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It's been a long while since I've been to China, but my own experiences were also on the terrifying end of the scale. There was no way I was gonna get behind the wheel - they be crazy there!
chickensevil
Active Member
As a scale compared to New York how much worse is China? Because in New York you are bound to get run down as well, both as a driver and as a pedestrian. Course that doesn't stop the pedestrians from just jumping out into the road expecting you to stop either. They also have blatant disregard for the lane markings. As one example: I was on a 3 lane road going into the turn lane (the far right lane) and some taxi cab pulls up to my right to push his way around me, even though I wasn't going anywhere because the car in front of me was waiting to be able to turn.
Of note, I have only driven through downtown Manhattan one time lasting all of about 30 minutes and it was the worst 30 minutes of driving in my life! (In fairness I was a little worried because it was my precious Tesla that was being subjected to the streets of New York... and I didn't want anything to happen to it).
Driving in D.C. is also a crazy headache of a nightmare, one I have experienced on more than one occasion. Although most people seem to mostly stick to their lanes, crazy stuff does happen, especially when you are trying to get somewhere and they have blocked off entire sections of DC for one event or another and all this traffic is being funneled down other roads... it causes some pretty crazy headaches.
So just trying to get a decent comparison here to how much WORSE driving in the cities of China might be over D.C. or New York.
artsci
Sponsor
Hard to believe but cities in China are worse than New York. On one of my last trips to China I was planning to rent a car to drive from Shenzhen to Guangzhou. My Chinese hosts laughed at me and thought I was a fool. Basically they thought I'd never make it, so one of them arranged a private car to take me there. What I observed during the parts of the drive in both cities put a lump in my throat.
I lived in Manhattan for 7 years, and believe me, the driving there looks quite civil in comparison to what one would see in any major Chinese city.
chickensevil
Active Member
Oh so then a lot like India
I will say based on that video that it would be worse than what I have experienced, but people are driving pretty slow, and pushing their way through as they can. I think I would probably be scared to death driving there, but no worse than driving on other crazy streets. It is all about that calm zen when you drive. I have gotten quite passive when it comes to traffic situations and happily just let other people be the "bigger man" and push their way through. It works out better since I am less likely to hit them since I just yield the way.
Not that this is not a new behavior from driving my Model S, but something I have been developing for a while.
Anyway. I still wouldn't WANT to drive there... just as I don't WANT to drive in DC or New York. I very much dislike dealing with the traffic.
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Phil Seastrand
Member
Actually, that video of China looks pretty tame. It looks like everyone gives way to everyone else and it's a controlled chaos.
rogbmw
Member
Looked at the picture of the crashed Tesla....don't you think that will just buff right out??? :smile:
In all these countries there are unwritten rules of the road that are not apparent to an outsider. I've ben driven around Beijing and Bangalore plenty of times. The drivers understood what to do and what not to do. They also understood where danger might come from, sometimes in ways that surprised me. Manhattan is simple. Yes, lanes are optional, but everyone gets that they're part of a larger organism snaking down the road. When the guy in the right lane shifts left to get around a bus or stopped cab, the other lanes shift left as well. Doesn't matter what the markings on the pavement say. And, honestly, it's about as efficient as it's going to get with all of the traffic there.
I would risk New York, no hesitation. I would not drive in China. Plus if you did get into an accident, as a foreigner it would be your fault regardless of what actually happened.
That is tame compared to what I've seen. The video did point out that Traffic lights and stop signs are basically optional, but the video shows things pretty calm and cautious. I've seen some insane stuff as others have pointed out. NYC has bad congestion but not roaming chaos.
wiztecy
Active Member
chickensevil
Active Member
OK definitely way worse... They have TONS of room on these roads and people are still not staying in lanes... Like there is enough room to have each side be four lanes instead of two! Maybe that's part of the problem? The lanes or too big so people just ignore them and drive however they feel like?
I bet this is what the early 1900s must have felt like...
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timpoo
Member
I have no problem getting into cars in China - may seem chaotic to Westerners, and that's partly because it is, but drivers are aware of their limitations. Of course, there will be arseholes and reckless drivers, but there is in any country.
Not to mention, it has improved dramatically in the last 10 years, especially in the big cities. Plus in places like Shanghai, there's so much traffic it doesn't matter.
Remember this simple rule and you'll be fine: expensive cars give way to cheaper cars
Not to mention, it has improved dramatically in the last 10 years, especially in the big cities. Plus in places like Shanghai, there's so much traffic it doesn't matter.
Remember this simple rule and you'll be fine: expensive cars give way to cheaper cars
chickensevil
Active Member
I have no problem getting into cars in China - may seem chaotic to Westerners, and that's partly because it is, but drivers are aware of their limitations. Of course, there will be arseholes and reckless drivers, but there is in any country.
Not to mention, it has improved dramatically in the last 10 years, especially in the big cities. Plus in places like Shanghai, there's so much traffic it doesn't matter.
Remember this simple rule and you'll be fine: expensive cars give way to cheaper cars
That rule applies pretty much universally. Haha
Growing up in Boston, my daughter compared our drivers to a flock of swallows: no one outside the flock can perceive how thousands of birds swoop and soar together, but the birds never collide. An out-of-towner driver stands out like a seagull flying through the middle of the swallows.
Zzzz...
Member
The video above looks like it was shot 20 years ago. A lot changed since then. This is more like China I know, still lots of terrible driving but huge difference anyway:
Driving in China - 2014 (1) - YouTube
Driving in China - 2014 (1) - YouTube
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Richard Benson
Member
chickensevil
Active Member
Oh well see, then this isn't so bad. Much more civilized. I mean sure they have a way to go, but I don't think I would be too afraid to drive in that. No more than New York or DC.
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