On November 12th, a video circulating on several mainland Chinese social media platforms caught the attention and trended online. The video captured several elderly individuals driving electric tricycles on a highway in Hainan province. The footage, dated November 12th, showed five elderly people riding electric tricycles on one side of the Wanyang Highway in Danzhou, Hainan.
According to reports from “Yangcheng Evening News,” witnesses disclosed, “I saw this around 8 a.m. as we were passing by. I was sitting in the passenger seat, so I recorded a brief video. After we finished recording, we uploaded the video to the local traffic management department via WeChat official account backstage. The local traffic management department responded promptly and escorted the elderly individuals safely off the highway.”
It was revealed that these elderly individuals had recently migrated to Hainan for the winter and were unfamiliar with the local roads. Due to navigation misguidance, they mistakenly entered the highway with electric tricycles meant for elderly individuals, not wheelchairs.
An employee from the Traffic Support Team of Danzhou Public Security Bureau stated, “Since Hainan’s highways do not have toll booths, they might have entered following the navigation guidance.”
The employee further explained that as per regulations, two-wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles are prohibited from entering Hainan’s highways. The elderly individuals were criticized and educated for their actions.
Following the dissemination of this news, many netizens expressed fear and concern over the elderly individuals’ behavior. Some criticized the relatively light punishment by the traffic police department, believing it failed to serve as a deterrent.
One netizen, “zhangan195507,” commented, “Penalties should be imposed in accordance with regulations, showing no leniency, even when dealing with vulnerable groups.”
Another netizen, “dongliurushuang,” stated, “Vehicles and pedestrians without road privileges should bear full responsibility for any incidents on highways. In cases of multiple casualties, equal responsibility should be shared among all parties involved.”
The incident involving the elderly individuals driving electric tricycles on the highway has sparked discussions online regarding road safety regulations and the obligation to adhere to traffic laws, especially for vulnerable groups.