Mainland China Road Trip: Top 10 Questions and Essential Driving Rules

One of the most well-known rules in Mainland China is the left-hand drive. The most important thing to note is that the driving direction will change from Hong Kong's left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic, with the leftmost lane being the "fast lane." If you want to overtake the vehicle in front, you should do so in the left lane. Additionally, when entering and exiting roundabouts, you'll need to drive in a counter-clockwise direction, which is the opposite of the clockwise direction in Hong Kong. For drivers new to left-hand drive vehicles, it is advisable to slow down and pay close attention to other vehicles to adjust more easily.

In Mainland China, you can turn right at a red light as long as you do not obstruct other vehicles or pedestrians, provided the traffic light is circular. However, for straight or left turns, you must wait for a green light. If the traffic light is an arrow, you must follow the direction indicated by the arrow.

At a crossroad without traffic lights where you need to turn left, remember the principle of "first go straight, then turn." Allow vehicles going straight from the opposite direction to pass before making your left turn.

Since Mainland China uses right-hand driving, the rightmost lane is often the slow lane. However, driving too close to the right is not always safest. Many small motorcycles travel on the far right, and there are often exits and entry points from the right. Driving in the second lane from the right can be safer and make it easier to turn left when needed.

In Hong Kong, double white lines signify no crossing, but in Mainland China, single white lines indicate this prohibition. Single yellow and double yellow lines are used to separate opposing traffic lanes and are also no-crossing zones.

Unlike Hong Kong where lane directions are fixed, Mainland China has variable lanes that can change based on traffic conditions. Lane direction changes are usually indicated by road signs in advance, so just pay close attention to the signs.

In addition to variable lanes, Mainland China has tidal lanes indicated by double yellow dashed lines. These lanes may change direction at different times of the day or during special periods. Drivers should pay attention to traffic lights to avoid driving in the wrong direction.

In Hong Kong, you need to be in the rightmost lane to make a U-turn. In Mainland China, dedicated U-turn lanes are often marked, but they may not always be in the leftmost lane; sometimes they are in the middle lanes. U-turn lanes may also be located under bridges, and there may be separate lanes for large and small vehicles, so watch for road signs.

Pedestrian crossings in Mainland China might not have dedicated pedestrian lights or the yellow pedestrian crossing lights common in Hong Kong. Instead, white diamond markings are painted on the road near pedestrian crossings. Additionally, there are yellow flashing pedestrian crossing signs on the roadside, though these may be obscured by trees.

Like Hong Kong, Mainland China has bus lanes reserved for buses. These lanes are usually on the far right of the road. You can drive over bus lanes when making a right turn into a side street or when entering or exiting buildings.

Since April 1, 2022, Mainland China has implemented a points-based system similar to Hong Kong's for traffic violations. The system uses a 12-point scale, with points reset annually. Note that speeding is calculated as a percentage over the speed limit rather than the absolute speed. Key violations and their points are as follows:

Unless you are only traveling within the city, most self-drive tours will involve driving on highways, so understanding tolls and payment methods is essential. 

Highway tolls in Mainland China are based on distance. For example, in Guangdong Province, the toll for cars with fewer than nine seats is ¥0.45 per kilometer on four-lane highways and ¥0.60 per kilometer on highways with six lanes or more. You can check highway tolls in advance through apps like "Yue Tong Card ETC," WeChat, Gaode Maps, or Baidu Maps.

At highway exits, there are both manual and ETC lanes. Vehicles with ETC devices can use the ETC lanes, while others must use the manual lanes to pay. Entering an ETC lane by mistake may result in a fine.

Most parking lots in Mainland China have automatic scanning systems that record license plate numbers upon entry. However, some parking lots may not recognize Hong Kong license plates and may require assistance from staff. Parking fees in urban areas typically range from ¥5 to ¥8 per hour. When leaving, a QR code will be displayed for payment, which can be settled via Alipay or WeChat Pay, so make sure to have these payment systems activated on your phone.