Are motorcycles allowed on highways in Hunan Province?
2 Answers
Motorcycles are allowed on highways in Hunan Province. Relevant regulations: The "Implementation Regulations of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" has corresponding provisions. Article 78 states: Highways shall indicate the driving speed of lanes, with the maximum speed not exceeding 120 kilometers per hour and the minimum speed not less than 60 kilometers per hour. On highways, the maximum speed of small passenger vehicles shall not exceed 120 kilometers per hour, the speed of other motor vehicles shall not exceed 100 kilometers per hour, and the speed of motorcycles shall not exceed 80 kilometers per hour.
Last time when I was on a self-drive trip in Hunan, I specifically checked and confirmed that motorcycles are indeed prohibited from entering the provincial expressways. According to Article 32 of the Hunan Expressway Regulations, motorcycles are explicitly excluded from the list of permitted vehicles. I asked the highway traffic police at a service area, and they said they would intercept and turn back any motorcycles attempting to enter the expressway, along with imposing a 200-yuan fine. The main reason is that Hunan's expressways have many curves and dense tunnels, coupled with a large number of heavy trucks, making motorcycles prone to losing control and causing accidents. If you really want to go on a long-distance trip, taking national highways is more practical. For example, the scenery along National Highway 209 from Zhangjiajie to Jishou is quite nice, and the road conditions are suitable for motorcycles.
