Multiple Fatal Family Car Crashes Prompt Summer Travel Safety Advisory from Traffic Police

Recently, four road traffic accidents involving privately owned vehicles carrying family members have occurred consecutively in Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Hunan, and Xinjiang, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries. At approximately 4:11 a.m. on June 14, an overloaded pickup truck (rated for five passengers but carrying six, all relatives; rear-seat occupants were not wearing seat belts) collided with a freight truck parked ahead due to mechanical failure on County Road Y054 in Ejin Banner, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia, at the 30-kilometer plus 300-meter mark. All six occupants of the pickup truck died. The vehicle is suspected of speeding. On the same day at around 1:30 p.m., a passenger car (rated for five passengers and carrying five, all relatives; rear-seat occupants were not wearing seat belts) crossed the center line on Provincial Road S206 in Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang, at the 33-kilometer plus 459-meter mark, colliding head-on with an oncoming heavy semi-trailer truck. All five occupants of the passenger car died. The vehicle is also suspected of speeding. At approximately 6:50 p.m. on June 21, a passenger car (rated for five passengers but carrying four, all relatives; rear-seat occupants were not wearing seat belts) lost control due to excessive speed on a rainy day on the Er-Guang Expressway in Changde City, Hunan, at the 1920-kilometer plus 235-meter mark, crashing into the central guardrail. The crash resulted in three deaths and one injury. At around 4:44 p.m. on July 5, a passenger car (rated for seven passengers but carrying six, all relatives) attempted an illegal overtaking maneuver on County Road Y140 in Shanshan County, Turpan City, Xinjiang, at the 7-kilometer mark. After crossing the center line, it collided successively with an oncoming and a same-direction heavy semi-trailer truck, causing four deaths and two injuries. With summer vacation underway and family self-driving trips increasing, the Traffic Management Bureau of China’s Ministry of Public Security issues the following safety reminder: Families traveling together must strictly abide by traffic laws and follow the “Five Dos and Five Don’ts”: - **Do** inspect your vehicle and familiarize yourself with its performance before departure; **don’t** drive a vehicle with known safety issues or allow inexperienced drivers to operate the vehicle. - **Do** carry only the number of passengers within the vehicle’s rated capacity and ensure everyone wears a seat belt throughout the journey; **don’t** overload the vehicle or neglect seat belt use. - **Do** plan your route in advance and ensure adequate rest; **don’t** drive while fatigued or exceed speed limits. - **Do** overtake only when it is safe to do so; **don’t** force overtaking or meeting maneuvers. - **Do** reduce speed, maintain safe following distance, and turn on vehicle lights during rainy conditions; drive cautiously—**don’t** brake abruptly, accelerate suddenly, change lanes frequently, or attempt to cross flooded sections recklessly.