Are you driving ? Should be very careful, see why...

[Patrick]

Today one of our reader posted an article concerning a road accident.
Not really recent as it happened in June 2007, not really local as it happened near Shanghai but for sure concerning all of us.

"Eastern China's municipality of Shanghai has handed down its first ever
punishment for a foreign driver who committed a drink driving offense that killed one person.

A man, named Ian, who is without a Chinese driver's license, received an eight-month jail sentence and an overall fine of 500,000 yuan, at the trial held at the Second Intermediate People's Court of Shanghai, China News Service reported.

Investigations showed that in the early hours of June 2 the intoxicated man was riding an unregistered motorbike when he collided with two locals riding bicycles, causing the death of one.

Ian was prosecuted in August and reached an agreement with the relatives of the dead person over compensation on the basis of China's laws and standards for personal injury and death.

(CRI January 6, 2008)"

What a sad story, this guy did for sure something totally wrong and I feel very sorry for the families...
But is driving sober and with an official license putting away any risk of such accident ? Unfortunately not !

My opinion is that anyone of us must be very careful on the road and especially at night. When we drive we must forget about our previous habits and ways of driving abroad, first because there are much more people on the streets here than in our own countries.

Danger can come anytime and we should be VERY careful especially with bicycles and electric scooters...
And if we had too many drinks, there are still lots of taxis out there...

[felix]

learn the law and it will protect yourself!

[andrzej]

I hope that it was because the driver was drunk not because he was a foreigner. I would expect anyone that is drink driving is taking a big risk regardless.