And You Thought Drivers in (Enter Name of City/State) Were Bad ...

I read a really horrifying article by Geoffrey Sant on Slate.com last week. The title was "Driven to Kill" and the subtitle was "Why Drivers in China Intentionally Kill the Pedestrians They Hit."

Wow.

I'll let you read the whole story on your own, but the bottom line is that in the Chinese mix of law and tradition, it is economically more advantageous to a driver who hits a pedestrian to make sure the person is dead rather than just injured. A Chinese driver* is liable for the medical care of a seriously injured person, which can run into many thousands (if not millions) of dollars if long-term specialized care is needed. On the other hand, if the person is killed, the problem can be solved with a one-time payment to the family. As the article points out,

"In China the compensation for killing a victim in a traffic accident is relatively small—amounts typically range from $30,000 to $50,000—and once payment is made, the matter is over. "

Thus, it makes sense for a driver to commit murder, often backing up after hitting a person and running over them again and again in order to make sure they're dead.

Sort of like the GOP approach to Obamacare.

Have a good day. If you're in China, be careful crossing the street.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* Applies both to drivers in the People's Republic and in Taiwan.