A man in Linxiang, Hunan Province, enabled smart assisted driving after drinking alcohol and even fell fast asleep in the driver’s seat, eventually rear-ending a drunk-driving three-wheeled motorcycle. The court sentenced him to three months’ detention and fined him 6,000 yuan.
The People’s Court of Linxiang City, Hunan Province, recently heard a dangerous driving case. After drinking at a family gathering, a man surnamed Zhou not only failed to call a taxi or find a designated driver, but also activated his vehicle's smart assisted driving system and set up navigation before continuing to drive.
While the vehicle was traveling, Zhou actually lay back and fell asleep directly in the driver’s seat, leaving road safety up to so-called “intelligent driving.”
About 10 minutes later, the vehicle rear-ended a three-wheeled motorcycle traveling in the same direction. After the accident occurred, Zhou still did not wake up and made no attempt to stop and handle the incident. Eventually, the three-wheeler’s driver called the police.
When police arrived at the scene, Zhou was still in a deep sleep, slumped in the driver’s seat. After knocking on the window and opening the car door, officers were able to wake him.
Testing showed Zhou’s blood alcohol content reached 240.99mg per 100ml, falling under the category of drunk driving.
Investigation revealed that at the time, the road had been narrowed due to construction, causing the three-wheeled motorcycle to swerve more toward the middle to avoid obstacles. Zhou’s car’s intelligent assistant driving system failed to detect the three-wheeler ahead in time, resulting in the crash and injuring two people on the motorcycle, including its driver.
Even more noteworthy, the three-wheeled motorcycle’s driver had also been drinking, with a blood alcohol content of 72mg per 100ml, though this did not reach the threshold for dangerous driving.
Accordingly, traffic police determined that Zhou bore primary responsibility for the accident and the three-wheeled motorcycle’s driver bore secondary responsibility.
The court held that Zhou, knowing he had been drinking, still drove a motor vehicle on the road, and was asleep throughout the journey, thus constituting the crime of dangerous driving.
Although Zhou truthfully confessed after the incident, compensated those who suffered losses from the accident, and gained the victims’ understanding, this could not alter the fact that he drove drunk.
The Linxiang City People’s Court ultimately convicted Zhou of dangerous driving, sentencing him to three months’ detention and fining him 6,000 yuan.
While the vehicle was traveling, Zhou actually lay back and fell asleep directly in the driver’s seat, leaving road safety up to so-called “intelligent driving.”
About 10 minutes later, the vehicle rear-ended a three-wheeled motorcycle traveling in the same direction. After the accident occurred, Zhou still did not wake up and made no attempt to stop and handle the incident. Eventually, the three-wheeler’s driver called the police.
When police arrived at the scene, Zhou was still in a deep sleep, slumped in the driver’s seat. After knocking on the window and opening the car door, officers were able to wake him.
Testing showed Zhou’s blood alcohol content reached 240.99mg per 100ml, falling under the category of drunk driving.
Investigation revealed that at the time, the road had been narrowed due to construction, causing the three-wheeled motorcycle to swerve more toward the middle to avoid obstacles. Zhou’s car’s intelligent assistant driving system failed to detect the three-wheeler ahead in time, resulting in the crash and injuring two people on the motorcycle, including its driver.
Even more noteworthy, the three-wheeled motorcycle’s driver had also been drinking, with a blood alcohol content of 72mg per 100ml, though this did not reach the threshold for dangerous driving.
Accordingly, traffic police determined that Zhou bore primary responsibility for the accident and the three-wheeled motorcycle’s driver bore secondary responsibility.
The court held that Zhou, knowing he had been drinking, still drove a motor vehicle on the road, and was asleep throughout the journey, thus constituting the crime of dangerous driving.
Although Zhou truthfully confessed after the incident, compensated those who suffered losses from the accident, and gained the victims’ understanding, this could not alter the fact that he drove drunk.
The Linxiang City People’s Court ultimately convicted Zhou of dangerous driving, sentencing him to three months’ detention and fining him 6,000 yuan.