China Starts Ticketing Motorists That Run Yellow Lights - How Soon Until You See That Here?

China’s Ministry of Public Security defended new traffic rules that make running a yellow light illegal, as state-run media and users of the nation’s online social networks criticized the regulations.

The rules, which took effect Jan. 1, are aimed at reducing accidents in major cities, and encourage safer and “more civil” driving, the ministry said yesterday on its website. Chinese authorities’ decision to change the traffic laws became one of the most popular topics on Sina Corp.’s Weibo microblogging service in the last 24 hours, its website showed.

In a commentary published today, the Youth Daily, run by the Chinese Communist Party Youth League, said the rules are “against science” and will scare drivers into slowing down, which could make traffic worse.

Read Article

LSIII - 1/4/2013 11:52:31 AM

+2 Boost

They might as well do away with the yellow light then.

Agent009 - 1/4/2013 12:35:59 PM

+1 Boost

Just have the green flash before yellow.
The yellow would then become the mandatory wait time between switching.

Then the greedy cities will shorten the flash time to lure you into the yellow zone. The only difference would be the yellow no car time frame vs an immediate switch over to green from red.

joecamel - 1/4/2013 12:29:43 PM

+2 Boost

I agree with LSIII, although like many traffic policies, this is probably designed to generate revenue and has nothing demonstrably to do with "public safety".

Agent009 - 1/4/2013 2:36:00 PM

-1 Boost

It is ALL ABOUT the money grab. Yeah they say safety but there are better countermeasures than a red light ticket. The simple fact that a city can be rewarded for shortening a yellow light time should be illegal.

MBCLS07 - 1/4/2013 12:47:17 PM

+1 Boost

Another genius idea from a gov't official. Now watch as motorists slam on the brakes the instant the light turns yellow causing an epidemic of rear-end collisions. Accident repair will be very lucrative in China.

commander104 - 1/4/2013 2:22:35 PM

0 Boost

yellow and china...there's a bad joke somewhere in there.

Amclaussen - 1/8/2013 4:05:07 PM

+1 Boost

Exactly as illegal, immoral and twisted as the Speed Trap just entering Giddings Texas, a nasty little town in USa that extorts its visitors!