Question:

While driving, if an electric cart is on the shoulder of the road, a bicycle is going to pass it at the same time as a motorcycle, and a pedestrian is crossing the street with six friends, none of whom are actually aware of traffic, while an oncoming vehicle is passing an overloaded tractor on the other side of the street, but there are  two car lengths between you and the oncoming vehicle, do you pass?

If you answered “yes,” then you are ready to drive in Wuxi. For driving in Wuxi demands total situational awareness. This is the same skill set used by jet fighter pilots and the best advice any one can give you about driving in Wuxi is that you are in for a dogfight.

Cars will cut in front of you, honk for no reason, pass on the left, pass on the right, pass using the sidewalk. The idea of any sense or semblance of an orderly cue is an alien concept. Drivers in Wuxi follow few rules but their own, and many Expats refuse to drive.

There is however another side to driving in China. This is the side of the equation keeps many Expats behind the steering wheel. Yes, Chinese drivers seem to want to kill you, but the roads and the highways in China offer the fastest and best way to see the country and really get to know China. And while driving in Wuxi, can seem chaotic, having a car does make life easier. Shopping trips to Metro become a short drive rather than an evening excursion. Parks and other tourist attractions are easier to get to, and driving gives gives you much, much greater freedom.

The following information and documents are needed if you want to apply for and receive a Chinese drivers license valid for six years in Wuxi.

• A valid passport with a valid visa
• A valid drivers license from your home country
• An Official Translation of your Drivers License
• A valid residents permit
• A good Chinese interpreter who knows how to pass the written Chinese drivers test

With the above documents in hand, and a good  interpreter, visit the Wuxi Department of Motor Vehicles at the following address.

At the above Motor Vehicle branch office, you will be asked to fill out a number of forms in Chinese. The next step will be to head upstairs to sit for a number of photos and take a simple physical.

In the physical they take your blood pressure, test your color vision and administer a number of  hand and eye coordination tests. The photos and the physical cost approximately 90 RMB.

Once you have completed the photos and the physical you then hand in your application at a window located on the second floor. Your application will be checked. If the documentation is correct, you then take the driving test.

The driving test consists of 100, out of a possible 1000 questions. All relate to aspects of road safety in China. The test is delivered on a computer behind the counter. This test can be taken in English or Chinese. There is a study book available in Chinese. but no English version.

ADVICE! Take the test in Chinese. This can be done using your interpreter. Make sure your interpreter already has a drivers license.

The English exam has numerous spelling and grammar errors. This makes it hard to understand. Your Chinese interpreter on the other hand can read the questions in Chinese and then tell you what button to press on the computer.

All questions are multiple choice. Each time you take the test you will be charged 30 RMB. If you are successful the department will process your drivers license. It usually can be picked up in an hour or so. You should expect to spend at least a full day taking the tests and filling out the paperwork.