11:56 AM)

Have you ever watched footage of New York or Chicago streets in the 1920s?  Cars, pedestrians, horse-drawn carriages, trucks, all meshed together with no stop lights or signs.  The only real difference between that and this video is people in America yielded to each other more.  There was far less me-first attitude.  That would not likely be the case today.  But the argument that Americans are regulated and controlled in every aspect of our lives and that "...you aren't gonna regulate Asian nations into docile little Americans." as if we are less free because of laws and obedience to them is short sighted.  Organization, reasonable laws, and self control leads to freedom.  Never, ever has lawless chaos led to individual freedom.  True freedom is pursuing what you love, without the constant threat of injury or death from others persuing their love.

Randy Atterbury, CA (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 12:01 PM)

I don't see any Asian people who onced lived there complaining, all i see is americans who are used to the way things are here in america, and just start to critize how another society functions just because they are not used to something different and believe that their own country is better.

To Keith P
so what if suicides are first? you have people dying left and right in america all the time cause of stupid gun shootings, does china have that? anyone with some legal documents like drivers license or green card can buy guns, and you have college students getting killed here and there and then you have the college and job suicides. So lets not try to stereotypical just cause you read something on the internet. sorry if i was being a bit stereotypical and i apologize if i offended anyone, i just get so angry when people stereotype another group of people.

Michael Deng, Brooklyn, New York (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 12:04 PM)

i spent quite a bit of time in tianjin in the 90s.   the thing i remember most is lack of headlight use at night.  someone told me it was to save gas.  this was especially fun on the 'freeway' to beijing at 11pm when two ladies had stopped their cars side by side to visit.  this was ok tho, as they had left my driver just enough room to squeeze between.  at about 253mph.

Pati, Orange Co, CA (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 12:08 PM)

From what I see in the video, I think I'd love driving in China. Here in the states I suffer road rage because there are so many needless stoplights, so many overbearing rules written for the lowest common denominator (i.e., someone who can't merge, won't turn, doesn't observe), so much jerky stop-go-stop. Western culture is tremendously rigid. We have no concept of flowing like water.

Mike, Denver CO (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 12:34 PM)

to Pati.
cars in china aren't in miles.... the number is twice than the U.S. mph system... so technically, you were only going about 127 mph. and you usually go about 100-150 mph in china on the freeway, where there's almost no cars whatsoever. just to make sure no one gets another misunderstand that asian people drive dangerously.

Michael, Brooklyn, New York (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 12:40 PM)

They're driving habits don't change when they get to this country.  Every country is different, and when you visit or move to another country, you should be aware of that countries laws and habits.  Not your own.

Keith Jackson, Brooklyn, NY (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 12:40 PM)

To Keith Jackson
Well, if you believe what you say, then you should stop talking about chinese people and their driving habits, cause all i see on this blog is you and other ignorant americans saying asians can't drive just cause they don't know China's laws and habits, so please americans, like what Keith said, every country is different, so you should be aware of their habits, and not your own.

Michael D, Brooklyn, NY (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 12:53 PM)

I think my favorite would be using the bike lane in a car.  Suzhou ROCKS!

Matt, Syracuse, NY (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 1:29 PM)

This just shows that Americans cannot understand another culture without turning it into a racial issue. Of course Harley and Keith have a right to say what they feel but it is unfair to say that a certain group of people cannot drive properly base on their race or where they are from. Perhaps if they ever got the chance to travel outside the country, they could see that "They" are just doing what works in their culture. I just wished that we wouldn't base our understanding of another culture solely on an 20 second movie clip. Maybe if Harley took his Harley to China, he may find that he isn't the best driver in the world either. Also I've been in China over a month already and I have not seen any vehicle go over 130 Kilometers. The speed limit on the highways is set at 120 Kilometers (about 70 mph) and most vehicle lack the power to go that fast (most cars here are 4 cylinder gas savers). Most vehicle here travel at 60 to 80 mph on the highway, not the 100 to 150 mph that Michael claims. City driving is in the 40 to 50 mph range. Maybe it's been a while since he driven in China. Bottom line, don't judge a book by it's cover and don't judge a culture without experiencing it first. We already have enough "Experts" in our great country.

Marcus, Tampa,FL; Guangzhou, China (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 1:36 PM)

I agree with John Kerry's statement: "Some Americans have the unfortunate habit of viewing the world exclusively through an American lens."

Chuck M (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 1:55 PM)

The key word in all this here is "Chinese". I respect their culture and all the many innovations they have given the world. But there are so many terrible drivers. I cannot count the  dozens of times I have been cut off, tailgated, cut in front of, and observed arrogant, dangerous, aloof driving by Asians, right here in the USA. And here is the kicker - it may not be their fault at all...facial structure and lack of peripheral vision could be the real reason they seem to be so darn bad behind the wheel.

S Mann Bloomfield NJ (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 2:03 PM)

When Chinese drivers start from their youth & maybe take drivers ed in school driving will become second hand & their will be more & more experienced drivers on the road by then, things will improve. I have seen too many Chinese friends lives seriously impacted by auto accidents in the USA because of inexperience on the road.

Walter Carmichael formerly NYC (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 2:03 PM)

I live in San Francisco and seriously wonder how Chinese people (not all but most) get their drivers' licenses. It almost seems like they have their own version of a DMV. I see close calls or accidents almost daily and have been nearly hit many many times, walking, on my bike, or in my car. It's not that they're just bad drivers. THey are also incredibly rude. It doesn't seem to be an immigrant issue either because Mexican drivers here in SF are polite and alert.

laurie vazquez san francisco, ca (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 2:10 PM)

Frankly, DC and Miami are worse, much worse!  It does look s little free-for-all but everyone seems to know the 'rules' and abides by them, which is more than you can say for the average American driver. We Americans have NO room to talk about crazy drivers - horn-honking-we-dont-need-no-stinking-turn-signal-none-of-your bizness-where-I-am-going freak show in Miami? Good God, have you ever driven down 75 from Tampa to Naples? it's totally insane - ninety-eight year old Mr Peanutheads' flying along in their land yachts taking the exit from the far left lane at 85 mph? Yikes, the DC Beltway, ferkrisakes man! that's the 4th circle of hell during non-rush hour traffic! Houston? Atlanta? Chicago? hell, I got sucked up to Wisconsin one time trying to drive around Chicago, even the Glen Highway in Anchorage, with the addition of grizzly bears picking their noses in the middle of the highway and moose charging cars) can be insane. We have crazy, rude, stupid divers here in the good ol' U.S. in spades! China certainly hasn't cornered the market on crazy driving - ever drive in Italy? Mexico? Ohio?

Cat, DC Metro (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 2:41 PM)

yeah, last time i driven in china was about 6 years ago... when you can drive any speed you want, as long as its a highway/freeway. and my dad was a high standing police officer back then, so he'd always do whatever he wanted when he wanted... it was cool, but when i was younger back then, the way my dad portrayed the police gave me the feel that police were like mobs and they can do anything they want as long as they can conceal it... lol. i've been back to china every other year and its changing drastically, and in cities they have street lights in almost every major road corners and such, especially the one shown above

Michael Deng, Brooklyn, NY (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 4:05 PM)

I'd like to see some real numbers regarding the accidents that take place on China's roads.  Hhow do they compare to the U.S. or other nations?

Chap (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 5:06 PM)

DAMN!!!  that looks like montgomery alabama        

maniac ashland al. (Sent Friday, June 29, 2007 10:28 PM)

As to the comment by Mark Findler, Phx, AZ (Sent Thursday, June 28, 2007 9:10 PM), Chinese are far more docile than Americans; they are incapable of doing anything without being given an order.

David Hughes, Zibo, Shandong Province, China (Sent Saturday, June 30, 2007 7:45 AM)

With respect to the comment by Mark Findler, Phx, AZ (Sent Thursday, June 28, 2007 9:10 PM), Chinese are far more docile than Americans; Chinese are incapable of doing anything without being given an order.

David Hughes, Zibo, Shandong Province, China (Sent Saturday, June 30, 2007 7:47 AM)

This actually isn't so bad for China.  I just returned from a 2 week trip and should have taken video of driving through some of the "small towns" like Xinchang or Taizhou.  The streets are filled with every form of wheeled transportation possible going in every direction. It's like a controlled chaos.  People largely ignore the honking horns.  Thank God they haven't discovered road rage, can you imagine?

Joe, Allendale, NJ (Sent Tuesday, July 03, 2007 9:14 AM)

All I have to say is are there any movies of the USA's intersections from the first model T to 1930's?  I'm sure it looked the same with cars, bicycles, and people all sharing the road!!  It takes time to build a country !!!

Jeremiah Springfield,MO (Sent Tuesday, July 03, 2007 9:09 PM)

The only comparison will be to India. The person who complaint about the US have no Idea what he/she is talking about.
The person who said, they need to slow down. They do they usually drive very slow, but that is not the point, and that is probably because they can not cope with more speed (lack of driving skill and planning and the cars are not very powerful)
As one of my friends said "For being a communist country, Chinese are the most selfish people I know" If you have spent any time in Chine you will know what I mean. For the ones who have not, let me explain. Chinese are very polite and nice IF THEY KNOW YOU if not...is a screw everyone else kind of attitude.
So when it comes to driving they just do what they want, and if they cut you of, taught shit for you! I am going where I want to go.
People will say “yea but it just does not work” I never said that the Chinese were good at seeing things ahead they do things NOW, if it does not work 5 minutes from now, we will worry then. (You can see this attitude in a traffic jam, in the west, when the smart ass pulls to the shoulder)
Also I noted that people seam to have a death wish kind of attitude, crossing the road talking on the phone without looking, or like I saw the other day, 2 girls on bicycles in the middle of the median and a guy in a car flirting and chatting like it was their living room or a bar.
Then we have the I am rich or I am an official or I am a punk rich kid or I am a punk mafia guy attitude so give me way, but we have them in the west it is just a lot more extended here (it is a cultural thing)
So no quick fixes the cameras will do nothing since you do not have a way to enforce (bribing, etc) so it will just have to take a few million deaths and a few decades of time.
But RELAX! This is Asia, thing go slow here!

Ivan Menchero, Shandong, China (Sent Tuesday, July 03, 2007 10:05 PM)

Good article Warren!  One thing to expand upon is how they compensate one another after the accident.  I assume only a small number have vehicle insurance.  In the absence of that and in the absence of a legal system settles such disputes, the accountability for one's actions may not exist.

Charles Woodrich, Glen Allen, VA (Sent Wednesday, July 04, 2007 6:34 PM)

Bad Driving Habits are a World Wide Problem... Without a doubt. And if your Home Town has the worst drivers in your opinion... That is nothing to be proud of.
Personally, I believe it is up to the individual him self to govern themselves accordingly. I that becomes a challenge for that individual, I strongly suggest removing his/her rights to operate machinery that could result in the death of others.
My YOUTUBE page demonstrates our local "Challenged" Drivers in their form.

http://www.youtube.com/OcalaFlorida

Thanks for your time.

Mr. Speed limit (Sent Friday, July 13, 2007 6:06 PM)



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