Is it considered overloading to drive with five adults and one child?
2 Answers
The passenger capacity of a private car is determined by the number of seats specified on the vehicle's registration certificate. In the traffic regulations regarding overloading, there are no stipulations regarding the height, weight, or age of passengers, only the "number" is regulated. If a car with a capacity of 5 people carries an additional child (even an infant held in a parent's arms), it is considered overloading. Here are more regulations regarding vehicle overloading: 1. Article 49 of the "Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China": Motor vehicles must not carry more passengers than the approved number, and passenger vehicles must not carry cargo in violation of regulations. 2. The regulations stipulate that driving a passenger vehicle (excluding buses and school buses) with passengers exceeding the approved number by less than 20% will result in a fine of 100 yuan and 3 penalty points. If the number of passengers exceeds the approved number by 20% or more, the fine is 100 yuan with 6 penalty points.
Last time I helped my brother move, we squeezed five adults and a little kid into a five-seater car. We got pulled over by traffic police halfway. They checked the vehicle registration and told us we were overloaded—everyone counts as one person, adults and kids alike, and even one over is illegal. We ended up with a 200-yuan fine and three points deducted—a huge loss. The officer explained that overloading increases braking distance and raises the risk of accidents in emergencies, especially if too many people are crammed in the back and could be thrown out. So remember: only carry as many passengers as there are seats, or insurance might not cover you if something happens.
