Microblogging while driving worsens traffic jams  

京交通委:司机开车发微信刷微博是拥堵原因之一

国庆假期最后一天，截至16时全市收费公路交通流量为109.43万辆，较去年同期增长4.0%，各条进京高速均出现较长的车辆排队现象，晚8时后进京车辆逐渐减少，进京高速路况“转绿”。从市交管局、交通委发布的消息看，高速上乱并线以及司机不专心驾驶，边走边拍发微信、刷微博导致交通事故频发，是高速拥堵的主要原因。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- Reckless passing and driver distractions, such as microblogging, texting and taking photographs, easily lead to accidents and are the main causes of traffic jams on highways, according to the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau and Municipal Commission of Transportation.

"Some drivers get distracted on roads. Whenever they are blocked, they pick up their phones to microblog, text or take pictures, ignoring road conditions which could lead to rear-end collisions. And collisions create a vicious circle by causing another round of jams," said a traffic officer.

Zhang Liu, who drove back to Beijing on Monday via the Beijing-Tibet Expressway, said he had witnessed three accidents on the way from Changpin to the Fifth Ring Road. "The accidents forced cars to inch forward," he said.

"Reckless drivers affect everyone on the roads. They should be responsible for the time and gas we waste," Zhang added.

By 4pm Monday, the last day of the Golden Week, vehicles on the city's toll roads had reached over one million, increasing by 4 percent year-on-year. The heavy flow and accidents on highways aggravated traffic blockages.