‘Road Sense’… it is an amazing word. For some it means understanding the rules and regulations that apply to people who use the roads, for others you would think that the word or rather the phrase takes up a completely unique and different meaning.

There are places in the world where I am sure if my grandma decided to sit behind the wheel, she would do perfectly fine, but then again there are places where even experienced and seasoned drivers would sweat up a flood in minutes, normally these are the places where the word ‘road sense’ means the art of getting on the road and getting off it, ideally in one piece.

Most developed European countries, with probably way less sense of adventure, tend to use their roads in a very mechanical and methodical fashion. Everyone knows what they are doing and what they should be doing and by large the main concern is not to commit an error as most people are not expecting that you do not possess the so called sense that goes on the road. In many Asian countries and countries where rules and regulations have not yet drained the sense of adventure from the people, the story is absolutely reverse. When you go out on the road the thing you are always looking out for is the error that the other person can and will commit, since you could still end up in a heap of trouble, courtesy to the person or vehicle that came in front of you out of nowhere!!!

The story holds true for the soon-to-be Olympic host, Beijing. A huge city with a massive population that is still coming to grips with ever increasing number of vehicles on the roads and an estimated 11 hour long peak time traffic on the city’s major roads causing major road blocks. Using the public transport in the city is not a bad idea but then again, there are amongst us the restless souls who like to be in the thick of the action and are planning to hire a car during their stay in the city for the Olympic Games. For the people who are going to venture for the first time in to the tumultuous sea of a rather erratic ocean of traffic, we decided to list a few do’s and don’ts that would hopefully keep you safe out in the wild.

1. Always be on a look out for other vehicles close to you in all directions. Underestimating someone’s ability can be disastrous. Then again probably the driver in the next car is expecting the same from you which makes the equation a little better. At times though you might find that the other party fell asleep on the job and that might cost you a little but hope for the best and may be you won’t come across anyone busy with make up time or other activities while sitting behind the wheel.

2. True you might see a few markings and lines drawn on the roads and back home they might have held some meaning as well, but don’t for a second consider that those sad little lines on the road are going to keep the others going straight without sidetracking a little left or right to check how things are in other lanes.

3. It’s a cut throat world out there and if someone gets a sniff that they can squeeze or cut in front of you from the other lane they will. Be alert and keep your foot very close to the brake, a feature that is miraculously very reliable in most cars running around in China.

4. Whenever you are starting off on a green signal, take a second to make sure all sides that were previously on the move have come to a halt. Getting through the signal in the nick of time just as the light turns red is a challenge many love taking on. True you might find a lonely soul in the middle of a big traffic signal at times waving his hands frantically about, but in all honesty the only thing you can feel for that poor soul is sympathy.

5. In most inflexible and methodical societies, horn and flashing headlights is considered rude and these accessories are hardly ever put to any good use. When you decide to come out on the road here, make sure you know and remember the location of your horn (this is critical). At first it might take a lot of energy to actually make a noise with that horn but don’t be shy…consider it an instrument to let others know of your presence in the world and it may help you prolong your stay…just kidding.

6. It wasn’t so long ago that roads in China were ruled by the cyclists, and at times you would think that nothing has changed. The pedestrians and cyclists are a breed of people who are (at least in their own minds) invincible. More than the cars, what you have to look out for and truly fear are the cyclists and pedestrians that might spring out from anywhere anytime and for some reason the rule book they follow is mighty different from yours. If you see them, you have to avoid them or they’ll blame you for impeding their path. Sitting in a car doesn’t make you a god, on the other hand they certainly do rule the roads.

7. Something a little more specific to China and Beijing is the presence of patrol cars that might come up behind you with flashing light. Don’t worry you probably are not being asked to pull over. Until they also make the noise, you are safe and the lights are only a way of letting people know that someone has an eye on them.

8. For people taking their road maps a little too seriously, things might become a bit hard to fathom. Most European maps of Beijing give the names of the major roads but for some reasons Beijingers prefer to have road signs give distance to upcoming bridges rather than the major intersections. You better figure out the bridges along with the major intersections pretty quick if you want any success on the roads.

9. Most roads in Beijing have a median lane in the middle and you might not find a U-turn for a long long time. Stay calm and don’t panic if you do happen to miss a turn, though it might take a lot more time and vigilance to look for the next possible turn. It’s a big city and sooner or later (proabably later) you will get to where you want to. Only downside, it’ll take absolutely forever and you’ll risk missing the Olympic Games all together.

10. It is a busy city with a huge population and huge numbers of vehicles, big and small sharing the limited space on the roads. While going around the city you might come across a few accidents and collisions here and there. At times you wonder how the two parties managed to get in to such a tangle but don’t let such sights bother you a lot. Mostly due to the congession and resulting slow speeds on such busy and eventful roads people mostly make it unharmed. Same can not be said about the cars and cycles unfortunately.

It can be safely said that the traffic rules are generally the same in China as anywhere around the world, the only thing peculiar to the place is the degree of flexibility that is shown on every corner and every bend in the road that makes driving a real challenge and a really stressful thrill. Rest assured though, people in Beijing are not susceptible to road rage so you won’t come across many aggressive drivers. Honestly it’s only the ‘sense’ part of road sense that needs some figuring.

P.S. if this whole thing seems a bit too hard to follow worry not, take a bus and you can get anywhere stress free (almost…if crowds don’t bother you)

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