Smartphones, social media blamed for Beijing traffic jams
Drivers talking to friends on Wechat or snapping photos and posting messages on Weibo were a major cause of road accidents during the golden week holiday
Distracted Beijing drivers playing with their smartphones were the primary cause of road accidents and traffic jams during the “golden week” holiday, said traffic authorities in the Chinese capital.
Drivers talking to friends on Wechat, a popular instant messaging platform, or snapping photos and posting messages on Weibo while driving had resulted in poor driving and collisions, according to authorities.
As holidaymakers returned home on Monday, the last day of the one-week holiday, Beijing experienced severe traffic jams.
At one point in the afternoon, 20 kilometres of roads were congested, said traffic police.
“I moved one kilometre in two hours,” a stranded driver wrote on Weibo.
