Stop violations from tying traffic up

A set of photographs showing a foreigner stopping a car driving in a bicycle lane in Beijing and asking the driver to leave the lane has gone viral on the Internet, drawing positive comments from netizens.

Most of the netizens have spoken highly of the foreigner's action and believe the driver has tarnished Chinese people's civic image. The photographs also have sparked intense discussions among netizens about how they would respond if they witnessed something similar on the road. Many netizens have admitted encountering such scenes - violation of traffic rules - without pointing the drivers' mistakes. This explains why the photographs of the foreigner admonishing the driver has gone viral online.

Perhaps many Chinese people do not have the same courage as the foreigner. Or, perhaps they have become used to such minor violations of traffic rules because they are so common. However, the foreigner's action is a reminder that the deteriorating urban traffic condition in China could be arrested if every citizen starts acting like the foreigner: they should correct drivers if they are violating even minor traffic rules because it will not only allow traffic to flow smoothly, but also ensure road safety. This is particularly important in this "age of automobiles".