Are Our Roads Safe?

According to the State Administration of Work Safety, 110,000 people lose their lives to traffic accidents in China each year, making the country world leader in terms of traffic accident-related deaths.

It seems that drivers are mainly at fault: They drive after drinking, carry more goods than allowed and break traffic rules. However, apart from the drivers, there are at least two more factors that result in frequent traffic accidents.

First is the irrational allocation of road resources. Although city streets are widening, the expanded part is always reserved for vehicles, while the lanes for pedestrians and cyclists are narrowing or even disappearing. At crossroads, it is the vehicle traffic that comes first, while safety facilities for pedestrians and cyclists are always out of consideration. Poor planning is undoubtedly contributing to frequent traffic accidents.

Second, the traffic management system is ineffective. During the Beijing Olympic Games in August when traffic authorities tightened patrols, China's traffic safety was greatly improved. It shows that as long as control measures are strictly implemented, most traffic accidents can be prevented. Unfortunately, the situation worsened after the Olympics concluded.

For people, drivers under the influence of alcohol are dangerous. It is even more dangerous if the overall traffic management pays less attention to pedestrians and cyclists' safety.

Yanzhao Evening News

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