China's rich too fast, too furious
By Stephanie Wang
CHANGSHA, China - With the explosive growth of motor vehicle sales in recent
years, traffic accidents in China have also skyrocketed. So much so that the
Middle Kingdom has become a world leader in deadly traffic accidents, according
to official statistics. Attracting even greater attention from the public,
however, is the social injustice behind these traffic accidents.
There were some 30 million cars on the road in the country last year, less than
5% of the world's total estimated total of more than 600 million). According to
Xinhua News Agency, there were more than 320,000 traffic accidents in China in
2007, with 81,649 people killed. As such, China's death rate due to traffic
accidents
is six times the world average and accounts for 20% of the world total.
While some may argue that it is inevitable that the number of traffic accidents
will grow as the number of vehicles hitting the roads soars, there may be no
positive connection between them. During the past two decades, the number of
motor vehicles in the United States jumped by 73%, yet the number of people
killed in road accidents dropped by 27.5%. In Japan, the number of cars grew
threefold, yet casualties due to traffic accidents dropped 55%.
So why is China's headed in a different? It is not due to a lack of traffic
regulations, but rather because these rules are often deliberately ignored,
particularly by the rich, privileged and powerful. The social injustice behind
this issue has led to an increase in concern from the public.
There is a historical episode that illustrates the situation. In 1901, a
provincial governor of the Qing Dynasty offered a car imported from the US to
Empress Cixi as a gift for her 66th birthday. This was one of the first cars
the Chinese had ever seen. So one day, a happy Cixi ordered her driver to taxi
her around in the Forbidden City.
To show appreciation, she rewarded the driver with a big bowl of rice wine
before the journey. Overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, the driver quickly
emptied the bowl and started the car. Suddenly a small eunuch ran in front of
the vehicle. The drunk driver forgot where the brake was and the car ran over
the eunuch and killed him.
Needless to say, nothing happened to the driver as a eunuch's life was
worthless. Later, some ministers told Cixi that it was improper for the driver
to sit side-by-side with Her Majesty. The empress then ordered the driver's
seat removed and demanded the driver operate the car while dropped down on his
knees.
From this some Chinese media commentators have inferred, jokingly, that the bad
habit of drunk driving may have historical roots. Still, the story serves as a
apt example that - even today - any rule can be bent by the privileged and
powerful.
While saying that drunk-driving is a tradition may be an insult to the Chinese,
it is true that operating motor vehicles while under the influence is a problem
that runs rampant in the country. According to the Ministry of Public Security,
it is the top killer during traffic accidents.
Although no statistics are available to indicate who the major offenders are,
the general public tends to blame the rich and the powerful for dangerous
driving behavior, specifically drunk-driving.
Private cars are quite popular in major Chinese cities nowadays, and luxurious
sedans are still associated with social status. For example, the BMW brand is
lovingly called Bao Ma, or Precious Horse, and BMW sedans are popular
among the newly rich. But in recent years, Bao Ma has almost become a
synonym for "traffic accident". For instance, if you key in the words "Bao Ma"
and "traffic accident" on Chinese search engine Baidu.com, you will receive
6,670,000 entries.
To name just a few cases from these entries, in Harbin city in October 2003, a
victim was crushed and dragged to death by a BMW and another 12 injured. In
Changsha city in 2004, a female driver injured seven with a BMW in March and
another seven with a Mercedes-Benz in July. In Yiwu in 2005, a deputy of the
Municipal People's Congress drove a BMW while drunk and beat up intervening
police officers. In Wenzhou in 2006, a BMW driver caused five accidents in just
an hour. In Beijing in 2007, a 17-year-old hit-and-run driver showed not a
single trace of repentance when caught. Last year, there were more than a dozen
cases of traffic accidents reported, including deadly ones, caused by Bao Ma
sedans.
When browsing such stories this author finds that even at a standstill Bao Ma
drivers can hurt people. An onlooker was punched (Beijing 2006), another
slapped (Beijing 2007), and still another beaten up and given a cerebral
hemorrhage (Xiamen 2008).
It's no wonder then that in China "watch out for Bao Ma or you may get
killed" and "stay away from Bao Ma or you may be kicked" have become
popular sayings among Chinese bloggers.
Certainly, it is impossible, and unfair to say, that all or most of China's
deadly traffic accidents have been caused by BMW sedans. But the fact that such
cases are highlighted by the media is quite revealing.
A sociologist from the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences says
the backlash toward BMW reflects the strong feelings of public disgust stemming
from the arrogance of the newly rich and the privileged. Zhou Xiaozheng, a
sociology professor with Renmin University, argues that such public feelings
are quite reasonable and understandable. For one thing, behind the wheel of a
BMW car there is often an arrogant and bullying driver.
The tragedy in Harbin in 2003 is a telling example. The enraged female driver
injured 12 people, crushed another woman's head and dragged her for about seven
meters, simply because her BMW got scratched by the woman's farm truck that was
dodging a van. After the accident, the driver's husband, head of a group
company, hurried to the scene, comforting her: "No big deal, a million yuan
will suffice to settle the case."
According to Chinese law, drunk-driving is punishable by a fine of up to 500
yuan (US$73) and suspension of the driver's license for up to three months. In
some cases, apprehended BMW drivers have reportedly laughed, "OK, give me the
fine. I have enough money for it."
Even in more serious accidents, the rich believe their money can fix their
mistakes while the privileged and powerful can settle such cases with their
connections. Professor Kong Qingdong of Peking University has remarked
publicly: "[Beijing's policy of] 'letting some people get rich first' certainly
does not mean to let such immoral guys get rich first".
The public antipathy toward the newly rich also manifests the country's
dangerously growing wealth gap. China's Gini coefficient - a measure of
statistical dispersion - was 0.47 in 2007, well above the international alert
line of 0.4. Even Ma Kai, the former director of the National Development and
Reform Commission, admitted the country's income disparity is widening. Many
people believe that some wealth collection is associated with official
corruption. Professor Mao Shoulong of Renmin University says the general
dislike for the rich could be better interpreted as a "hatred of unfairness".
Behind the traffic accidents there is the issue of social injustice which is a
major source of growing public discontent. According to Professor Qing Lianbin
of the Central Party School, such a mentality will definitely affect social
harmony.
To build a harmonious society - by no means an easy ride - is a goal set by
President Hu Jintao, who has called for concerted efforts. The rich should
certainly be more socially responsible. To start with, they should drive their
luxurious sedans more sensibly. Only then may China take a step closer to
social harmony.
Stephanie Wang is a freelance writer based in Changsha, China.
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