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They've aggressively implemented traffic cameras recently. So traffic behavior has changed dramatically. People actuallywear seatbelts now! This is because the
by chrischen 10y ago
They've aggressively implemented traffic cameras recently.
So traffic behavior has changed dramatically. People actuallywear seatbelts now! This is because they fine if you get caught even without a belt.
- seanmcdirmid 10y agoSome lights have cameras, not all, many drives know the ones that do and don't. Also, the black Audis don't care if they get caught on camera, they are basically immune to punishment. I see a few WTFs a day, still. I wish abiut the seatbelts. Almost every single taxi I've been in for the last few years has them hidden under the back seat where they aren't usable. We have to take a zhuan Che just to get them for ourselves, and the the driver is never wearing. Any kind of enforcement in Beijing has a short attention span, they might do seatbelts once a year at a few locations, it isn't enough to form any kind of deterrent.
- Al-Khwarizmi 10y agoWhen I was in Beijing, every bus I travelled in (OK, that was 3 or 4 of them, so anecdotal evidence) had seatbelts installed in a position such that they where physically unusable. I find it a rather funny thing, why do they do that? I mean, if they are required to install seatbelts and they actually buy and install them, doesn't it cost the same to place them, you know, in their proper place?
- seanmcdirmid 10y agoNo one uses seatbelts, so no one cares, so they just bury them to make it easier to put on the seat cover that isn't really designed for seatbelts with only nominal holes for show.
- Paul_S 10y agoWhat are those black audis you're talking about? Government cars?
- seanmcdirmid 10y agoBeijing is a government city, so lots of national and provincial officials floating around, their car of choice seems to be a black Audi, but they seem to be branching out into BMWs, Mercedes, and even land rovers. You can tell who they are by how many traffic rules they ignore, but the police typically don't bother enforcing anything on anyone unless they are in special campaign mode. Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou are better. Heck, even Kunming and hangzhou are better than Beijing, given there aren't so many officials in these cities.
- dredmorbius 10y agoDiplomatic plates are a similar hazard in NYC or DC. Literal immunity in most cases, attitude on top of that.
- seanmcdirmid 10y agoDiplomat black plates are rare though, and they don't seem to drive aggressively, even if they have diplomatic immunity. Saw Hilary's SUV once around the American embassy, weird that they didn't bother blocking traffic or anything.
- chrischen 10y agoMy families are locals and they know the government plate prefixes and say government member cars are all low key, usually Chinese brands.
- seanmcdirmid 10y agoThat was the plan, but you'll still see a lot of audis in front of the ministries.