Wen Jinrang (www.qstheory.cn): Objectively speaking, such things happen frequently. It is more a social management problem than a legal one.

On the whole, only four cars chose to make way for the ambulance in this case, while other drivers pretended not to hear the siren. Life was thus lost while waiting. There are several reasons for this tragedy.

In Chinese society, many drivers show indifference toward vehicles such as ambulances, while at the same time, they automatically give way to privileged cars used by the police. Another reason is that, in many cities, streets are too narrow to let emergency cars pass, even if drivers are willing to, particularly in rush hour. There are no emergency lanes. Traffic congestion is a big concern in Chinese cities. It's totally impossible to make an emergency lane for ambulances. In this case, we can't blame drivers too much. Basic traffic structures should first be improved.

In addition, laws and regulations are too general and often have little effect. If similar incidents occurred in Singapore, the result may be totally different. There, emergency vehicles are equipped with cameras, and cars that do not make way for emergency personnel are strictly punished. In Germany, making way for emergency vehicles is a rigid principle. Even if these vehicles have occupied pavements, you'll have to let it go.

In China, emergency service operations are a thorny problem for the government, traffic authorities and the judicial system. Most importantly, disease is a common concern and who's to say they won't be the ones trapped on the highway while in need of dire help?

The increase of private cars is supposed to bring us more convenience, but instead, overcrowding is making people miserable. It's hoped that loopholes in traffic rules and regulations can be corrected as soon as possible, and tough punishment imposed on those who are indifferent to the lives of others.

Yang Tao (China Youth Daily): Actually, what happened on December 7 is not an isolated case. On November 28, a traffic accident occurred on Nanyuan Road in Beijing, injuring three people. The ambulance heading for the accident spot used its siren, but few vehicles made way for it, and finally first-aid workers had to turn to traffic police for help.

Making way for ambulances is not only a moral obligation, but also a legal one for drivers. The Road Traffic Safety Law stipulates that police cars, fire engines, ambulances and other emergency vehicles can use their sirens or warning lights while carrying out emergency tasks. On the precondition of safety, these cars can move without restrictions, such as imposed by traffic lights while other road users must make way. If other drivers ignore the rules, they will be punished by law.

There are existing laws for drivers to follow regarding emergency vehicles, but most road users ignore these. I've never heard that any driver has been punished for refusing to make way for emergency services. If they do want to correct the situation, it's quite easy. Thanks to technology, advanced equipment like cameras can be found in many road sections, making it easy to collect evidence against those who refuse to yield.

In addition, it's important to ensure the legality of special or privileged vehicles. There must be laws to regulate privileges of emergency vehicles. Cars that abuse sirens and show off while not executing urgent tasks should be punished.

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