04 October 2012 (Day 29):

 

Today was our IS presentation. All went well and we learnt a lot from each others’ presentations. From my presentation slides, I’d like to highlight some things that I think you may like to know about driving in China.

In Tianjin, the drivers have the “First is Right” thinking. This means that as long as the driver does anything first, he expects everyone else to yield to him. For example, picture yourself as a driver who is travelling on the 3^rd lane on a 4-lane road when you notice that further up on your lane, there is a jam. At the same time, you notice a small opening on the 2^nd lane beside you. Without a moment’s hesitation, you swerve into that opening and leave the other cars behind with no choice but to slow down (just as you expected them to). This may be a gross exaggeration but that’s the best example I have to help you understand the “First is Right” thinking.

As such, the drivers in Tianjin have a high level of awareness of the situation around them. By looking at the current situation, they are able to infer the “body language” of the cars around them and hence decide, as a driver, if he/she should slow down or continue at the current speed.

 

If they have a book on this,

 

Perhaps the publishers could consider a book like this too…

Just joking J

 

 The 2^nd thing about the drivers is that no matter where you’re driving, whether on the road, on the road going in the opposite direction, on the pavement or bicycle lane, you MUST keep moving. For cars driving down the opposite direction, they must find a place to turn sooner or later and hence get back in the right flow of traffic.

 

To sum up what I have said, here are 2 simple rules to remember:

Rule #1: Don’t hit anything.

Rule #2: Don’t get hit by anything.

Simple as that J.

 

Now, I would like to share some interesting facts with you.

Interesting Fact #1

Since the first day we were in Tianjin, we heard several vehicles honking at each other in the morning, in the afternoon and even at night when we’re trying to sleep. According to my research, there are at least 10 different messages that honking can relay depending on the frequency and duration of each honk.

• A solid honk (Hoooooonnnnkkk) is a call for attention.
• Honking twice (Hoonnk Hoonnk) shows signs of irritation.
• A series of short honks (Hnkhnk hnk hnk hnk) represents pure panic; and
• An afterthought honk, which comes after a situation (like a minor traffic jam) clears up usually means that a rookie driver was a bit slow in hitting the honk button.

The drivers honk at both pedestrians and other car drivers and it can be pretty loud at times

  

Interesting Fact #2

In China, the drivers run through the red lights when there is, or isn’t, any opposing traffic. In 2009, a retired teacher in Lanzhou initiated a campaign to make an intersection near his home safer and threw bricks at cars that ran the lights. According to sources, he managed to hit over 30 cars before the police showed up. On a lighter note, he was praised on the Chinese Internet as a hero.

 

 

Well, I think that ends my blog entry for today. I hope that after reading this post you will become an expert honk-reader and also won’t er… hurl bricks at anyone who runs the lights, eh?

Until my next post, you readers take care!

 

Best regards,

Marianne

 

Author’s Note:

References

O     Traffic Laws in China. Retrieved September 2012 from InterNations website at http://www.internations.org/china-expats/guide/driving-in-china-15632/traffic-laws-in-china-2

O     05Transportation. Retrieved September 2012 from FACTS AND DETAILS website at http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=409&catid=13&subcatid=86

O     (18 April 2012). Driving in China. Retrieved September 2012 from Wikitravel website at http://wikitravel.org/en/Driving_in_China

O     About the dangers. Retrieved September 2012 from China Driver License website at http://www.china-driver-license.com/driving_in_china/the_dangers.html

O     Picture of Body Language bookcover retrieved from http://www.iwaha.com/ebook/blbook/index1.gif

O     Picture of car with a speech bubble retrieved from http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/483673/483673,1319752709,6/stock-vector-car-honking-horn-cartoon-87944887.jpg

O     Picture of car swerving left and right retrieved from http://www.clipartguide.com/_named_clipart_images/0511-1004-1520-2360_Slippery_When_Wet_Road_Sign_with_Car_clipart_image.jpg

O     Picture of car in a rounded square retrieved from http://www.clker.com/cliparts/2/9/2/e/12065640682026668861johnny_automatic_Land_recreation_symbols_9.svg.med.png

O     Picture of man honking at pedestrian retrieved from http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/04/22/nyregion/complaint.480.jpg