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  1. #21 Re: Jan 1, 2013 Traffic Law Amendments 
    Senior C-Moto Guru ZMC888's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TB-Racing
    "I'm very disappointed, Ni said. "The only thing they are concerned about is money."
    Would ya freaking believe this in China?

    Quote Originally Posted by TB-Racing
    City authorities said earlier they will monitor driving schools for illegal price hikes.
    Then do nothing as long as there was an adequate kick-back from the driving school.

    It sickens me to think that the morons who call themselves driving instructors that would be laughed out of the car if they tried to take a test in a western country are going to make even more cash with their inept bamboo stick reversing horse-shit.
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  2. #22 Re: Jan 1, 2013 Traffic Law Amendments 
    Senior C-Moto Guru euphonius's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou View Post
    Just read on CRI English that the government has backed off on the Yellow light rule.
    The most controversial by far is the new rule on yellow traffic lights. According to the rule, vehicles that have passed the stop line on the road when the light turns yellow can continue through the intersection. All other motorists are expected to stop. Violators will be fined 20 yuan (US$3.21) to 200 yuan and have six points deducted.

    Some motorists have said this is almost impossible in practice and may lead to more accidents as drivers stop too suddenly because of a yellow light.

    Traffic authorities countered by saying that if drivers slow down before they reach an intersection and keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of them then there would be no danger.
    It's really sad if this yellow light lapses so soon. In civilized countries, it is an article of faith that you don't enter the yellow if you cannot exit the intersection before the light turns red. Because this is so rare in China, we see endless but completely unnecessary cases of gridlock, where the cars that accelerated into the yellow can't get out and end up blocking the cross traffic. When I lived in New York City in the 1980s, the city launched the slogan "Don't Block the Box" and enforced heavy fines on anyone who did. This made a huge difference, not only for flow of traffic but also for pedestrians and bicyclists who had to contend with 2-ton missiles accelerating into their path to squeeze through a yellow. This fear is palpable today at every intersection in China.

    China must use enforcement to teach motorists that their rights and privileges as drivers are limited and subject to revocation.


    Students were also having trouble with the new road test. At the Meilong driving school, only eight of 20 passed yesterday.
    I was riding a high-speed train out of Beijing on Sunday afternoon, and passed a huge driver testing center south of town. OK, I was traveling at 300kph so didn't get a sustained glimpse, but the scene was hilarious:

    There were so many cars on the testing grounds that there was gridlock almost everywhere. Very few of the cars were moving at all.

    I don't mind at all if the authorities make it MUCH harder to qualify for a drivers license. Bring it on!

    One final note, my housekeeper in Shanghai finally married off her younger son in his mid-30s. The lucky lass made all the au courant demands: A house with no inlaws living there, a diamond ring, gold necklaces and a minimum of 300k rmb in a bank account, and of course also a car. She has no clue how to drive, but managed to get a license and now pilots their connubial crate around Pudong feeling like a million bucks. This inane compulsion to have cars that people don't need is pushing China to the brink of nationwide gridlock.

    cheers
    jkp
    Shanghai
    2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
    2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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  3. #23 Re: Jan 1, 2013 Traffic Law Amendments 
    MCM Chinese fellow td_ref's Avatar
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    "In civilized countries, it is an article of faith that you don't enter the yellow if you cannot exit the intersection before the light turns red."

    I wasn't told, but this make sense.

    there are other causes for inefficient traffice flow, namely slow start, barging.
    同志仍需努力
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  4. #24 Re: Jan 1, 2013 Traffic Law Amendments 
    Senior C-Moto Guru euphonius's Avatar
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    Dear TD,

    sorry for my infelicitous use of "civilized countries" as if in contrast to China. I should have said, "in countries with civilized traffic..."

    I always undergo culture shock when I return to California, where motorists often will stop to allow you to cross even if you are just standing on the side of the road, as if you are planning to cross. At crossings with stop signs (not lights) in all four directions, when two cars arrive at the same time, the rule is to yield to the car on the right, but often you can see both drivers gesturing as if to say, "after you!" "no, you first!" "no, please go ahead."

    Extreme politeness can be vexing too, but it makes for much safer driving!

    cheers
    jkp
    Shanghai
    2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
    2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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  5. #25 Re: Jan 1, 2013 Traffic Law Amendments 
    MCM Chinese fellow td_ref's Avatar
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    No worry, I wan't offended at all.
    同志仍需努力
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  6. #26 Re: Jan 1, 2013 Traffic Law Amendments 
    C-Moto Guru TexasAggie's Avatar
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    jkp,
    Last time I was in Los Angeles, I had a guy hit my car with his on purpose while he was experiencing road rage at yet another driver. California does not always have civilized traffic. Just sayin...........
    DT
    Keeping the rubber side down.....most of the time.
    Nanjing wheels:BMW F800GS / Texas wheels:BMW R1200GSA & 70' Bultaco El Bandido
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  7. #27 Re: Jan 1, 2013 Traffic Law Amendments 
    Life Is Good! ChinaV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by td_ref View Post
    there are other causes for inefficient traffice flow, namely slow start, barging.
    Too often we blame the drivers, but at least half the problem is poor city planning and traffic light management. 4 way intersections with 180 second light cycles is bound to cause road rage in any society.

    The sad part to all this is that it's not going to get better before it gets much, much worse. I've been out to dinner twice in the last 6 months as I simply can't stomach the 30 minutes it now takes to drive downtown and finding a parking spot. Routine 10 minute trips 5 years ago now exceed half an hour and sometimes can take over an hour at peak times.

    2005 Trip to my favourite noodle restaurant = 7 kilometres / 3 traffic lights / 10-15 minutes
    2013 Trip to my favourite noodle restaurant = 7 kilometres / 11 traffic lights / 30-45 minutes + mandatory parking fees since there are only 2000 parking spots for the 162,000 cars in my city. People walk in the middle of the street through the gridlocked traffic because all the sidewalks are filled with parked cars.



    A friend of mine bought a car 3 years ago and never put the plates on it. 85,000 kilometres later he has never been stopped and has no tickets

    Cheers!
    ChinaV
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  8. #28 Re: Jan 1, 2013 Traffic Law Amendments 
    Senior C-Moto Guru ZMC888's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChinaV
    Too often we blame the drivers, but at least half the problem is poor city planning and traffic light management. 4 way intersections with 180 second light cycles is bound to cause road rage in any society.

    2005 Trip to my favourite noodle restaurant = 7 kilometres / 3 traffic lights / 10-15 minutes
    2013 Trip to my favourite noodle restaurant = 7 kilometres / 11 traffic lights / 30-45 minutes
    Exactly, no increase in traffic light technology, and no willingness to embrace any other kind of planning. Most places in Europe traffic lights are absolutely a last resort and are variably timed according to time of day and traffic density.
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  9. #29 Re: Jan 1, 2013 Traffic Law Amendments 
    Danger, Will Robinson! Lao Jia Hou's Avatar
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    Only 40 Percent Can Pass New Driving Test 2013-01-10 CRIENGLISH.com

    The pass-rate of new national driving test is only 40 percent since the Ministry of Public Security increased the difficulty of the test on January 1, chinanews.com reports.

    Data from the Vehicle Administration Office in Nanchang, the capital city of southeast China's Jiangxi Province shows that of nearly 100 students who took the "subject three" portion of the test -- driving a car outside a defined area -- none passed.

    Five hundred and four students at a driving test center in Chongqing, in southwest China's Sichuan Province, had applied to take the "subject two" level -- driving a car in defined area -- yet 103 of the students backed out of taking the test due to lack of confidence.

    Moreover, instructors at the driving schools have had troubles teaching following the new regulations.

    "Students are unable to stop the car during the test with the new standard, and must restart it within 30 seconds in the designated parking test," said one driving coach surnamed Mao in Zhengzhou, who estimated that half of those who took the exam would fail subject 2.

    The new test standards also leave an instructor surnamed He at the Xingzhao Driving School in Hangzhou in a bit of a quandary. He said only 20 percent of the 40 students in his school can pass the test now.

    A police office surnamed Liu in the Guangzhou Vehicle Administration Office suggested that students and instructors should spend some time adapting themselves to the new test regulations, "We will study new teaching methods with the traffic control department to cut the failure rates," said Liu.

    Meanwhile the training fee of driving school has skyrocketed to more than 5,000 yuan -- about 800 US dollars -- for a C1 car license in Beijing and over 7,000 yuan in Shanghai. The biggest increase is about 50 percent.

    "The practice requirement of the new driving test is very demanding," said Shu Shengxiang, a media commentator. "There is only an exam outline instead of a range of questions and answers for students. Questions based on animated simulations have replaced written questions on the exam, making it more difficult for students used to rote learning."

    ====================

    I recall getting my DL a long time ago (Stairway to Heaven was the #1 song!). My "test" was two parts: a 20 question written; and a "drive around the block" road test. Looking back, it was pathetic. I remember that only the most incompetent 16-year-olds failed. Actually, I don't recall knowing anyone who failed.

    Today, back home, it is tough - really tough - a graduated system where you do not receive an "unrestricted DL" until after 3 years of points-free driving. I also recall that when these additional restrictions were being implemented, there was substantial vocal opposition.

    Two things jumped out at me in the CRI article above:

    1) Students opted out of the test for "lack of confidence." Interesting. I would praise those students who thought "you know what? I'm not ready." Although I also wonder if there were feelings that they were "ready" to hit the streets if they could just pass the damn test.

    2) Rote learning - anyone who has been involved with the education system in China knows that moving students away from rote learning is an almost insurmountable task.

    Nevertheless, China is moving in the right direction, IMHO, albeit with growing pains.
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  10. #30 Re: Jan 1, 2013 Traffic Law Amendments 
    Senior C-Moto Guru euphonius's Avatar
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    Nevertheless, China is moving in the right direction, IMHO, albeit with growing pains.
    Very much agree. I hope one of the results will be to cause people to rethink their "need" for a DL. I think much of today's "need" is about peer pressure and social acceptance -- "What, you don't have a DL yet?" -- rather than genuine situational need.

    What worries me, however, is pushing the bar higher on testing will create new opportunities for corruption. There's been talk in this thread about finding friends in the police or vehicle management infrastructure who can "help" members around various barriers, and I suspect, sadly, that some portion of those failing tests or chickening out will resort to such extralegal measures.

    cheers
    jkp
    Shanghai
    2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
    2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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