It is not very complicated to move around Shanghai! If there is one aspect of life that the expatriates feel anxious about, it is definitely driving in the city. And still driving in China is not that hazardous if we observe a couple of basic rules:
- A bigger car has a priority before smaller car. In the same way, a bus has priority before a car, a car before a cyclist and a cyclist before pedestrian.
- The drivers and pedestrians in Shanghai trust each other. In occidental countries, we assume that the other participants are unpredictable and that we should be rather careful. In China, it is the other way round. There is some sort of harmony between the drivers and the pedestrians and it works well for them.
- The signalization is indicative only. Don’t be surprised to see someone drive through a red light, pass the full line or pass a STOP signing without even slowing down. If there’s no one, a Shanghai native will continue to drive.
Driving in China is definitely a different experience to what you could have lived until now. But with these unwritten rules you should not have a problem driving around the city.
Note: a Chinese drivers license is obligatory for all vehicles, apart from electric scooters.
Photo : Lushdesigncreative