Can You Drive a Right-Hand Drive Car in China?
3 Answers
In mainland China, you cannot drive a right-hand drive car. Below are the relevant details: Relevant Regulations: Since the announcement by the Ministry of Public Security, right-hand drive cars or cars converted from right-hand drive to left-hand drive are not eligible for registration. Approval for converting right-hand drive to left-hand drive is strictly prohibited. Existing right-hand drive cars are subject to clearance. For right-hand drive cars that have already been licensed and reached the scrapping standard, owners are urged to complete the scrapping procedures as soon as possible, and no extensions for scrapping will be approved. For licensed right-hand drive cars that have not yet reached the scrapping standard, they are allowed to continue driving on the road until they meet the scrapping standard, after which the aforementioned regulations apply. Reason for Left-Hand Drive: Because China's traffic rules require driving on the right side. If the steering wheel is on the right, the driver cannot see the traffic and road conditions behind. Therefore, it must be on the left. In some countries where driving is on the left side, the steering wheel is on the right.
Driving a right-hand drive car in China? I've done some research on this. Our country's traffic regulations clearly state that vehicles driving on the right side of the road must be left-hand drive. Right-hand drive cars cannot be registered or licensed, let alone driven normally on the road. Some vehicles with Hong Kong or Macau license plates can enter Guangdong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, but they are restricted to specific areas and can only be driven for three months. Some people import right-hand drive cars as exhibits for collection, but driving them on public roads is absolutely prohibited – getting caught by traffic cameras results in a 12-point deduction, and if stopped by traffic police, the vehicle will be impounded with a fine exceeding 2,000 RMB. I once saw someone driving a right-hand drive car at the Zhuhai border crossing; they were stopped immediately upon entering Zhuhai and forced to turn back. Overtaking in a right-hand drive car makes it nearly impossible to see oncoming traffic, which is extremely dangerous.
Article 11 of our country's 'Road Traffic Safety Law' clearly states: vehicles on the road must display license plates and inspection qualification marks. Right-hand drive vehicles can't even obtain license plates, so naturally, they can't be driven on the road. Unless they are specific diplomatic vehicles or special engineering vehicles, ordinary family cars are absolutely not allowed. I have relatives working at the vehicle management office who say that trying to apply for a right-hand drive vehicle license plate won't even get the materials through the window. In the past five years, only three right-hand drive engineering vehicle license plates have been approved nationwide, all for special vehicles used in the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project. For ordinary families, buying a right-hand drive car is like throwing money away. If caught driving one on the road, the minimum fine is 2,000 yuan, and in severe cases, one could be detained for 15 days.
