Beijing Taxi Driver Dozes Off Behind The Wheel Before Fatal Crash

Charles Liu , January 24, 2015 4:13pm (updated)

bj taxi crash fatalitiesThree people traveling in a Beijing taxi cab have died after a collision in which the driver is suspected of being extremely tired from working a double shift, reports Caijing. The taxi collided with a tree while heading west on Third Ring Road nearby Wanfangting Park on Sunday morning.

The crash killed everyone inside the vehicle: the driver and two passengers, a man and a woman.

Other taxi drivers confirm it is very common for Beijing cabbies to work double shifts; sometimes they work for more than ten hours at a time.

bj taxi crash fatalities

To make matter worse, safety belts are not provided for passengers riding in the back seat of Beijing taxi cabs, something that is common in many other Chinese cities. Instead, the harnesses are often pushed inside the seat cushion and aren’t available.

Earlier this year, a Dongguan taxi driver died after working a 24 hour shift.

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Photos: Caijing

Charles Liu

The Nanfang's Senior Editor