China woman fined for applying make-up, dancing while driving; claims assisted driving more reliable

SUV-driving woman eats snacks while travelling through tunnel, posts videos online of her ‘dangerous’ driving, prompts police action

A woman in eastern China has been fined for applying make-up and dancing behind the wheel, then claiming her car’s driver-assistance system drove better than she could.

According to CCTV News, the driver, surnamed Lin, is from Wenzhou in Zhejiang province and had repeatedly posted videos online flaunting her vehicle’s assisted driving.

In the widely shared clips, Lin is seen travelling through a tunnel with the system activated, both hands off the steering wheel, while applying foundation and lipstick, moving to music and eating snacks.

She was driving an AITO SUV worth about 500,000 yuan (US$73,000), part of a premium smart vehicle brand backed by Chinese technology giant Huawei.

Lin had also decorated the driver’s seat with flowers and ornaments. The distance she travelled has not been disclosed.

Local traffic police recently contacted her after internet users reported her for dangerous driving.

“Although my hands were doing other things, I was still thinking about driving,” Lin told officers.

Police warned her that unexpected situations, such as roadworks requiring a sudden lane change, could occur at any time.