Traffic police in the Songjiang district of Shanghai have begun to issue traffic tickets for drivers who make phone calls while driving.

The traffic police department uses high-definition cameras to detect traffic law violators. In one week, they caught over 30 drivers who violated the law. Each violator will be given a fine of 200 yuan and lose two points (drivers in China receive 12 points each year, and lose their driving privileges once those points are gone).

During the Two Sessions meetings this March, 30 NPC deputies submitted a motion suggesting more severe penalties for drivers who make phone calls while driving. They proposed deducting six points for each violation, and even making the violation subject to penalties prescribed by criminal law.

An insider with the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau said that watching videos and talking on mobile phones constitute dangerous acts while driving, and they ought to carry penalties. However, Beijing has not yet instated this type of policy because it is hard to obtain evidence of the illegal acts.

“Many drivers look at their mobile phones when they drive, which is causing more and more accidents,” the insider said, adding that half the accidents that took place in the area under his department’s jurisdiction on Tomb Sweeping Day were related to the use of mobile phones.