What are the penalties for overloading with a C1 driver's license?
2 Answers
Operating a commercial passenger vehicle or school bus with passengers exceeding the approved capacity by less than 20%, or driving other passenger vehicles with passengers exceeding the approved capacity by more than 20%. According to Article 2 of the "Scoring Standards for Road Traffic Safety Violations", 6 points will be deducted at one time. Driving passenger vehicles other than commercial passenger vehicles or school buses with passengers exceeding the approved capacity by less than 20%. According to Article 3 of the "Scoring Standards for Road Traffic Safety Violations", 3 points will be deducted at one time.
A C1 driver's license allows driving small passenger vehicles with a maximum capacity of 9 seats. The penalty for overloading depends on the excess percentage. If the overload is between 20% and 50%, it results in 6 demerit points and a fine ranging from 200 to 1,000 yuan. For overloading between 50% and 100%, the penalty is 9 demerit points and a fine from 500 to 2,000 yuan. The most severe case is overloading by more than 100%, which leads to 12 demerit points, a fine between 1,000 and 2,000 yuan, and possible license suspension. It's important to note that the insurance company of an overloaded vehicle may refuse to cover claims, making accidents even more troublesome. I've seen many drivers think squeezing in one or two extra people is no big deal, only to be heavily fined when stopped by traffic police at highway checkpoints. The biggest danger of overloading is the increased braking distance, especially during sharp turns when the vehicle is more prone to losing control. So, it's never worth the risk—just make an extra trip for safety.
