Happy New Year, fellow riders!

January 1, 2013 brings some new and/or amended traffic laws. According to the Global Times, this is a summary:

1 point:


  • Failing to carry a driving license or vehicle registration
  • Failing to display a roadworthiness certificate on vehicle
  • Failing to display an insurance certificate on vehicle
  • Driving without the correct lights


2 points:


  • Using a mobile phone while driving
  • Driving an vehicle overloaded by up to 20% over capacity
  • Overtaking and cutting into a line of traffic
  • Using the wrong lane at a controlled intersection
  • Driving without seatbelts on an expressway


3 points:


  • Driving recklessly when approaching a pedestrian crosswalk
  • Overtaking on highway ramps
  • Ignoring road markings
  • Failing to give way to pedestrians or vehicles when making a turn
  • Failing to give way to an oncoming vehicle making a left turn, when your vehicle is turning right
  • Driving up to 50% over the speed limit
  • Failing to give way to emergency vehicles
  • Overtaking when it is prohibited or driving on the wrong side of an expressway
  • Driving in the wrong lane of urban expressways


6 points:


  • Driving with a suspended license
  • Using the emergency lane on expressways when traffic is congested
  • Running a red light
  • Failure to give way to a School Bus


12 points:


  • Driving in reverse on highway, driving on wrong side of highway, or making a U-turn on a highway
  • Driving at more than 50% over the speed limit
  • Driving while under the influence of alcohol, or driving while intoxicated
  • Leaving the scene of an accident
  • Failure to properly display license number plates, obstructing number plates, defacing number plates

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I haven't been able to do a line by line comparison old/new, but I think the above are the key modifications to the existing Traffic Code. For example, I think it is already the case that you get 12 points for using fake or copied plates, whereas it used to be 6 points for not properly displaying legal plates, obstructing plates (e.g,. on motorcycles, placing a heavy chain/lock over rear plate), or "defacing" plates (I think that means changing a number with black tape). That 6 points has been doubled.

I think there are also changes to the attached fines, but I have not been able to find any info on that.

As we all know, the key to the new laws will be year-round enforcement.

Again, Happy New Year to all. Wishing you a safe & prosperous 2013.