Apart from the terrible loss of human lives, road accidents are also causing direct economic losses to the country, which totals some 7 million yuan per day as estimated by transport officials.

Speeding, negligence, failure to adjust to unexpected traffic situations, failure to give pedestrians the right-of-way, and driving in the wrong lanes are regarded as the five major causes of traffic accidents in China.

And that’s not the end of the problem. Last year saw a 34-percent rise in the number of drivers who fled the scene after causing accidents, with the total number surpassing 17,000.

In China, if a driver unfortunately knocks down and injures a pedestrian and, as a result, the victim becomes handicapped, the driver will have to assume financial responsibility and take care of the victim as long as he/she lives. So, in order to escape answering for the crime and face life-long punitive measures, a lot of drivers would choose to roll over their victims a few more times to guarantee instant death so that they could get away with only paying a one-off 8000 yuan (US$1000) compensation. This is a sick and unthinkable cold-blooded act of murder in every sense, but , sadly, it is still happening in many parts of China.

The shift from two wheels to four is putting a dent on the population as well as killing our climate. It is forecast that registered motor vehicles in China (excluding scooters) will reach 44 to 50 million by 2010 and that China’s long-term goal is to have every household own a car. If this wish is ever granted, these four-wheeled Grim Reapers will certainly claim more lives than they already do on the road.