1. When stuck in traffic or waiting at a red light, don't follow the car in front too closely unless someone is trying to cut in. Leave enough space to be able to maneuver away if the car in front breaks down and you get stuck in between. This was told to me by an experienced driver who once spent half an hour stuck behind a car on the third ring road.
2. While queuing, to prevent others from cutting in, leave half a car length more on the side where the cutter may come. For example, if you're in the left-turn lane and people often cut in from the straight lane, try driving with your right wheels pressing the right line of the left-turn lane, leaving room for yourself to maneuver left, then stick close to the car in front, making it difficult for cutters to succeed.
3. During normal driving, if the car in front suddenly changes lanes to let you pass, it's usually not a good sign. Drivers today aren't that considerate, so don't accelerate to overtake. It's best to ease off the gas and prepare to brake while quickly checking both side mirrors to decide which side to move to if necessary, as there's likely something ahead.
4. When you find it hard to see other cars through your rearview mirror, it's time to turn on your lights—not to see the road better but to make yourself visible to others, especially during rainy days! If you wish, turn on your lights when your speed exceeds 100 km/h—I always do this.
5. Don't fill up your tank completely when refueling. For a 40-liter tank, filling it with 35 liters is fine. The distance covered will be roughly the same. In aviation, this phenomenon is called "fuel eating fuel". Don't waste money and pollute the environment unnecessarily.
6. When parking, try to park with your car facing outward. It makes leaving easier and also serves as a theft deterrent. Although it's not foolproof, if I were a thief and had only one chance to steal a car, I'd choose the one parked with its nose inward.
7. The principle of changing lanes while driving is not to make the driver behind you hit the brakes. This is also the principle when crossing the road as a pedestrian. If you force them to brake to avoid you, they might mistakenly hit the accelerator!
8. Always slow down when approaching intersections, regardless of whether the light is green. At least stop accelerating, especially at intersections without traffic lights. Many people in our country do not value their lives, so don't compete with them!
9. Even if you're a new driver, don't drive too slowly on highways or even on fourth or fifth ring roads. I often drive on the fifth ring road and frequently see large vehicles forcibly changing lanes to overtake cars going only 40 km/h, creating dangerous situations. It's very difficult for large trucks to get moving, so truck drivers prefer to change lanes rather than downshift and take 10 minutes to get back to fifth gear.
10. In my view, the most dangerous enemy while driving isn't speeding but distraction! When speeding, you're usually fully focused, and without unexpected incidents, accidents generally don't happen (though I'm not advocating speeding—nine out of ten accidents are caused by speeding, and if an accident occurs, it can be life-threatening). It's best to drive at moderate speeds. However, all the times I've been scared stiff in the past two years happened when I was distracted. Once, I looked down to check a phone call, and when I looked up, the red brake lights of the car in front were glaringly bright—it was the closest call I've had. Never get distracted!
11. On roads with mixed pedestrian and vehicle traffic, stay as far away from bicycles and pedestrians on the roadside as possible, moving towards the center of the road. If you're unsure, don't worry about it. The oncoming vehicles will avoid you, but pedestrians and cyclists, who have their backs to you, not only won't avoid you but might even sway towards you. You need to give them some space!
12. When driving at night, don't use high beams to blind pedestrians and cyclists ahead—they won't understand and won't yield. Doing so only dazzles oncoming vehicles; honking directly is more effective. I often see many drivers futilely flashing their headlights at pedestrians, only to provoke blinding high beams from oncoming cars.
13. After rain, when driving on unfamiliar roads and encountering water-filled potholes, always slow down because you don't know how deep they are. It's best to follow another vehicle. Once, I just stopped briefly by the roadside and let a car behind me go first to test the road—it didn't waste much time.
14. If you encounter puddles on the highway, try to avoid them. Don't seek the thrill of splashing water everywhere. If you can't avoid them, try to have both front wheels hit the water simultaneously. Though highway puddles are generally not deep, if only one wheel hits the water, it could instantly lose traction, and at high speeds, the car could skid sideways or even overturn.
15. If there are more than three people in your car, don't drive too fast. First, our cars have small engines, and with more passengers, the car loses power significantly, reducing acceleration. More importantly, our braking system becomes less responsive, increasing stopping distances, requiring earlier and firmer braking.
16. Everyone often encounters situations where they rush to catch a green light. If there's another car in front of you, just forget it—you never know if they'll suddenly stop at the line. Such incidents happen all the time, so don't follow too closely. If you're the first car, don't hesitate to go forward. Don't accelerate for a long time only to hesitate and stop abruptly, causing a rear-end collision from the car behind. Even if it's not your fault, it's still awkward!
17. If your car has been parked for more than three hours, warm up the engine before starting, regardless of the season. Here, warming up doesn't mean waiting for the water temperature to rise but warming up the lubrication system. As for the water temperature, it can increase while driving.
18. Don't leave anything valuable in your car. Don't think that just avoiding wallets and laptop bags is enough—even half a pack of cigarettes could cost you your windshield!
19. There are several principles about overtaking that you should pay attention to: don't overtake when turning, don't overtake when approaching an intersection, and don't overtake when starting after a red light until you've completely passed the intersection. If you want to go faster, slightly move forward to observe all conditions at the intersection before overtaking.
20. When a large bus pulls over to stop at a station, don't be overly pleased thinking it's letting you pass. Always slow down because people often run out from in front of the bus. You can judge by observing if there are any pedestrians' legs or shadows under the bus.
21. I often drive fast and have been fined multiple times, mostly for using emergency lanes or driving over guide strips, but I have no record of speeding. This is mainly because I always slow down when crossing bridges or iron structures. Generally, speed cameras are installed on overpasses, pedestrian bridges, or iron structures spanning the road, usually on the opposite side of the driving direction. You can judge by observing if there are any cameras on the opposite lane, though it's not absolute. To be safer, drive in the outermost lane—80% of the time, cameras are installed only on the inner fast lanes.