Chinese Drivers Fight Back

Drivers in China are fed up with being dazzled by the high beam headlights of drivers following them, and are turning to scary ghost decals to shock the offenders into dipping their headlights.

Traffic police in the Eastern province of Jinan, Shandong, have begun noticing that some cars have the pictures of traditional styled gwei, pale-skinned long-haired women favoured by modern Chinese horror movies, adorning the rear window of cars.

The decals are available from the Chinese e-commerce site Taobao, from as little as USD3 a set, and there is a choice of the traditional gwei or an assortment of ghoulish alternatives. According to Taobao, the decals are hardly visible until they are hit with a high beam, and that is when the fun starts.

Even though the local media has carried a number of reports about accidents caused by the use of high beams, the local police are viewing the decals as a road hazard and are reportedly given out fines of up to USD20 if you are spotted with them.

In a spot of unusual Chinese justice, police in Shenzhen have announced that they will conduct a somewhat unorthodox punishment to encourage motorists to curb the use of the high beam. In the future, offenders will be forced to stare into the high beam for sixty seconds and thereafter pay a fine of USD61, assuming that they can find their wallet after staring into the light.