In the countryside, roads are devouring scarce farmland, environmentalists warn. Driving in China isn't for the faint of heart. Most drivers have only a few years' experience. Many drive as if they were still cycling, weaving from lane to lane without signalling and frightening crowds of pedestrians . Drivers run red lights and park on sidewalks.
Thousands drive on licences bought from corrupt officials or obtained through personal connections.
News reports on fatal crashes often note the driver didn't bother getting a licence at all. In Shanghai, traffic accidents kill an average of four people a day, police say. The city of 13 million people reported 41,262 crashes last year. Shanghai, one of the world's most crowded cities, is fighting traffic paralysis with a mix of taxes and rules to discourage car buyers. The city has turned a seven-block stretch of its main avenue, Nanjing Road, into a pedestrian mall lined with shops and restaurants.