Chinese drivers use ghost decals to scare others off using full beam headlights
Chinese drivers are sticking reflective ghost transfers on the rear windows of their cars to deter other motorists from using high beam headlights.
But people caught using the light-reflecting printed decals could face fines for posing a risk to road safety, Xinhua news agency reported.
Traffic police in Jinan, eastern Shandong province, have noticed some vehicles with pictures of ghosts with pale skin and red tongues stuck on their rear windows.
On e-commerce site Taobao, dozens of shops are selling such scary rear-window decals. The graphics range from women with bloody mouths to green or blue-eyed wolves.
The sellers say the decals, hardly visible in the dark, can reflect light when high beam headlights are shone on them and shock motorists who use such headlights.
Some products listed on Taobao have received hundreds of reviews.
“It looks great,” one buyer said. “Let’s see who still follows my car with full beam headlights on.”
In Jinan, drivers who have ghost decals on their cars can be fined 100 yuan (HK$113) each, Xinhua said. Police say such driver will tougher punishments if the decals cause road accidents by scaring other drivers.
Chinese media have previously reported several accidents in which people have died after drivers were dazzled by bright, full beam headlights.
Police usually dock points from drivers’ licences for breaching rules on the use of headlights, or fine motorists up to several hundred yuan.
