I’ve written here before about Beijing’s notorious traffic problems. The "root causes" are legion: too many new cars being added to the roads too quickly; narrow roads; rookie drivers; and a general disdain among the driving population for regulations, which seem to carry no more weight than a friendly suggestion. Hey, I’ve got an idea….why don’t you stop for the red light! Or, here’s another suggestion…don’t drive your SUV at top speed the wrong way down the bike lane. Whatever.
And, if all that weren’t bad enough, another major source of annoyance is overabundance of cars (almost always black) with white license plates and unique horns (signifying that the owner is a military official). These guys don’t just annoy. They terrorize. They don’t stop for lights, they drive on shoulders, they speed, and in general do whatever they feel like with absolute impunity, knowing that no traffic cop would have the guts to actually stop them.
But these days may hopefully be coming to an end, at least for the duration of the current crackdown. The China Daily reported today that the military in Beijing has ordered their drivers to start obeying the traffic laws. They’re concerned because the army is getting a bad image.
Another crackdown that’s got my support.
