Civilization Co-built by All Parties to Promote Smooth Traffic Flow
In recent years, due to the rapid expansion of our city's scale, traffic infrastructure construction has relatively lagged behind. This is the objective reason for traffic congestion. In order to enhance the traffic carrying capacity, our city is currently constructing a subway system, connecting some dead-end roads, and building new roads, etc. However, these long-term measures have exacerbated the current period of traffic pain, which is also an objective fact. But if everyone were to travel civilly and show mutual courtesy, even if the roads are narrow, it probably wouldn't result in total gridlock where no one can pass. After all, even a single-log bridge can connect two shores.
However, due to the weak awareness of civilized traffic among citizens, there are a large number of violations of traffic regulations. The butterfly effect in chaos theory reveals a profound truth: many complex phenomena often originate from very simple causes. An individual might think that their occasional violation of traffic rules is just a small matter. However, people are often influenced by herd behavior; if you don't follow the rules, neither will I. Thus, small issues become big ones, leading to minor consequences like slow-moving traffic and congestion, or major ones such as traffic accidents and road blockages. Non-compliance with traffic rules by traffic participants and chaotic traffic order are important reasons for traffic congestion, and could even be considered the main cause under the current situation. It is clear that although following traffic rules is a small matter, it has significant implications for the entire city's traffic and should be taken seriously.
Following traffic rules is not a difficult task; anyone with normal behavioral capabilities can easily do so. The existence of a large number of traffic violations only indicates the weak awareness of civilized traffic among citizens and the lack of initiative to voluntarily follow traffic rules. The key to solving this problem is to make every citizen recognize the benefits of doing so for themselves, others, and the entire society, establish a sense of civilized traffic, and develop good habits of abiding by traffic rules.
Although we have conducted certain publicity campaigns on civilized traffic knowledge, the focus has still been on managing traffic order at the scene. The current management entities mainly include traffic police, patrol officers, and traffic assistants. They work very hard, but their resources are limited, often resulting in neglecting one aspect while focusing on another. Moreover, their work is not understood by traffic participants, and conflicts between managers and those being managed frequently occur, especially evident among traffic assistants. On-site traffic management is a necessary way of self-discipline, and it is very important. However, only when citizens can achieve self-discipline, most people voluntarily abide by and maintain traffic rules, preventing problems before they arise, can the optimal outcome be achieved.
Cultivating a good habit sounds simple, but it is not easy to earnestly implement. It often requires both personal subjective efforts and certain external constraints. In the governance of public vehicle violations in our city, linking traffic violations to unit interests and mobilizing government agencies to participate in management has yielded noticeable results. Inspired by this, the author believes that to effectively cultivate citizens' awareness of civilized traffic, besides correcting and penalizing violations through on-site traffic management, it is also necessary to actively leverage the roles of grassroots units, residential communities, schools, and various organizations. By mobilizing broader social forces and employing positive education, penalties for violations, moral and public opinion constraints, and other methods, we can realize the combination of self-discipline among traffic participants and social supervision, forming a powerful synergy to deeply root the concept of civilized traffic in people's minds and make it the mainstream value. Specific suggestions are as follows:
1. Vigorously create a strong atmosphere advocating civilized traffic. Through various media such as newspapers, radio, television, and the internet, widely promote the basic knowledge and requirements of civilized traffic; use the TVs in buses, long-distance passenger vehicles, road electronic displays, community bulletin boards, etc., to promote civilized traffic knowledge; continue to play the exemplary role of "civilized traffic demonstration posts." Thus, establish the mainstream values of civilized traffic throughout society and provide a standard for judging right from wrong.
2. Improve the level of traffic order management and accident handling law enforcement. Further refine law enforcement systems, strengthen law enforcement management, and standardize law enforcement behaviors; deepen police transparency and duty officer systems, enhance civilized law enforcement and scientific management; traffic management departments should also strengthen internal management, strictly prohibit all kinds of bad practices, set examples, promote traffic participants' understanding of laws, compliance with laws, and effectively reinforce social supervision.
3. Actively leverage the role of grassroots units, establish and improve internal civilized traffic management systems within units, and increase management efforts on key groups. For example, buses and taxis, two major violators of traffic rules, should be addressed using administrative or economic means. Public transport companies and taxi management departments should be responsible for educating drivers and establishing internal penalty systems for traffic violations. Coordination with traffic police departments could also form a notification and public disclosure system for vehicle traffic violations, condemning violators through public opinion. Similar management can be applied to long-distance coaches, three-wheeled motorcycles, etc.
4. Actively leverage the role of community organizations. Communities can organize diverse theme practices and educational activities to enhance the public's awareness of civilized and safe traffic. They can also cooperate with traffic police departments, improve the public reporting system, criticize and expose residents' traffic violations and uncivilized behaviors within the community, thereby creating effective public opinion pressure. In summary, promote the formation of a good atmosphere where residents know the law, understand it, abide by it, and uphold it through multiple channels.
5. Fully implement the traffic safety contact card system for middle and primary school students and carry out "traffic safety into schools" activities. This can not only reduce the number of traffic accidents involving middle and primary school students but also help children cultivate a moral awareness of civilized traffic from a young age.
The above points may not be comprehensive, but the aim is to widely mobilize social forces to form a three-dimensional network and genuinely enhance citizens' awareness of civilized traffic. The implementation of this activity must be thorough and specific, and persist over a longer period to achieve good results. If well executed, this activity can not only enhance citizens' awareness of civilized traffic and promote the construction of "smooth Zhengzhou," but also significantly improve citizens' civility and societal civilization levels, making great contributions to the development of a harmonious and advanced "grand" Zhengzhou.
Zhang Hongxing
Zhengzhou Academy of Social Sciences