Common sense should tell any driver to pull over when they feel like they’re too exhausted to pay attention to the road. Sometimes, the desire to get the job done trumps all common sense.
This is one of those cases, but luckily, it isn’t one with victims. One driver from a Chinese taxi company is a reluctant viral star, after dashacam footage shows him napping behind the wheel for almost 1 full minute.
It happened late last month, in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, as he was driving on Bao’an Avenue near an airport. Though it was about 6 pm, traffic was very light, which explains why no one was injured.
The taxi driver has been identified only as He and, until this video came to light, he used to work for the local Ganglong Taxi Company, the Daily Mail notes. He was fired when his employer came across the video, during the regular employee performance assessment.
The video shows He looking drowsy and clearly making an effort to stay awake. However, at one point, he simply gives in, leaning his head on the headrest and napping for almost 1 minute. He only wakes up after his car veers off the road and hits some barriers.
It was a good thing this happened, because it was probably the alarm signal He needed to tell him he was in no position to be driving. Unfortunately, it was too late for him by then, as the dashcamera mounted in his car had captured the entire incident.
A spokesperson for the Ganglong Taxi Company told the local media that He had been an exemplary driver but that, on the day in question, he was at the end of his shift and exhausted. Still, because he had violated all rules of safe driving, he was sacked.
According to reports, he will probably be blacklisted by the Shenzhen taxi association, as well, which means the only driving he’ll be able to do from now on will be for himself.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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