Driver Fined for Filming Makeup Video with Hands Off Wheel While Using ADAS

Recently, highway traffic police in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province received a tip-off alleging that a driver had posted videos on social media showing themselves taking both hands off the steering wheel while driving. Investigation revealed that the driver, surnamed Lin, repeatedly activated her vehicle’s driver-assistance system while traveling on the expressway and then removed her hands from the wheel, engaging in activities such as applying makeup, eating, and dancing to music. After identifying Lin, traffic police ordered her to report for processing. Lin stated, “As a female driver, I think the system drives better than I do.” She was subsequently fined 200 yuan and received three demerit points on her driver’s license in accordance with the law. According to a guiding case previously issued by China’s Supreme People’s Court, vehicle driver-assistance systems cannot replace human drivers as the responsible party behind the wheel; drivers remain legally obligated to ensure road safety even when driver-assistance features are engaged.