New Driver Recounts Chaotic China Roads

A journalist who recently traveled to the country to test a new electric car found himself plunged into a system of bureaucratic hurdles and road chaos.

The Bureaucratic Hurdle

China does not recognize any international driving permit. To get behind the wheel legally, a foreign driver must book an appointment at a local police station for assessment and certification. A standard photocard license is not enough. The journalist needed a photocopy of his driving license, the physical card, his passport, and a passport-style photograph. He also had to be on his best behavior, noting that Chinese police officers have “terrible senses of humor.”

The day after landing in Guangzhou, he spent an entire morning at the police station. There was a brief interview and intense form filling — all in Chinese, with no English version. An officer had to point to each spot where a signature was required. After that came an hour-long wait for the “taught” portion of the certification: a 30-minute narrated video of horrific car accidents captured by CCTV and dashcams, shown in a monitored classroom. A detailed five-minute segment focused on moped riders being hit by articulated lorries. The journalist did not understand the narrator, but the footage made the message clear.

Then came a flurry of stamps. An officer snatched the form, stamped it, handed it back, and a second officer snatched it again at the door. The journalist returned to the front desk, where two more officers checked and stamped it once more. After a half-hour wait, his temporary license was printed, stamped, and laminated. He signed a little book to confirm receipt, and left with a folder of paperwork and a pink license card. He was allowed to drive in China until February 2026.

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The test drive was scheduled for that afternoon, but the training video had left an impression. He thought the roads could not be as dangerous as the footage suggested. He was wrong.