DUI e-bike riders to face up to ¥2,000 fine starting November

Local e-bike riders driving under the influence of alcohol will face fines between 500 yuan (US$70) and 2,000 yuan, according to a new regulation on traffic violations that will take effect in Shenzhen on Nov. 1.

The lawmakers passed an amendment to the regulation last week to address new problems that have arisen in the past decade since the regulation was introduced in 2009.

In 2009, the city had only 1 million motor vehicles, but now the number has reached 3.3 million, ranking first among major Chinese cities in terms of vehicle density per kilometer.

The number of accidents related to e-bikes has also continued to rise in recent years. In 2018, the number of fatalities related to e-bikes made up 40 percent of the total traffic deaths in the city.

According to the amendment, e-bike riders who disobey traffic lights or directives will be fined 300 yuan.

Despite it being the motorist’s responsibility to remind passengers to wear seatbelts, the passengers will also be held liable for not wearing them, the amendment says. The passengers will be fined 200 yuan for not wearing a seatbelt.

For vehicles used by businesses, the drivers are obliged to remind passengers, either verbally or through a printed notice in the cabin, to fasten safety belts, otherwise they will be fined 200 yuan.

In 2018, 94 deaths in traffic accidents in the city were caused by drivers recklessly using their phones or other devices. The new regulation bans all manual operation of phones while driving and violators will be fined 300 yuan.

The new regulation also raises the punishment for illegally using high beams from 300 yuan to 500 yuan. Vehicles can only use high-beam headlights at night when there is no street light or auxiliary lighting in the area. Violators will be fined 500 yuan, which will be doubled to 1,000 yuan upon the third violation within a year.

The regulation also clarifies the responsibilities involved in turning right on a red light and the trading of license points.

When stopped at a red light at a road crossing, vehicles that are allowed to turn right must yield to through-cars coming from left and pedestrians. Violators will be fined 500 yuan.

Police can suspend the driver’s license of those involved in trading license points for one to six months and fine them 1,000- 5,000 yuan.

Those involved in trading license points as a profession, or organizing such trades, will face 5,000-20,000 yuan in fines and five to 10 days of administrative detention if they provide false testimony.