Stop violations from tying traffic up

Updated: 2014-11-22 08:42

By Wu Yixue(China Daily)

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A set of photographs showing a foreigner stopping a car driving in a bicycle lane in Beijing and asking the driver to leave the lane has gone viral on the Internet, drawing positive comments from netizens.

Most of the netizens have spoken highly of the foreigner's action and believe the driver has tarnished Chinese people's civic image. The photographs also have sparked intense discussions among netizens about how they would respond if they witnessed something similar on the road. Many netizens have admitted encountering such scenes - violation of traffic rules - without pointing the drivers' mistakes. This explains why the photographs of the foreigner admonishing the driver has gone viral online.

Perhaps many Chinese people do not have the same courage as the foreigner. Or, perhaps they have become used to such minor violations of traffic rules because they are so common. However, the foreigner's action is a reminder that the deteriorating urban traffic condition in China could be arrested if every citizen starts acting like the foreigner: they should correct drivers if they are violating even minor traffic rules because it will not only allow traffic to flow smoothly, but also ensure road safety. This is particularly important in this "age of automobiles".

With the country's fast economic growth and wealth accumulation over the past decades, more and more Chinese believe that owning a car is part of urban living, not the privilege of the rich. Private car ownership has dramatically risen in China. According to the Ministry of Public Security, the number of vehicles in China exceeded 250 million at the end of last year, 137 million of which were cars, a 5.7-fold increase from 2003. Beijing alone had more than 5 million vehicles at the end of last year - the number is still rising steadily despite city authorities taking multiple measures to control vehicle ownership, including a quota system for license plates.

The drastic rise in car ownership, however, has not resulted in a corresponding improvement in driving skills or respect for traffic rules. On the contrary, worsening traffic jams have turned some drivers into impatient souls eager to break traffic rules at the drop of a hat. It is common to see drivers on crowded roads, especially during rush hours, use all sorts of methods to get out of a jam. For example, some motorists do not stop or slow down when they approach a zebra crossing. Some do not pull the brakes when driving over puddles, splashing dirty water on pedestrians and other drivers. Some change lanes at will without caring to use indicators. Some do not turn off headlights on a two-way road at night. Some swing into lanes earmarked for left, right or U-turns even if they have to go straight, and start blowing horns if the car in front stops to take a turn. Some jump red lights at will, posing a threat to pedestrians as well as other drivers driving across.

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