One of our Beijing correspondents, Ken Wills, this week published a guide for those of you who wish to try their hand at driving in Beijing during the Games. Oh dear, good luck!

Have any other Beijingers got advice?

One blogger out there simply advises … don’t! And some comments from an Aussie web site that ran Ken’s piece included these replies:

Nice article, which reflects a lot of the truth. Having driven in Beijing for the past 7 years it is hard for me to go on holiday in the West and behave as I should. Thought the traffic regulations here are the same as in the West, one does virtually what one likes to do..so do I. However, nowadays it pays not to speed as they are very strict and catch you if they can… Summary…I love driving in Beijing. It is actually remarkably safe and there are very few accidents… It’s Cool.

Posted by: Tony van Gevelt of Beijing

Tony, That is honest of you to admit that you treat the traffic laws in Beijing the way most Beijing drivers do: which means damn the rules and everyone for himself. Then again, if I were you, I’d feel ashamed of myself at the same time. I understand that you’d go nowhere in Beijing if you obey the traffic rules as we do in the West. However that doesn’t mean I’d stoop as low and join the law-defying Beijingners. It has not escaped my notice that Westerners, models citizens in their own countries, become less inhibitied once they get climatized in China—it speaks a lot about the respect (lack thereof to be more exact) people have for the rules in that country. I should know. I am from Beijing.

Posted by: Li of Sydney

I’m an Aussie who drives in Beijing and, while it can be hair-raising, I feel much better when I am the one in control of the car, rather than putting my my life in the hands of one of the local cab drivers!! What you wrote is true, though somewhat exaggerated. One thing worth adding, besides the breathalyzer (which I’ve never seen myself) is that the police do absolutely nothing. They leave it all to cameras, which oversee nothing but speeding and red-light infractions. So about one-tenth of the drivers here figure that they are better off removing the licence plates from their cars. When caught speeding, they will not be caught unless the police pull their car over. As if that’s ever going to happen!! I tend to follow the law whenever it is practical (although sometimes you get nowhere if you try), and I’ve been mounting a one-man campaign to get people to use these fancy new gadgets called indicators. If you indicate, I’ll bend over backwards to let you in, but if you don’t, I’ll actively attempt to block your path. Some people just don’t bother, and it’s my number one pet peeve.

Posted by: Shay of Beijing

Haha, Shay, good luck and have fun driving in Beijing. I’ve had enough and count myself lucky having escaped that jungle, whole. Now I feel much safer driving on F3, Pacific Highway in and around Sydney. Hey, I just came back from a road trip to Gold Coast during the X-mas holiday and 99.9% of fellow motorists abide by the rules. Perth/Fremantle drivers are braver cutting in without giving much heed to traffic (my recent observation in WA) but I’d take Aussie road any day over Beijing’s.

Posted by: Li of Sydney

One key rule I lived by when living in Beijing was: “Look four ways when crossing a one way street.” I’m sure it saved me from being potential roadkill on many occassions.

Posted by: Shelly of of Hong Kong