| Hi JS, You asked what is the reason for a right turn on red rule. Right on red was initially adopted to keep traffic flowing when the situation ( safety concerns and traffic ) alowed for it. No point sitting and waiting for the light to change when there are NO pedestrians in the crosswalk and NO cross traffic. I have seen the law concerning right on red in China and it translates to the same meaning as most places around the world. Right on red AFTER yielding to pedestrians in the crosswalk, AFTER checking that a turn can be made safely, without intefering with cross traffic and most importantly AFTER stopping. Right on red was never meant to be used to ignore the red light. By sticking the nose of your car in front of the on coming traffic, forcing them to let you in, may help you get to where you're going quicker, but it is not the purpose of the rule. At this point you're infringing on the flow of traffic not helping it. Kind of defeats the purpose. Think of it this way: the light is red and you're supposed to wait. If an opportunity comes to continue safely, then turn and be on your way. If the opportunity does not appear, then wait your turn and go when your light is green. I think Chas hit the nail on the head, it's about respect. People in China tend to drive the same way they walk or get on the subway, selfishly, rudely and with no consideration for others. Who said before ? The "ME ME ME first" mentality. Now changing that way of thinking could take many years to fix. It's all about education, start with the kids , they haven't been spoiled yet. For the rest of us, we'll just have to live with it. These guys aren't getting religion anytime soon. PS Most people would cross at the green if they knew for sure you were stopping. At this point in time they are afraid you might be teasing them into complacence and setting them up for the kill. They don't trust driver's behavior yet. |
How I drive in Shanghai - Part II