Over the last few years, China has made great strides in improving road safety, and the NPC and CPPCC sessions can provide the perfect opportunity for discussions to further improve the enforcement of national road safety standards.

I know that many people who have visited China only recently will think the first half of the statement above is a joke. If I had visited the country for the first time this year, I would probably also think its roads were a nightmare to navigate.

My first visit to China was about 10 years ago, when the roads of Beijing were complete chaos. There were few pedestrian signals. Five lanes of cars drove on streets painted for three lanes. Traffic signals were ignored, and pedestrians gambled with their lives by dodging cars as they crossed the street.

On that first trip, when I attempted to cross a street, I stopped at the intersection, waiting for the traffic light to turn red so I could cross. "Just cross and dodge the cars. They're not going to stop and wait for you to pass," my friend said.

In spite of my trepidation on the streets of Beijing, I received my Chinese driver's license last year. Having driven in China, I can attest that all major intersections now have pedestrian signals, traffic signals are obeyed, and, under good traffic conditions, cars stay within the designated lanes.

The reason for the improvement has been increased nationwide enforcement of traffic laws, which have also seen continuous reform.

A few years ago, I asked a taxi driver why he stopped at a traffic signal when he had barreled through previous red lights. He said that the one we stopped at had a camera.

Over the years, more cameras have resulted in more drivers obeying traffic rules, for fear of accruing fines and points against their licenses. The arrest of drivers in hit-and-run cases has been an effective deterrent, too.

Beijing has also seen drivers obeying the law regulating the number of cars on the road. Checkpoints at major intersections and expressway exits have ensured that cars restricted from driving on certain days - detected by their license plate numbers - will be fined, if caught.

More traffic police and more cameras on the road will be in the best public interest. Stricter enforcement will help to prevent and reduce many illegal driving practices.

On a recent drive to and from Beijing Capital International Airport, I encountered more than 40 cars driving on the emergency shoulder because they thought the 40 kph traffic was too slow, and illegally parked cars lining more than 500 meters of the emergency shoulder because they didn't want to pay the airport parking fee.

There was a 50-meter section where there were no illegally parked cars, for one reason: There was a camera above that section.

The minimum fine for most violations is 200 yuan ($32). If all those drivers had been caught and all those fines collected, the sum could have paid the monthly salaries of at least two traffic police officers or bought more cameras.

You may contact the writer at [email protected]

(China Daily 03/07/2012 page8)