Hoping to see the light of traffic rules(2)

"On the day the revised rules came into force, drivers followed the rules and commonly seen violations, such as ignoring traffic lights and deliberately covering up license plates, were seen less frequently," according to a report by Xinhua News Agency, quoting the Ministry of Public Security.

The report said the number of accidents decreased substantially on Tuesday in five major cities — Beijing, Tianjin, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Jinan — from the previous day. Moreover, no severe accidents, such as those caused by drivers ignoring traffic signals, were reported.

Although the ministry said on Wednesday that some major cities reported a sharp decrease in urban traffic violations, the new regulation remains controversial because drivers find it difficult to predict yellow lights and stop their cars in good time.

"I don't understand what the yellow light is for, if we have to stop as soon as we see it. All we need is a green light that's either on or off," said Wang.

"Now, I have to slow down when the light is still green. The new regulations make drivers pass through easily blocked intersections even more slowly, increasing the danger of rear-end collisions and prompting more insurance claims."

Some drivers said the Ministry of Public Security has been too hasty in concluding that running a yellow light is a traffic violation, because drivers are accustomed to passing through the yellow light and it takes a few seconds for them to hit the brakes and stop their cars.

Wu Daming, a lecturer at East China University of Political Science and Law, described the new traffic regulation as "simple and crude" on Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter.

"The penalty for the 'yellow light' is a trap. At many crossroads, there are no countdown clocks for the green lights, which can turn yellow in a second. That leaves no time for drivers to stop," he said. "If vehicles should stop, rather than just slow down, when the yellow light is on, what is the function of the red light?"