According to media reports, China has the highest fatality rate in road accidents in the world. In fact, a lot of traffic accidents can be attributed to drivers' bad habits and lack of respect for traffic rules. And even if some minor driving mistakes do not cause accidents, they can always lead to severe traffic jams.

Many urban roads in China have been widened to accommodate more vehicles in this "age of autos". And bicycle lanes and pavements have become narrower, and even disappeared in some parts of cities and towns. The decreasing rights of pedestrians and cyclists, together with some drivers' poor road ethics, have made it difficult for people to walk or cycle on streets. This has seriously weakened the authorities' efforts to encourage "green travel" for urban residents in order to mitigate the pressure of increasing traffic.

The reduction in the number of vehicles on the road by half, along with other temporary measures, enabled Beijing residents to enjoy blue skies during the just concluded Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting. The "APEC blue" has made people believe that blue skies can return to the capital and other cities that are frequently shrouded by smog if some strict traffic measures are taken and car owners cooperate with the authorities' call to reduce the use of cars.

But such a target can be realized only after measures are taken to ensure the already squeezed road rights of cyclists and pedestrians are not further violated by rough and ignorant drivers.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily. wuyixue@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/22/2014 page5)