Bad drivers facing tougher penalties
Source: Xinhua |
January 2, 2013, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Chinese drivers are facing harsher penalties after a revised regulation came into effect yesterday, with many motorists being caught out.
Under the revision, ignoring traffic lights will result in six penalty points, double the previous punishment. The penalty for improper display of license plates is now 12 points.
According to the new rules, 52 different kinds of violations can result in penalties, up from 38 under the previous regulation. Online, the new rules were dubbed "the strictest traffic regulations ever."
Each violation is associated with penalty points, based on how severe the offence is. If a driver receives 12 points in a year, they are required to attend a seven-day training session and have to take a written exam before they can get back on the road.
"On the first day of the revised road rules, I fastened my seat belt, didn't smoke or make phone calls. I gave way to a school bus with no students on it," said one microblogger.
As the new rules came into effect, various violations by China's drivers were exposed online.
A car owner surnamed Wang in eastern Anhui Province, who did not have a vehicle license plate, was fined 12 points, said local traffic police on their microblog.
"I came across a traffic jam in the city and found half of the drivers hadn't fasten their seat belts," said another blogger.
"I just ran a yellow light twice this morning and then was reminded it's the first day of new traffic rules enforcement," said another driver in an online post.
A photograph of a wedding car whose license plate was covered over was posted online. "12-point deduction," said the Internet user who posted the photo. "A wedding is no exception."
In 2011, 62,000 people died in road accidents, according to statistics from the Ministry of Public Security.
In a poll on Sina.com, 67 percent of more than 1,000 participants supported the revised traffic rules.
Some have suggested pedestrians should also be made to conform to the road rules, as they often crossed roads while ignoring red lights.
"We used to have some bad habits but now we should be more careful given the tough penalties of the new rules," said Tang Limin, a taxi driver in Shanghai.
"We hope that both drivers and pedestrians can fall into the habit of strictly abiding by the rules to create a good traffic environment," Tang added.
Under the revision, ignoring traffic lights will result in six penalty points, double the previous punishment. The penalty for improper display of license plates is now 12 points.
According to the new rules, 52 different kinds of violations can result in penalties, up from 38 under the previous regulation. Online, the new rules were dubbed "the strictest traffic regulations ever."
Each violation is associated with penalty points, based on how severe the offence is. If a driver receives 12 points in a year, they are required to attend a seven-day training session and have to take a written exam before they can get back on the road.
"On the first day of the revised road rules, I fastened my seat belt, didn't smoke or make phone calls. I gave way to a school bus with no students on it," said one microblogger.
As the new rules came into effect, various violations by China's drivers were exposed online.
A car owner surnamed Wang in eastern Anhui Province, who did not have a vehicle license plate, was fined 12 points, said local traffic police on their microblog.
"I came across a traffic jam in the city and found half of the drivers hadn't fasten their seat belts," said another blogger.
"I just ran a yellow light twice this morning and then was reminded it's the first day of new traffic rules enforcement," said another driver in an online post.
A photograph of a wedding car whose license plate was covered over was posted online. "12-point deduction," said the Internet user who posted the photo. "A wedding is no exception."
In 2011, 62,000 people died in road accidents, according to statistics from the Ministry of Public Security.
In a poll on Sina.com, 67 percent of more than 1,000 participants supported the revised traffic rules.
Some have suggested pedestrians should also be made to conform to the road rules, as they often crossed roads while ignoring red lights.
"We used to have some bad habits but now we should be more careful given the tough penalties of the new rules," said Tang Limin, a taxi driver in Shanghai.
"We hope that both drivers and pedestrians can fall into the habit of strictly abiding by the rules to create a good traffic environment," Tang added.
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