China Driving Subject 4 (Small Car) cheat sheet

Before moving off: mirrors, signal, shoulder check, then release parking brake - the sequence matters because the shoulder check covers the blind spot mirrors cannot reach.

Two-second following rule in dry conditions; double to four seconds in rain or at night, and increase further on gravel or ice where stopping distance can triple.

Use the hand-over-hand or push-pull steering method; never cross arms over the airbag cover, because a deploying airbag can drive a forearm into the face.

Signal at least 3 seconds before a lane change or turn in urban traffic; check mirrors, then turn the head to clear the blind spot before moving.

At a level crossing or stop line, stop where the front wheels are behind the line, not the bumper; the wheels define where the car actually sits.

Headlights on low beam are required in rain, fog, tunnels and at night; high beam must be dipped when a vehicle approaches within about 150 m.

On a freeway, enter at or near the posted ramp speed and merge into a gap; do not stop on the acceleration lane unless traffic forces it.

When overtaking a cyclist, leave at least 1.5 m lateral clearance in urban areas and more at higher speed; the door zone of parked cars is the main hazard.

Tyre blowout at speed: grip the wheel firmly with both hands, keep the car straight, ease off the accelerator, and brake gently once control is stable - hard braking on the deflated tyre causes a spin.

Brake failure: pump the pedal to build pressure, downshift to use engine braking, then use the handbrake progressively; a sudden full handbrake application locks the rear wheels.

Aquaplaning: lift off the accelerator, hold the wheel straight and do not brake; grip returns as speed drops and the tyres clear the water film.

Rear-wheel skid: steer into the skid (in the direction the rear is sliding) and avoid braking; front-wheel skid means straighten the wheel before braking.

After a crash with injury: protect the scene, call 120 for medical help and 122 for traffic police, and do not move an injured person unless there is fire or traffic danger.

If the vehicle catches fire, stop, switch off the engine, get everyone out and move upwind at least 50 m; do not open the bonnet fully, as the rush of air feeds the fire.

For a minor property-damage crash with no injuries, photograph the scene, move vehicles off the travel lane if safe, and settle or report per local fast-processing rules.

Warning triangle placement: about 50-100 m behind the car on a normal road and about 150 m on a freeway, with hazard lights on and occupants behind the barrier.

The points system for private small cars runs on a 12-point cycle; reaching 12 points within one cycle requires retaking the theory (Subject 1) test.

Drink-driving thresholds in China: blood alcohol 20-80 mg/100 mL is drinking and driving; 80 mg/100 mL and above is drunk driving, a criminal offence.

Drunk driving carries licence revocation, a criminal record and a ban on re-applying for 5 years (10 years for commercial vehicles); penalties are not discretionary.

Red light: crossing the stop line on red is 6 points; running a red light is recorded by two photographs showing the vehicle before and after the line.

Using a phone while driving is 3 points; not wearing a seatbelt on the freeway is 2 points in the current scoring rules.

Liability for a crash between a motor vehicle and a non-motorised road user is presumed against the vehicle unless the other party's fault is proven; the vehicle still bears up to 10% when not at fault.

A probationary (internship) licence holder may not drive alone on a freeway; a qualified driver of 3 or more years must accompany them.

Traffic police may detain the vehicle for evidence collection after a crash with injury; the detention period is limited and must be documented.

Sign shapes carry meaning: triangles warn, circles give orders (red border = prohibition, blue = mandatory), rectangles give information or directions.

A yellow diamond with a black symbol is a warning sign; a red circle with a diagonal slash is a prohibition; a blue circle with a white symbol is a mandatory instruction.

Solid white line: no lane change. Broken white line: lane change allowed when safe. Double yellow centre line: no crossing in either direction.

A yellow box junction (grid) may be entered only if the exit is clear; stopping inside it is an offence even when the light is green.

A flashing yellow light means proceed with caution; a flashing red light means stop, then proceed when safe, like a stop sign.

Guide arrows painted on the lane are mandatory direction; a straight-arrow lane cannot be used to turn even if the driver signals.

A stop line plus the character 停 (stop) requires a full stop with all wheels stationary, not a rolling check.

Chevron or hatched areas bounded by solid lines are not driving lanes; entering them to queue or overtake is prohibited.

Tyre pressure is checked cold, before driving; a tyre that has been driven warms and reads high, so the hot reading is not the fill target.

Minimum tread depth for passenger car tyres is 1.6 mm; below that, wet grip and aquaplaning resistance drop sharply and the tyre must be replaced.

Engine oil is checked on a level surface with the engine off for a few minutes, between the MIN and MAX marks on the dipstick.

Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time and is typically replaced every 2 years or 40,000 km; a spongy pedal suggests air or moisture in the system.

Coolant is checked only when the engine is cold; opening the radiator cap on a hot engine releases scalding pressurised coolant.

Dashboard warning lights: red means stop now (oil pressure, brake, coolant temperature); amber means service soon; green or blue is informational.

The battery terminals should be clean and tight; a slow crank and dim lights point to a weak battery or a failing alternator, not to the starter.

Wiper blades and washer fluid are safety items: a streaked windscreen at night can cut effective visibility by half in rain.

Scan 12-15 seconds ahead in urban traffic and further on the freeway; the aim is to see the hazard before it becomes a braking event.

Cover the brake (foot over, not pressing) when a pedestrian, cyclist or parked car is near the road edge; this cuts reaction time by roughly 0.3-0.5 s.

Assume the worst legal behaviour of others at junctions: a car indicating left may still go straight, and a car waiting may pull out.

Leave an escape route: keep a gap to the side as well as ahead, so a sudden stop ahead does not trap the car.

Large vehicles have blind spots directly behind and alongside; never sit in the rear quarter of a truck, and pass quickly on the left.

In fog, slow down, use low beam and fog lights, and increase following distance; high beam reflects off the droplets and reduces visibility.

At night, look toward the right edge of the lane when a car approaches with high beam, to avoid glare while keeping lane position.

Children, cyclists and e-bike riders are unpredictable: reduce speed near schools, bus stops and residential side streets before the hazard appears.

Yielding at a pedestrian crossing is a legal duty, not a courtesy; a pedestrian already on the crossing has priority and the vehicle must stop.

Do not use the horn in urban no-horn zones or near hospitals and schools; horn use is for warning of danger, not for expressing impatience.

Zipper merge (alternate merging) at a lane closure is the correct and legal pattern; blocking the closing lane to prevent merging is aggressive driving.

Road rage escalates from a perceived slight; the practical countermeasure is to create distance, not to respond - do not make eye contact or chase.

Splash a pedestrian with water from a puddle and it is a civil liability as well as an ethics failure; slow down near standing water.

Do not drive when angry, exhausted or after medication that causes drowsiness; fatigue impairs reaction time comparably to low-level alcohol.

Give way to emergency vehicles with sirens and lights: pull to the right and stop, and do not follow closely behind them through traffic.

Headlights flashed at an oncoming car at night usually means a hazard ahead or a request to dip high beam; interpret it as information, not aggression.