Seeing red over yellow light rule

A revised traffic regulation that took effect on New Year's Day and is being called much too harsh by some drivers.

A key complaint is that the revised rule raises the stakes for drivers who run yellow lights. Under the revision, running a yellow light would be treated the same as a running a red light and cost drivers a deduction of six points - half the 12-point limit - from their driver's licenses. Formerly, only three points were deducted.

Drivers also complained that the extra care it forces them to take to avoid running yellow lights can easily cause rear-end collisions.

Li Qin, an official with the Ministry of Public Security, which produced and released the new regulation, told China Central Television on Wednesday that if drivers focused on the road, maintained a safe distance from vehicles in front of them and slowed down when approaching traffic lights, they could avoid rear-end collisions and running yellow lights.

He said that if a car had already passed the stop line when a yellow traffic light switched on, it would not be count as breaking the regulation.

Yu Ran, a manager of an environmental protection company in Beijing, said she has driven at a snail's pace since New Year's Day to avoid incurring the new penalty.

"I don't want to get caught and have to attend traffic school. The new rule is very strict, but somehow, it is good to create a more courteous environment on the road," she said.

Sun Yixuan, the art director of the magazine publishing department of Trends Media Group in Beijing, posted on his web blog that he caused a rear-end collision because of the rule against running yellow lights.

"The car in front of me suddenly stopped when the yellow light went on, and my car bumped into its rear bumper," he wrote on Tuesday afternoon, warning other drivers "to slow down a mile before you get to traffic lights".

His blog post had received 5,737 comments and been reposted 23,400 times as of Wednesday afternoon.