A woman in eastern China has been fined for applying make-up and dancing behind the wheel, then claiming her car’s driver-assistance system drove better than she could.
According to CCTV News, the driver, surnamed Lin, is from Wenzhou in Zhejiang province and had repeatedly posted videos online flaunting her vehicle’s assisted driving.
In the widely shared clips, Lin is seen travelling through a tunnel with the system activated, both hands off the steering wheel, while applying foundation and lipstick, moving to music and eating snacks.
She was driving an AITO SUV worth about 500,000 yuan (US$73,000), part of a premium smart vehicle brand backed by Chinese technology giant Huawei.
Lin had also decorated the driver’s seat with flowers and ornaments. The distance she travelled has not been disclosed.
Local traffic police recently contacted her after internet users reported her for dangerous driving.
“Although my hands were doing other things, I was still thinking about driving,” Lin told officers.
Police warned her that unexpected situations, such as roadworks requiring a sudden lane change, could occur at any time.
They said driver-assistance systems were designed for relatively simple road conditions and could not reliably cope with complex scenarios or emergencies.
Lin replied: “I had not thought about that because I really trust smart driving. As a female driver, I think it drives better than I do.”
Officers stressed that driver assistance is not autonomous driving and cannot identify every obstacle on the road.
Under China’s vehicle automation standards, driver-assistance systems offer only limited steering or speed-control support, such as adaptive cruise control and lane keeping.
Drivers are required to remain alert and in control at all times.
Police said motorists remain legally responsible when using such functions, and traffic violations can lead to fines, licence revocation or administrative detention.
Lin was eventually fined 200 yuan (US$30) and had points deducted from her licence for obstructing safe driving.
Her case has triggered a heated discussion on mainland social media, with related topics drawing more than 10 million views.
One online observer said: “I am terrified of irresponsible drivers like this. If nothing happens, they are lucky; if it does, they endanger both themselves and others.”
“I hardly ever use smart-driving features. Humans are still more reliable and flexible than machines,” said another.
The misuse of driver-assistance technology is not uncommon in China.
On May 4, a man returning to Shanghai said he saw a driver sleeping in a speeding car while its assisted-driving system was activated.
In February 2023, a drunk driver from central China activated the function and later argued he was not controlling the vehicle. He was sentenced to five months’ detention and fined 10,000 yuan (US$1,400). -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
