Traffic grinds to a standstill during the peak rush hour on Monday morning, Sept 22, 2014 near Liujiayao Bridge, Third Ring Road South. [Photo/Agencies]

THE TRAFFIC POLICE in Sanya, South China's Hainan province, have been tracing e-bike riders who break the traffic rules and organizing their work colleagues and families to study the relevant traffic regulations with them. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Thursday:

One misreading of this innovative move is that it is wrong to involve the people around the rule violators, as only the lawbreakers should be held accountable. However, in Sanya, instead of administrative punishment, it is promulgation of the traffic rules through the enforcement of study.

The traffic police in Sanya are actually acting according to the law, which states the police departments "should strengthen the communication of road safety laws and regulations". The studying of traffic rules with family members and work colleagues is strengthening communication of the right behavior on the road to those who break the law.

Such peer-pressure education can have a very good effect on correcting people's wrong behavior.

It also ensures that the lawbreakers' families, colleagues and the people around them also know the rules and the consequences for violating them.

While strict disciplinary punishments are still necessary, the effectiveness of raising people's awareness of the rules of the road should not be underestimated.

The reason why a lot of people violate the traffic rules is because they think they will be able to get away with their potentially hazardous behavior. Educating people so they have an understanding of why the rules are as they are and the risks involved in breaking them can reinforce law-abiding behavior.