SHENZHEN’S traffic police authority has launched an action dubbed “Lending a Hand” to encourage members of the public to help people who walk onto highways or expressways.

The helpers can expect to be rewarded with as much as 10,000 yuan (US$1,491) if they report the danger and cooperate with the police to take emergency measures, according to the authority.

Statistics show that in 2018 alone, traffic police in the city received nearly 1,800 reports about pedestrians walking onto highways or expressways, resulting in 28 traffic accidents.

The “Lending a Hand” action was launched to resolve the problem related to the time difference between the immediacy of dangers and how long it takes for traffic police officers to arrive at the scene, to reduce traffic safety hazards, and to maximize the protection of the lives of the parties involved, the traffic police said.

Residents are encouraged to immediately report to police once they see pedestrians entering highways, expressways or urban trunk roads.

In circumstances where the whistleblowers can ensure their safety, they can lend a helping hand to the pedestrians under the guidance of the police, or persuade the pedestrians to leave in a dangerous situation, the authority said.

“We found during daily patrols that pedestrians on highways or expressways are mostly people with no cognition or cognitive abilities, such as drunken people, mentally disordered people, scavengers and suicidal people,” said Chen Zhen, a traffic police officer in Bao’an District. “If these people enter highways or expressways, the probability of a major traffic accident is extremely high.”

The traffic police authority has asked the management companies of highways and expressways to implement safety management and do a good job regarding the isolation and protection of the entrances of expressways and areas along expressways.

The traffic police department has also appealed to the public to look after their drunken relatives and friends around them. Family members with no or poor cognitive abilities must be accompanied by someone when they leave home.

Residents who lend a helping hand must not act blindly if the conditions do not allow it to avoid unnecessary damage to people and property, the traffic police said.

(SD News)