A hangover from its years as a British colony, Hong Kongers still drive on the left-hand side of the road, and the majority of vehicles found in Hong Kong are right-hand drive. Conveniently, most road signs are still in both English and Chinese.
Hong Kong now has a road network of some 2,000km and development is ongoing. Accommodating 665,000 vehicles, they are some of the most heavily used roads in the world.
None of Hong Kong’s roads are subject to tolls, however, a few of the territory’s 15 tunnels are.
On most highways in Hong Kong a speed limit of 80km/h (50mph) is in place, however some of the older roads in the country vehicles are restricted to 70km/h (43.5mph). On some of the expressways in the New Territories drivers are permitted to travel at speeds of up to 100 km/h (62mph) and on the North Lantau Expressway which traverses Lantau Island the speed limit increases to 110 km/h (68mph).
It is important to be aware of the speed limit of the road you are travelling on, as there are high penalties in place for exceeding it. The Hong Kong government continues to install speed cameras on the roads in an attempt to reduce the number of speed related road accidents.
Since 2001, the use of a hand held mobile phone, or any other form of communication device, whilst a vehicle is in motion has been strictly prohibited. Failure to adhere to this restriction can see drivers face penalty fines of up to HK$2,000.
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is strictly prohibited in Hong Kong and offenders can face up to 3 years imprisonment, a fine of HK$25,000 and 10 penalty points on their licence.
For more information on Hong Kong’s driving laws and road safety measures consult the GovHK website .
The Hong Kong Automobile Association was established in 1918 to provide, among various other services, legal advice and 24 hour emergency recovery to Hong Kong’s motorists. Membership of the association costs around HK$600 a year.