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Road Design in the Mainland and Hong Kong
The Mainland adopts "right-hand traffic" rule for road design, in which traffic keeps on the right-hand side of the roads and steering wheels are set on the left-hand sides of vehicles. On the contrary, Hong Kong adopts "left-hand traffic" rule for road design, in which traffic keeps on the left-hand side of the roads and steering wheels are set on the right-hand sides of vehicles.
When driving the left-hand steering vehicles in Hong Kong, the field of vision of drivers is limited and narrowed. Drivers should drive with extra care, in particular when overtaking, turning right at junctions, using roundabouts or merging into expressways from slip roads. Drive attentively and pay attention to the traffic conditions.
Drivers should study carefully the "Road Users' Code" to understand and follow the traffic legislation and traffic rules in Hong Kong, such as traffic signs, traffic signals, road markings and directional signs etc. Driver who fails to comply with the relevant statutory requirements is liable on conviction to a fine and/or imprisonment.
Browse "Road Users' Code" (Traditional Chinese and English versions only)
Points to Note when Driving in Hong Kong
- Comply with the traffic legislation and traffic rules in Hong Kong;
- Understand the traffic signs, traffic signals, road markings and directional signs in Hong Kong;
- The speed limit of roads is 50km/h in general. Other speed limits are indicated by signs;
- Follow the traffic signals, and do not go straight or turn when the red light is on, unless otherwise indicated by specific signals;
- Give way to pedestrians when approaching zebra crossings;
- Keep to the leftmost lane and only overtake from the right on expressways;
- Travel in clockwise direction when using roundabouts;
- No illegal parking. Park in a designated parking place or a car park;
- No stopping at any time on road sections with double yellow line; or at times shown on 'Time Plate' on road sections with single yellow line;
- Some road sections in Hong Kong are designated as closed roads (such as at Lantau, connecting roads to land boundary control points, within Frontier Closed Areas, including Sha Tau Kok Frontier Closed Area etc.). Vehicles are not allowed to enter the closed roads unless the vehicle has been granted a specific permit;
- Child passengers aged below 8 (unless they reach a body height of 1.35m) must use child restraining devices in private cars;
- It is prohibited to place more than two mobile telecommunications devices in front of the drivers while driving, and the diagonal length of each device's screen must not exceed 19cm; and
- Call 999 for the police in case of traffic accidents, emergencies or assistance required in Hong Kong.
Relevant Publications
Road Safety
(13.3MB) (Simplified Chinese version only)