Recently, the Ministry of Transport issued a notice stating that during the 2025 "May Day" holiday, small passenger cars with seven seats or fewer (including seven seats) will continue to be exempted from tolls on expressways. The toll-free period runs from 0:00 on May 1 to 24:00 on May 5, totaling five days.

The May Day holiday coincides with the peak tourist season, and traffic for self-driving tours and visiting relatives and friends is expected to increase significantly. Coupled with the toll-free policy, expressways are anticipated to see a surge in short-to-medium-distance self-driving trips, with high traffic volumes on the road network.

I. Lessons from others: a distressing hot-topic accident.

On the eve of April Fools' Day, a news report about a fire accident caused by three female college students driving a popular internet-famous car at high speed into a guardrail on the Dezhou Expressway's Chichi section (within Tongling, Anhui) was shared and discussed by tens of thousands of self-media accounts.

According to an official report, the vehicle was traveling at 116 km/h when it was diverted to the opposite lane due to road construction. The intelligent driving system detected an obstacle and decelerated, but after the driver took over, the vehicle still hit a concrete barrier at 97 km/h, caught fire, and the three female college students inside died.

After the accident, the victims' families spoke out online, calling on netizens to help share their posts, which quickly sparked widespread doubts about the popular internet-famous car.

Netizens focused on three major questions: Why did the intelligent driving system fail to avoid the collision? Why did the vehicle catch fire so quickly? Why couldn't the doors be opened in time after the accident? Various opinions intertwined, becoming a hot topic of conversation.

Navigating the world, on the journey of life, preparation ensures success, while lack of it leads to failure. In everything we do, being prepared beforehand leads to success, and being unprepared leads to failure. One cannot rely on luck to get by.

Second, intelligent driving is not a "hands-off manager"; safety first is the ultimate principle.

1. Intelligent Driving: Intelligent driving is a comprehensive concept that encompasses the use of various technological means, such as sensors, algorithms, and communication, to enhance the driving experience and safety of automobiles. Intelligent driving is not merely simple automated operations but also includes interaction between the vehicle and the external environment (e.g., other vehicles, road infrastructure) and intelligent analysis of driving scenarios.

Drivers must remain alert, as the system may actively request takeover. Application scenarios: automatic lane changing, ramp merging, urban NOA (Navigation on Autopilot), highway piloting. Technology is not omnipotent; safety always rests in the hands of the driver. However, improper use can turn it into a safety hazard.

According to China's "Taxonomy of Driving Automation for Vehicles," automotive intelligent driving has six levels from L0 to L5. L0-L2 are driver assistance, requiring continuous human supervision; L3-L5 gradually achieve system dominance; L5 is fully autonomous driving.

2. Prerequisites for Safely Activating Intelligent Driving

Pre-departure checks: Ensure sensors are clean and unobstructed. Familiarize yourself with functional operations before activation.

3. Precautions During Driving:

(1) Keep both hands on the steering wheel and be ready to take over at any time.

(2) Maintain visual attention on road conditions and avoid distracted driving, such as using a phone or looking down for extended periods.

(3) Proactively anticipate risks—for example, the system may not steer accurately on sharp curves, so slow down in advance and prepare to take over. Even with adaptive cruise control in congested areas, be alert for sudden braking by the vehicle ahead. When changing lanes or overtaking, the system may have delays, so it is recommended to manually confirm rear safety.

4. Handling Special Scenarios

(1) Construction zones: Slow down in advance and manually take over to pass.

(2) Severe weather: Disable the intelligent driving function and switch to manual driving.

(3) Lane markings blurred/missing: The system may fail; take over immediately.

(4) If the system malfunctions, such as frequent lane departures or unintended acceleration, brake or steer to exit intelligent driving.

5. Legal regulations on accident liability

According to current regulations, the driver remains responsible for accidents involving intelligent driving (Level 2/Level 3). Over-reliance on the system leading to an accident may result in insurance claim denial or legal liability.

III. Safe highway travel: Follow these steps

1. Monitor road conditions and travel during off-peak hours for convenience.

During the May Day holiday, if you're driving, tune in to the local traffic radio broadcast to get real-time updates on highway conditions across the province. In case of an accident or sudden vehicle breakdown while driving, remember the nine-word warning: Move the car to the side, evacuate people, and call the police immediately.

Move the car to the side: If the vehicle can be moved, quickly shift it to the right emergency lane, then turn on the hazard lights and place warning signs at least 150 meters behind.

Evacuate people: Regardless of whether the vehicle can move, drivers and passengers should not stay inside the car or linger on the highway; quickly move to a safe area.

Call the police immediately: After evacuating to a safe area, immediately dial the traffic accident hotline 12122 for help.

2. Respect the rules, review and learn anew

★ Set up the navigation in advance, and don't rush out the door.

★ Accelerate before merging into the main road;

★ Accelerate when changing lanes to overtake, always use turn signals, and avoid blocking or forcing the rear car to brake;

★ Try to drive in the middle lane;

★ Be cautious on long downhill sections;

★ Maintain a safe following distance as per regulations: keep a distance of 100 meters when speed exceeds 100 km/h;

★ When passing a ramp exit, stay in the left lane; to exit the highway, switch to the right lane at least 500 meters in advance.

★ Always keep the principles of safe driving in mind.

4. Common causes of collision with fixed objects in traffic accidents

The road traffic system is a dynamic composite system composed of people, vehicles, and roads/environments. According to foreign experts' research on the impact of various factors on road traffic accidents, human-related causes account for 93% to 94%, vehicle-related causes account for 8% to 12%, and road-related causes account for about 28% to 34%, indicating that humans are the key factor in accidents.

1. Excessive speed;

2. Slow detection of obstacles, leading to emergency evasion and sharp steering to change the vehicle's direction;

3. Emergency braking;

4. Distracted driving behaviors that affect safe driving, such as making or answering handheld phone calls, watching videos, picking up or passing objects, lighting a cigarette, eating or drinking, etc.

5. Mechanical failures (brake failure, steering failure, tire blowout, etc.)

7. Impact of road conditions, time, and weather on safe driving

8. Driving while fatigued

9. Insufficient safe sight distance

10. Impact of vehicles parked on the road and obstacles piled on the road surface on safe driving

11. Vehicles parked on the road and obstacles piled on the road surface without warning signs placed or set up, or with signs placed or set up in incorrect positions.

5. Safety Lawyer’s Reminder

Those skilled in swimming often drown, and those skilled in riding often fall—each is harmed by their own strengths. The path of safety prevention is long and arduous, and efforts should be made to reduce the number of people who "didn't expect" and incidents that "couldn't be foreseen." Persistence yields results, and action leads to achievement. Whether you have already become a true veteran driver or are on the path to becoming one, always maintain a reverent and humble attitude in the face of safety. Here, the author hopes that every driver can remain highly vigilant at all times, abandon wishful thinking, and do the right things in the safest way on the right path, ensuring that while on the road, safety is both the foundation and the priority.
 

Motto: The wise are precise in law, the enlightened value teachers. With a selfless spirit, pursue profound expertise in the craft.

Li Zuolin, a member of the Communist Party of China, lawyer license number: 14403202110325450. Specializes in criminal defense and safety production management. Since 2000, has worked at a government-affiliated institution in Shenzhen. Over 20 years of work experience in Shenzhen has accumulated extensive social connections and a good reputation. Proficient in corporate criminal crime prevention, safety production management, as well as administrative disputes, civil compensation, and other legal matters. Currently serves as a perennial legal advisor for multiple companies.