Letters

Safe driving practice

Most readers will agree that as a pedestrian, one lives in constant fear for one's life when trying to cross the street. Even when using zebra crossings equipped with traffic lights, one runs the risk of being mowed down by all sorts of vehicles, inducing one to be on permanent high alert.

A remarkable change can be observed in Hangzhou. The drivers of public buses and some taxi drivers stop their vehicles in front of pedestrian crossings whenever they spot pedestrians attempting to cross the street. While this is required in many other countries, China is a notable exception. Unfortunately this practice does not seem to be acknowledged by all drivers in Hangzhou. Some keep on speeding and pass the buses even though pedestrians are already in the middle of the street, creating extremely dangerous situations.