Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2025

Zhejiang City to Start Fining Distracted Pedestrians

Zhejiang City to Start Fining Distracted Pedestrians

Officials in the eastern city of Jiaxing want walkers to keep their eyes on the road, not their phones.

A city in eastern China wants pedestrians to look both ways - and only both ways - when crossing the street, threatening smartphone addicts with fines of up to 50 yuan ($7) for checking their phones or other mobile devices in traffic.

The new rules, approved by Jiaxing city leaders in August and ratified by the Zhejiang provincial People’s Congress late last month, are aimed at promoting “civilized behavior.” In addition to the above-mentioned restriction on mobile device use, the list of prohibited actions also includes throwing garbage out of car windows; sloppy or illicit parking; and making a commotion in public spaces like libraries, museums, and movie theaters.

But it was the rules targeting ditouzu, or the “lowered-heads tribe,” that attracted the bulk of the attention - and support - after Jiaxing’s decision went viral over the weekend. On popular microblogging platform Weibo, a hashtag related to the policy had 52 million views by time of publication, with many calling the fines “a great idea.”

“Absolutely support it! We can’t allow an individual’s lack of safety awareness to harm drivers and their families,” reads one upvoted comment. Some suggested adopting the policy nationwide, while others argued a 50 yuan fine was not enough to deter potential rulebreakers.

While the majority of reactions were supportive, some users questioned whether the city was being reasonable. “If both pedestrians and drivers are all following the traffic lights, who cares if people are looking at their phones while crossing the street?” asked one.

Jiaxing is not the only city dealing with distracted pedestrians. This January, Wenzhou City, also in Zhejiang province, banned a number of “behaviors affecting other vehicles or pedestrians,” including certain categories of phone use. Later that month, the city’s decision to fine a pedestrian 10 yuan for using her mobile phone while crossing the street drew widespread applause from netizens.

In May 2017, a motorcycle passenger died after colliding with a jaywalker in China’s southern Guangdong province. Surveillance camera footage showed the jaywalker looking at his phone while crossing the street, and he ultimately paid 200,000 yuan in compensation to the deceased’s family and was given a 10-month suspended sentence.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia’s 2025: A Pivotal Year of Global Engagement and Domestic Transformation
Saudi Arabia to Introduce Sugar-Content Based Tax on Sweetened Drinks from January 2026
Saudi Hotels Prepare for New Hospitality Roles as Alcohol Curbs Ease
Global Airports Forum Highlights Saudi Arabia’s Emergence as a Leading Aviation Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia Weighs Strategic Choice on Iran Amid Regional Turbulence
Saudi Arabia Condemns Sydney Bondi Beach Shooting and Expresses Solidarity with Australia
Washington Watches Beijing–Riyadh Rapprochement as Strategic Balance Shifts
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Drives Measurable Lift in Global Reputation and Influence
Alcohol Policies Vary Widely Across Muslim-Majority Countries, With Many Permitting Consumption Under Specific Rules
Saudi Arabia Clarifies No Formal Ban on Photography at Holy Mosques for Hajj 2026
Libya and Saudi Arabia Sign Strategic MoU to Boost Telecommunications Cooperation
Elon Musk’s xAI Announces Landmark 500-Megawatt AI Data Center in Saudi Arabia
Israel Moves to Safeguard Regional Stability as F-35 Sales Debate Intensifies
Cardi B to Make Historic Saudi Arabia Debut at Soundstorm 2025 Festival
U.S. Democratic Lawmakers Raise National Security and Influence Concerns Over Paramount’s Hostile Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Hackers Are Hiding Malware in Open-Source Tools and IDE Extensions
Traveling to USA? Homeland Security moving toward requiring foreign travelers to share social media history
Wall Street Analysts Clash With Riyadh Over Saudi Arabia’s Deficit Outlook
Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Cement $1 Trillion-Plus Deals in High-Profile White House Summit
Saudi Arabia Opens Alcohol Sales to Wealthy Non-Muslim Residents Under New Access Rules
U.S.–Saudi Rethink Deepens — Washington Moves Ahead Without Linking Riyadh to Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia and Israel Deprioritise Diplomacy: Normalisation No Longer a Middle-East Priority
As Trump Deepens Ties with Saudi Arabia, Push for Israel Normalization Takes a Back Seat
Thai Food Village Debuts at Saudi Feast Food Festival 2025 Under Thai Commerce Minister Suphajee’s Lead
Saudi Arabia Sharpens Its Strategic Vision as Economic Transformation Enters New Phase
Saudi Arabia Projects $44 Billion Budget Shortfall in 2026 as Economy Rebalances
OPEC+ Unveils New Capacity-Based System to Anchor Future Oil Output Levels
Hong Kong Residents Mourn Victims as 1,500 People Relocated After Devastating Tower Fire
Saudi Arabia’s SAMAI Initiative Surpasses One-Million-Citizen Milestone in National AI Upskilling Drive
Saudi Arabia’s Specialty Coffee Market Set to Surge as Demand Soars and New Exhibition Drops in December
Saudi Arabia Moves to Open Two New Alcohol Stores for Foreigners Under Vision 2030 Reform
Saudi Arabia’s AI Ambitions Gain Momentum — but Water, Talent and Infrastructure Pose Major Hurdles
Tensions Surface in Trump-MBS Talks as Saudi Pushes Back on Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia Signals Major Maritime Crack-Down on Houthi Routes in Red Sea
Italy and Saudi Arabia Seal Over 20 Strategic Deals at Business Forum in Riyadh
COP30 Ends Without Fossil Fuel Phase-Out as US, Saudi Arabia and Russia Align in Obstruction Role
Saudi-Portuguese Economic Horizons Expand Through Strategic Business Council
DHL Commits $150 Million for Landmark Logistics Hub in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Aramco Weighs Disposals Amid $10 Billion-Plus Asset Sales Discussion
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince for Major Defence and Investment Agreements
Families Accuse OpenAI of Enabling ‘AI-Driven Delusions’ After Multiple Suicides
Riyadh Metro Records Over One Hundred Million Journeys as Saudi Capital Accelerates Transit Era
Trump’s Grand Saudi Welcome Highlights U.S.–Riyadh Pivot as Israel Watches Warily
U.S. Set to Sell F-35 Jets to Saudi Arabia in Major Strategic Shift
Saudi Arabia Doubles Down on U.S. Partnership in Strategic Move
Saudi Arabia Charts Tech and Nuclear Leap Under Crown Prince’s U.S. Visit
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally Amid Defense Deal
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally as MBS Visit Yields Deepened Ties
Iran Appeals to Saudi Arabia to Mediate Restart of U.S. Nuclear Talks
Musk, Barra and Ford Join Trump in Lavish White House Dinner for Saudi Crown Prince
×