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On December 7, a first-aid ambulance got caught up in Beijing traffic. It took the vehicle 40 minutes to travel 3 km. Due to the delay, the patient onboard died. The incident attracted wide-spread attention from all corners of society.
In November, a worker who had suffered a severe cut to his hand in Xiamen, southeast China’s Fujian Province, missed the chance for a finger transplant when his ambulance got trapped on a major bridge for two hours.
According to many first-aid workers, at least 30 percent of patients transported via ambulance miss their appointments for medical treatment because of traffic jams and occupied emergency lanes.
With China’s urban streets becoming increasingly crowded, what can be done to ensure the effective operation of emergency services? What can traffic police do to avoid or punish violations? The following are excerpts of some opinions:
He He (gb.cri.cn): I am shocked by serious traffic jams. Ambulances are allowed to use emergency lanes and sirens when executing urgent tasks. Meanwhile, it is also stipulated in relevant regulations that drivers and pedestrians are obligated to make room for ambulances. However, many vehicles choose to turn a blind eye to such rules. The fundamental reason for this mess is the lack of punishment aimed at those occupying emergency lanes in heavy traffic.
In 2009, a serious traffic accident in Beijing claimed seven lives and injured one person. This led to several hours of traffic congestion. The most tragic scene was, while injured passengers lay strewn around waiting for help, emergency lanes remained blocked. As a result, ambulances were only able to access the scene after a delay of 20 minutes, when the crucial moment for aid had already been missed.
Those who refuse to make way for ambulances and occupy emergency lanes must receive similar punishments to that of drunk drivers. Of course, ambulances should avoid abusing sirens and warning lights. They are allowed to use these tools only in emergencies.
Mu Yifei (www.rednet.cn): Surveys show that over half of private car owners say they will not make way for emergency vehicles. Some drivers confess they have never met with such cases and would not know what to do. A few even think they might be violating traffic rules by making way for ambulances and face punishment.
Indeed, current traffic regulations only highlight the privileged right of emergency vehicles and that other cars and pedestrians have an obligation to make way, but there is little information regarding the consequences of breaking the law while complying with such measures. In order for police cars, first-aid ambulances and fire engines to run smoothly, current traffic regulations must be updated. Some also argue that emergency vehicles are often used outside of their designated purposes and that efforts should be made to avoid their unofficial use.
Wen Jinrang (www.qstheory.cn): Objectively speaking, such things happen frequently. It is more a social management problem than a legal one.
On the whole, only four cars chose to make way for the ambulance in this case, while other drivers pretended not to hear the siren. Life was thus lost while waiting. There are several reasons for this tragedy.
In Chinese society, many drivers show indifference toward vehicles such as ambulances, while at the same time, they automatically give way to privileged cars used by the police. Another reason is that, in many cities, streets are too narrow to let emergency cars pass, even if drivers are willing to, particularly in rush hour. There are no emergency lanes. Traffic congestion is a big concern in Chinese cities. It’s totally impossible to make an emergency lane for ambulances. In this case, we can’t blame drivers too much. Basic traffic structures should first be improved.
In addition, laws and regulations are too general and often have little effect. If similar incidents occurred in Singapore, the result may be totally different. There, emergency vehicles are equipped with cameras, and cars that do not make way for emergency personnel are strictly punished. In Germany, making way for emergency vehicles is a rigid principle. Even if these vehicles have occupied pavements, you’ll have to let it go.
In China, emergency service operations are a thorny problem for the government, traffic authorities and the judicial system. Most importantly, disease is a common concern and who’s to say they won’t be the ones trapped on the highway while in need of dire help?
The increase of private cars is supposed to bring us more convenience, but instead, overcrowding is making people miserable. It’s hoped that loopholes in traffic rules and regulations can be corrected as soon as possible, and tough punishment imposed on those who are indifferent to the lives of others.
Yang Tao (China Youth Daily): Actually, what happened on December 7 is not an isolated case. On November 28, a traf- fic accident occurred on Nanyuan Road in Beijing, injuring three people. The ambulance heading for the accident spot used its siren, but few vehicles made way for it, and finally first-aid workers had to turn to traffic police for help. Making way for ambulances is not only a moral obligation, but also a legal one for drivers. The Road Traffic Safety Law stipulates that police cars, fire engines, ambulances and other emergency vehicles can use their sirens or warning lights while carrying out emergency tasks. On the precondition of safety, these cars can move without restrictions, such as imposed by traffic lights while other road users must make way. If other drivers ignore the rules, they will be punished by law.
There are existing laws for drivers to follow regarding emergency vehicles, but most road users ignore these. I’ve never heard that any driver has been punished for refusing to make way for emergency services. If they do want to correct the situation, it’s quite easy. Thanks to technology, advanced equipment like cameras can be found in many road sections, making it easy to collect evidence against those who refuse to yield.
In addition, it’s important to ensure the legality of special or privileged vehicles. There must be laws to regulate privileges of emergency vehicles. Cars that abuse sirens and show off while not executing urgent tasks should be punished.
In November, a worker who had suffered a severe cut to his hand in Xiamen, southeast China’s Fujian Province, missed the chance for a finger transplant when his ambulance got trapped on a major bridge for two hours.
According to many first-aid workers, at least 30 percent of patients transported via ambulance miss their appointments for medical treatment because of traffic jams and occupied emergency lanes.
With China’s urban streets becoming increasingly crowded, what can be done to ensure the effective operation of emergency services? What can traffic police do to avoid or punish violations? The following are excerpts of some opinions:
He He (gb.cri.cn): I am shocked by serious traffic jams. Ambulances are allowed to use emergency lanes and sirens when executing urgent tasks. Meanwhile, it is also stipulated in relevant regulations that drivers and pedestrians are obligated to make room for ambulances. However, many vehicles choose to turn a blind eye to such rules. The fundamental reason for this mess is the lack of punishment aimed at those occupying emergency lanes in heavy traffic.
In 2009, a serious traffic accident in Beijing claimed seven lives and injured one person. This led to several hours of traffic congestion. The most tragic scene was, while injured passengers lay strewn around waiting for help, emergency lanes remained blocked. As a result, ambulances were only able to access the scene after a delay of 20 minutes, when the crucial moment for aid had already been missed.
Those who refuse to make way for ambulances and occupy emergency lanes must receive similar punishments to that of drunk drivers. Of course, ambulances should avoid abusing sirens and warning lights. They are allowed to use these tools only in emergencies.
Mu Yifei (www.rednet.cn): Surveys show that over half of private car owners say they will not make way for emergency vehicles. Some drivers confess they have never met with such cases and would not know what to do. A few even think they might be violating traffic rules by making way for ambulances and face punishment.
Indeed, current traffic regulations only highlight the privileged right of emergency vehicles and that other cars and pedestrians have an obligation to make way, but there is little information regarding the consequences of breaking the law while complying with such measures. In order for police cars, first-aid ambulances and fire engines to run smoothly, current traffic regulations must be updated. Some also argue that emergency vehicles are often used outside of their designated purposes and that efforts should be made to avoid their unofficial use.
Wen Jinrang (www.qstheory.cn): Objectively speaking, such things happen frequently. It is more a social management problem than a legal one.
On the whole, only four cars chose to make way for the ambulance in this case, while other drivers pretended not to hear the siren. Life was thus lost while waiting. There are several reasons for this tragedy.
In Chinese society, many drivers show indifference toward vehicles such as ambulances, while at the same time, they automatically give way to privileged cars used by the police. Another reason is that, in many cities, streets are too narrow to let emergency cars pass, even if drivers are willing to, particularly in rush hour. There are no emergency lanes. Traffic congestion is a big concern in Chinese cities. It’s totally impossible to make an emergency lane for ambulances. In this case, we can’t blame drivers too much. Basic traffic structures should first be improved.
In addition, laws and regulations are too general and often have little effect. If similar incidents occurred in Singapore, the result may be totally different. There, emergency vehicles are equipped with cameras, and cars that do not make way for emergency personnel are strictly punished. In Germany, making way for emergency vehicles is a rigid principle. Even if these vehicles have occupied pavements, you’ll have to let it go.
In China, emergency service operations are a thorny problem for the government, traffic authorities and the judicial system. Most importantly, disease is a common concern and who’s to say they won’t be the ones trapped on the highway while in need of dire help?
The increase of private cars is supposed to bring us more convenience, but instead, overcrowding is making people miserable. It’s hoped that loopholes in traffic rules and regulations can be corrected as soon as possible, and tough punishment imposed on those who are indifferent to the lives of others.
Yang Tao (China Youth Daily): Actually, what happened on December 7 is not an isolated case. On November 28, a traf- fic accident occurred on Nanyuan Road in Beijing, injuring three people. The ambulance heading for the accident spot used its siren, but few vehicles made way for it, and finally first-aid workers had to turn to traffic police for help. Making way for ambulances is not only a moral obligation, but also a legal one for drivers. The Road Traffic Safety Law stipulates that police cars, fire engines, ambulances and other emergency vehicles can use their sirens or warning lights while carrying out emergency tasks. On the precondition of safety, these cars can move without restrictions, such as imposed by traffic lights while other road users must make way. If other drivers ignore the rules, they will be punished by law.
There are existing laws for drivers to follow regarding emergency vehicles, but most road users ignore these. I’ve never heard that any driver has been punished for refusing to make way for emergency services. If they do want to correct the situation, it’s quite easy. Thanks to technology, advanced equipment like cameras can be found in many road sections, making it easy to collect evidence against those who refuse to yield.
In addition, it’s important to ensure the legality of special or privileged vehicles. There must be laws to regulate privileges of emergency vehicles. Cars that abuse sirens and show off while not executing urgent tasks should be punished.