Vehicle Technology, Law Enforcement Keys to Solving China Road-Safety Issues

ANN ARBOR, MI – Explosive growth in the Chinese automotive sector in the last several years has brought traffic on major roads to critical mass.

About 160 million motorized vehicles were driven in the country last year, up from just 42.2 million in 1997, while more than 18,642 miles (30,000 km) of expressways were added between 2001-2007, says Michael Stivak, director and research professor-human factors division, for the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

Stivak makes his remarks at a UMTRI China auto-industry conference here. Safety has become an increasingly important issue, he says, as cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and farm vehicles share increasingly crowded roadways with pedestrians and bicyclists.

China’s 81,600 road fatalities in 2007 were the highest in the world, Stivak says. While the figure has declined from a peak of 110,000 deaths in early 2002, there’s more chaos to come.

“Things will get worse before they get better,” Stivek tells attendees, citing a parallel relationship between wealthy provinces and an increase in auto fatalities, the inverse of the U.S., where poorer states typically fare worse in road safety.

Stivak says research reveals most road fatalities in China occur at about 6 p.m., likely due to the onset of darkness rather than the evening rush hour, as the morning rush shows no similar spike.

Mingling of vehicles, pedestrians dangerous mix in China.

The most common time for a traffic death to occur on expressways is 4 a.m., likely due to fatigued truck drivers. That’s because many trucks are prohibited on some expressways in daylight hours, so the bulk of transport must be done at night.

The most likely group to die in auto-related accidents are those between the ages of 26 and 45, who make up the bulk of the Chinese workforce.

Stivak says the answer to curbing auto fatalities in the rapidly modernizing nation lies mostly in improving vehicle technology, with law enforcement and education also important components.

Drivers are “set in their ways,” he says, noting less than 5% of Beijing drivers have their headlights on 27 minutes before sunset, compared with nearly all drivers in the U.S. state of Missouri at the same time.

Chinese passengers are engaging in unsafe practices, as well, with less than 10% in large cities buckling seatbelts, compared with 40%-90% of drivers.

Yet, it is pedestrians and bicyclists that make up the majority, 40%, of those killed in vehicle collisions.

Stivak recommends regulations calling for pedestrian-friendly vehicle front ends, mimicking similar European regulations. He also calls for automatic headlights that turn on in darkness or during adverse weather conditions.

To improve the rate of nighttime fatalities, Stivak says rest stops for truck drivers should be mandated, as well as hours of operation. Enforcement of laws, including seatbelt usage and helmets for motorcyclists, also need to be stepped up.

U.M.’s Jun Ni, professor-department of mechanical engineering, says the Chinese government is on the right path when it comes to expanding infrastructure, as well as enforcing traffic laws. But citizens need to change their ways when it comes to interacting with vehicles.

“Shanghai is a good example of where China is headed,” he says. “They widened the road, diverted bicycle traffic from regular traffic” and installed hidden cameras, with tickets mailed to offenders at a charge of RMB200 ($28.61).

“But the problem is mentality. Average people do not consider it serious to just walk across traffic,” adds Ni, who frequently travels to China.

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