Disabled drivers secure breaks
Source: Xinhua |
April 1, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
MORE disabled people will be able to drive in China, including those paralyzed from the waist down, thanks to revisions to driving license regulations effective from today.
The revised Regulations on the Application and Use of Drivers' Licenses for the first time allow Chinese able to sit by themselves despite paralyzed limbs to acquire a license for adapted vehicles.
"The new regulations mean a lot to me since a car will be my new 'legs'," said Shen Ping, from northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
Shen had driven for almost 30 years before he was paralyzed from the waist down in 1999.
Shen and more than 60 others in a similar state started their three-month training on Tuesday, the first course of this type in Ningxia.
There are about 28 million people with paralyzed limbs in China, and many are longing to drive but have been deprived of the right.
Xu Fengjian, chairman of China's Association for People with Paralyzed Limbs, estimates that hundreds drive anyway, hoping not to get caught by police.
"If someone can sit by oneself, he or she can be a qualified driver ... whether they have legs or not," said Li Ning, chairman of the Ningxia branch of the association.
The new regulations also permit hearing-impaired people to drive if they can hear adequately with a hearing aid.
To receive a license, applicants must undergo a health check at a designated medical institute to prove they are capable of driving.
Successful applicants must have another check-up if they want to renew their licenses three years later, according to the new regulations.
"While allowing people with disabilities to drive, we also need to ensure the safety of both these new drivers and others on the road," said an officer with the Ministry of Public Security.
Traffic regulators would treat disabled drivers the same as other drivers, said Zhang Xuezhong, who is in charge of vehicle management in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia.
Disabled motorists must drive specially modified vehicles. These vehicles will be labeled to inform other drivers.
The regulations were first passed by the Ministry of Public Security last November.
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