Does fatigue driving result in penalty points?
2 Answers
Fatigue driving incurs a penalty of 6 points. Detailed information about fatigue driving is as follows: 1. Symptoms of fatigue: When driving a vehicle, as speed increases or during prolonged high-speed driving, the driver may experience varying degrees of fatigue. At high speeds, the driver's attention is highly focused, leading to prolonged mental tension. As speed continues to rise and driving time extends, the driver gradually feels fatigued. On highways, the monotonous road environment, minimal traffic interference, stable speed, and low noise and vibration frequencies can induce drowsiness, leading to what is known as "highway hypnosis." Thus, high-speed driving can easily cause driver fatigue. 2. Decline in judgment: Fatigue while driving reduces judgment, slows reaction times, and increases operational errors. When slightly fatigued, the driver may shift gears untimely or inaccurately; moderate fatigue leads to sluggish movements and sometimes even forgetting operations; severe fatigue may result in subconscious actions or brief sleep episodes, potentially leading to loss of vehicle control. Fatigue manifests as blurred vision, soreness in the back, stiff movements, swollen hands or feet, lack of focus, slow reactions, incomplete thinking, distraction, anxiety, or irritability. Persisting in driving under such conditions may lead to traffic accidents.
I often study traffic regulations and understand that drowsy driving is illegal. In China, according to the Road Traffic Safety Law, if drowsy driving is detected or causes an accident, points will be deducted—usually 6 points or more, and you may also be fined over 200 RMB, or even have your driver's license revoked. This isn't just about losing points; it's about life safety. Every weekend when I go on road trips, I remind myself to take regular breaks and drink water to stay alert. Statistics show that drowsy driving is a leading cause of accidents. I recommend not driving continuously for more than 4 hours, especially on long trips—find a rest stop to lie down or let a companion take over. Otherwise, it's not just fines and points; you could lose your life. Prevention is always better than cure.
