What’s trending?

#随手拍违章应该鼓励吗#

As domestic tourists have taken to the roads this week to avoid crowded public transport hubs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Chinese social media has been awash with stories of road users “snitching” on other drivers’ offenses using their mobile phones and apps especially designed to report traffic violations.

Despite China’s vast network of surveillance cameras, instances of dangerous driving are rife, leading to accidents and general travel chaos at busy times. In recent days, Chinese state TV has highlighted the story of one man who took 361 photos of traffic violations on the way back to his hometown. The man, surnamed Li, took the photos while stuck in heavy congestion, saying “I saw too many unsafe practices on the road. These drivers are reckless with other people’s lives.” The majority of photos show cars speeding along the right-hand emergency lane, while some show plateless vehicles. Another driver who took matters into her own hands snapped images of 270 vehicles on the highway. She said emergency lanes should be used as a lifeline, and wanted to alert road users that their rule-breaking may “delay rescue operations and lead to loss of life.”

What’s the story?

This year, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has seen more people opt to drive to tourist destinations to avoid getting up close and personal with their fellow travelers on public transport. The week-long October National Day holiday has seen vacationers fill China’s highways and byways, and the number of traffic infractions has rocketed. The police have taken the opportunity to encourage the reporting of traffic violations with apps on which road users may upload live images of incidents they spot on their journey. Weibo’s top trending item towards the end of the vacation period is #ShouldMobileReportingOfBadDrivingBeEncouraged? #随手拍违章应该鼓励吗#

What are people saying online?

Anticipating citizen participation in law enforcement becoming more common, thousands of Weibo users liked a straightforward comment in favor of the two reporting champs saying “there’s nothing wrong with photographing other people’s illegal activity.” One popular comment was that it may stop people unscrupulously blocking emergency lanes when they are out of sight of China’s ubiquitous security cameras.

With a tinge of jealously, one Beijing-based celebrity Weibo user called out drivers of expensive brands, saying “Beeping at me for riding slowly on the side road, or jumping lights while driving a BMW is not a good look,” going on to recommend the Beijing Traffic Police App and WeChat Mini-Program to followers.

One commentator expressed frustration, saying it was no mean feat to successfully upload a report as you needed to take photos of a vehicle’s license plate area, front, side and rear. “Only one in 16 cars I reported was accepted by the app.”

Apparently, it should also not be taken for granted that “citizen witnesses” must be road-safe themselves. This week, Weibo features a Tianjin police video instructing people not to sit in the middle of the road when collecting evidence.

Contact editor Marcus Ryder (marcusryder@caixin.com)

Related: Provincial Authorities Reprimanded Over Spate of Deadly Holiday Incidents