With the aggravation of urban air pollution and traffic congestion, the government began to introduce the driving restriction policy (DRP) into major cities as a solution. In the process of implementing the driving restriction policy, some benefits have been achieved; in the meantime, it also caused a few problems. Therefore, it is very urgent to analyze the benefits and risks of this policy, and propose measures to reduce risks so as to maximize the benefits of this policy. This paper describes the benefits and risks of the DRP by investigating travelers' views and related behaviors (n=585) after the DRP was implemented. On the one hand, the survey shows that most of the travelers have positive views on the policy. We also conclude that, in the restricted days, the policy has a lot of benefits in reducing the number of cars on the road. In addition, this policy has a great impact on decreasing the exhaust emissions, and guiding people to use public transport and to purchase electric vehicles. On the other hand, it also brings some risks. Some travelers would react negatively to the DRP, which is mainly manifested as buying another car, driving during non-restricted hours and traveling without observing regulations. What’s more, it makes it common for travelers to use private cars in the non-restricted days. Furthermore, it is found that middle-aged men and high-income women are the most common users of private cars, while family factors such as picking up the child from school and owning more than one private car would make it easier for people to use private cars frequently. These findings will provide a more precise direction for protecting the implement of the DRP.

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