A quick word about traffic signs

There is a lot of traffic on the roads of Shanghai – pedestrians, bicycles, scooters, taxis, motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses -- the list goes on.

In order to control the traffic, there are traffic lights almost at every intersection. Red lights effectively stop traffic and green lights effectively start traffic. There is a bit of chaos when the light changes. Like in some European countries, the light flashes red and yellow several times before it turns green. Drag racing anyone? Coming to a complete stop on a red before making a right turn is a recipe for disaster since no one does it. Left turn arrows are usually obeyed. On a road with little traffic, blowing the horn can be a substitute for stopping at a red light.

Lanes are clearly marked and are usually effective at controlling vehicles until there is a backup. Then only curbs and medians can control the flow.

There are two basically two classes of drivers on the road, professional drivers (taxi/bus/chauffeurs) & new drivers (everyone else). There are very helpful street signs for the new drivers.



Stop signs which are ubiquitous in the US are a rare sight here since they would either be ignored, cause accidents if actually obeyed, or necessitate a traffic light. We have caught one so far, along with a rollerblader with a bag of oranges in hand.