How is a 5-seat private car penalized for overloading by 2 people?
2 Answers
If caught by traffic police, you will be fined and have 6 points deducted from your license. Excluding buses and school buses, passenger vehicles carrying more than the approved number of passengers but less than 20% over the limit will be fined and have 3 points deducted. No penalty will be imposed, but overloading is irresponsible to the lives of yourself and other passengers, and even poses a serious threat to national financial security.
Driving a 5-seater car with 7 people is truly pushing your luck. The penalties for overloading by 2 people are quite severe now—starting with 6 demerit points and a 200 yuan fine, and in serious cases, your vehicle may even be impounded. This is no joke. During the New Year, my neighbor was pulled over by traffic police at the highway entrance for carrying two extra relatives to the county town and got points deducted on the spot. More importantly, overloading increases braking distance and doubles the risk of rollover. Last year, there was an accident here where an overloaded car plunged off a cliff, and all three passengers in the back didn’t make it. Traffic police don’t care if the extra passengers are elderly or children—everyone counts. Even hiding a kid under the front passenger seat won’t save you from the fine. If you really need to travel with more people, just split into two cars—it’s safer and hassle-free.
