OPINION> Commentary
Rules of the road
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-02 07:42

Frequency in violation of rules in daily life is often associated with residents' level of civic virtues. While the lack of civic virtues has become a frequently used cliche to accuse the violators of rules, what is urgently needed is the education of children on how to observe rules in their daily life. This is the best way to raise the overall level of citizens' civic virtues.

The Nanjing municipal government has set a good example in this regard by strictly requiring middle school students to follow rules in riding their bicycles on the road.

License for a cyclist would certainly be laughed at as ridiculous in this country which used to be nicknamed the kingdom of bicycles. But such a practice, which has been put into operation by Nanjing municipal education commission for middle school students, has proved to be an effective way to considerably reduce the number of traffic accidents involving this particular group of cyclists and raised their awareness about traffic safety.

Before getting this safety certificate for riding bicycles on the street, middle school students in the city are required to take part in a written exam about traffic rules, practical tests of how to avoid road barriers on a test site and then a road test. Traffic police officers will administer the entire process. Road test is the most important and police officers will select crossroads to see how they can turn around a corner in the right way and how they react to certain complicated situations on the road. Those who pass the tests get a safety certificate for cycling.

It is usually the father or mother, who accompanies their daughters or sons on their first several cycling trips on the road, telling them what must be watched out and in what circumstances brakes must be used or even when they need to dismount their bicycles. As long as they believe that their kids' cycling skill is smart enough, they let them cycle on their own.

But the problem is many of these parents may not know exactly the rules they are supposed to follow in cycling on road. Very few raise their left or right hands when they turn right or left to notify those cycling behind them to avoid being hit from the rear.

The significance of this safety certificate, along with the exam and tests for obtaining it, is far beyond the safety of the cycling students. By telling the rules for cycling and showing them how to cycle in a right and civilized manner, the police officers will drive home in their minds the awareness of observing rules in whatever they do.

Making students rule-conscious in daily life is as important as teaching them the knowledge they need for their career in the future. A knowledgeable person may make a good scholar or engineer, but not necessarily a good citizen. But a civilized society needs more citizens with civic virtues.

With the goal of developing China into a highly modernized and civilized nation, we need an education that will inculcate civic virtues along with knowledge.

(China Daily 09/02/2008 page8)