Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Exceeding speed limit by more than 50 percent:
12 points, licence may be re-
voked, RMB200-2,000 fine.
If you're caught driving at more than 50 percent over the speed limit, you'll lose
your license. Beijing licenses have a 12-point penalty system, whereby you accumu-
late points (possibly in addition to being fined or sent to jail) for various offenses.
Running a red light or speeding will earn you three points; driving without a seatbelt
results in one or two points on your record; and drunk driving can lead to six or more
points being added. If you accumulate 12 points within one year (starting from the
time you get your license), you lose your license and have to re-sit for the test, poten-
tially with some driver re-training thrown in. For more information on points, visit
BEIJING ROAD RULES
Sometimes it might not seem that way, but Beijing does have hundreds of rules and
regulations for the road. Here are some of the main ones you need to know.
Despite almost zero compliance, theoretically it is the law to wear a seatbelt both
in the front and back of a moving vehicle. In a taxi, if you want to buckle up, best
bet is to sit in the front passenger seat—although some drivers will try to talk you
out of it by telling you it's broken or that their driving skills would impress Michael
Schumacher. It seems the rule is a little up to interpretation. When I called the BMVA
to check, they said “If seatbelts are there, you're required to wear them; if they're
not, then you're not.” Within the city proper where speed is slow due to congestion,
crashes are fairly minor, but once you get out onto the open road your luck will often
be determined by cavalier drivers for whom driving a new thing.
Vehicles (should) drive on the right-hand side of the road.
What you might understand as “right of way” probably isn't what applies here. In
Western countries it typically implies whoever has the legally correct position goes
first, such as at traffic lights. In China it's whoever gets there first. This means mo-
torists will turn or merge straight into the path of others believing it's their respons-
ibility to avoid a collision. In situations where it would normally come down to a
mutual agreement, signaled by a nod or a wave, the Chinese will typically do the op-
