Driving in China

Our factory is right next to a national highway, so I always feel nervous when I commute. This is because it’s too dark at 6 p.m. and there are only few streetlights around there. 

The biggest problem is that it is always possible to overtake even though there are the divided two way traffic lanes. So, it is likely to cause lots of car accidents there. 

Many trucks pass the national expressway rather than general roads, it might account for 50 percent of cars passing by. A toll fee in China is pretty expensive compared to in South Korea. 

So, most of truck drivers usually pass the national expressway to save the fee. It is a little bit dangerous at day, but the drivers turn the enormously bright light on at night. 

I think ordinary car drivers would better wear a sunglass at night. I really considered that I should get a driver’s license in China. 

I felt that it was really comfortable for me to drive alone, but I realized that I couldn’t handle with a traffic accident in China. 

Of course, I could deal with it through insurance, but I am not good at speaking Chinese.. That’s the problem. However, I just decided to get it and went to Cheong-do at the end of August.

I just needed to take a written examination because I have a Korean driver’s license. 

I studied it for three or four days to get more than 90-point that is the average to get the license. Then, I received 96 points and finally got it. Even though I have the Chinese driver’s license, I don’t usually drive a long distance because it’s a little bit difficult. I also feel scared of passing the expressway in China. Trucks are passing too fast.

Whenever I drive downtown, I feel dizzy… So, I just drive to commute in a non-busy street. Before then, Mr. Kook or Ms. Chin came to my home in the morning and took me in our office together. Anyway, my driver’s license made them comfortable and allowed me not to wait for them. 

I often hesitates where to go on Sunday and give it up because of my navigation’s trouble. The navigation installed in my iPhone guides me the way in Korean, but it’s too confusing. It speaks the Chinese streets in Korean. Also, the iPhone’s map is not certainly right, so I don’t feel comfortable when driving. 

Mount Tai, Qufu, and Yangsan are close to here, but I hesitate to go there. I just imagined that I would go to Beijing. I wouldn’t dare to go… Anyway, I usually try not to drive, if possible. I don’t go to various countries all over the world, but I am sure that Chinese taxi drivers are the best in the world. 

Most of them have a good skill to thread their way dodging cars. It is not easy to drive in China. 

Mr. Kook received a driver’s license in South Korea, but he said that he had a really hard time driving there. 

Time will improve his driving skill.