Driving in China (Jin)

As everyone knows, the bicycle has been the major vehicle in China because of its convenience and cheap, however, driving has been a popular issue in recent years which is due to the improvement of living standard in my view. Compare with other countries, matters concerned driving have far too differences in China.

Driving license are divided into A, B, C. If you only want to drive a private car, you can get C license from the age of 18. Before getting the license, everyone has to pass the theory and practice exams in the specific school which are various in different areas. Frankly, according to what I have known from my friends, getting a license in city is nowhere near as easy as in countryside, however, which can’t represent the corresponding driving ability. In fact, driving accidents were terrible in the big city which were the focus in China and leaded to the relevant driving policies regarding the stricter punishment than it used to be in last years.

In terms of driving ability, Chinese might be the “best” driver in the world which is the conclusion after I have been in New Zealand. In New Zealand the cars are accustomed to let the pedestrian cross the road advance, the situation is absolute opposite in China which means a pedestrian is always waiting for a long time until he can’t see any cars, then he has the opportunity to cross the road. It seems as though the most important thing for Chinese drivers is that you must insist on your lane, maybe take other lanes sometimes, which is the reason why my Chinese friends in New Zealand say they don’t drive when they come back to the hometown.

The other serious problem is the overspeed especially for young males, although there have been definite regulations on different roads such as 60-80km in city and 80-120km on the motorway. In my view, young men enjoy the excitement from the higher speed which makes them feel powerful and unique. In China, the private car is not only a kind of transport but also a symbol of one’s status.

In fact driving is a controversial issue in China. On one hand it is a tendency reflecting the development of our life, on the other hand it contributes a series of problems which are involved in pollution, traffic congestion, traffic accident and so on.