Mr Zhang had just passed his driving test. However, as he cruised along in his new car, he made the ill-fated decision to check his phone, leading to an unplanned dip in the local river.
You’re not just putting your own life at risk when you use your mobile phone behind the wheel; anyone else who’s unfortunate enough to cross your path could easily court death due to your irresponsible actions.
Fortunately, the end result of this young motorist’s gaff was ultimately just embarrassment – and it was only 10 minutes after getting his driving licence.
AsiaWireAs he drove through the county of Meitan in the city of Zunyi, in the southern Chinese province of Guizhou, Zhang, whose age isn’t known, was trying to read congratulatory messages from friends and loved ones after passing his test.
According to local reports, his car was also newly registered – one would imagine it was waiting for the day he was legally allowed to drive. Alas, it was reduced to a soggy submersible in an instant as he plunged into the river.
AsiaWireIn CCTV footage, Zhang’s white car can be seen turning onto Laoping Bridge. As he veers closer to the edge, instead of slamming on the brakes he steers the vehicle into the water.
Zhang told local media: ‘While I was driving, I tried to grab my phone and read some messages while two people were in front of me on the bridge. I became nervous and turned left suddenly.’
A potentially dire situation ended rather well for Zhang, in the grand scheme of things. The car didn’t immediately sink to the bottom of the river (it’s not clear how deep it was), giving the young driver time to escape.
AsiaWireZhang added: ‘Luckily, the car floated for a while. I couldn’t open the driver’s door so I had to kick open the door on the other side. Otherwise, I may never have got out as my hand was dislocated in the chaos.’
Residents then helped Zhang get to a safe area before handing him some dry clothes. Later, local police organised for the car to be lifted out the river by a crane. It’s not currently known whether he will face any charges for the incident.
The maximum punishment for using your phone behind the wheel in China is two points off your licence and a fine of of 200 yuan (£22). As per the South China Morning Post, a Ministry of Transport survey estimates that people are 23 times more likely to have an accident if they look at their handset while driving.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.