DRIVERS IN CHINA ARE KNOWN FOR INTENTIONALLY KILLING THE
PEOPLE THEY ACCIDENTALLY HIT WHILE THEY ARE DRIVING.
THE DRIVER PANICS AND DECIDES TO ACTUALLY KILL THE PERSON
INSTEAD OF HELPING THEM.
PART OF THE REASON IS BECAUSE OF THIS INCENTIVE AND
DISINCENTIVE SYSTEM SET UP IN CHINA.
A REPORTER FROM SLATE WROTE ABOUT THIS.
"WE CAME ACROSS A NUMBER OF SURVEILLANCE VIDEOS THAT SHOWED
PEOPLE INTENTIONALLY KILLING PEOPLE THEY ACCIDENTALLY HIT."
HE SAID, "IN CHINA DRIVERS THAT
INJURED PEDESTRIANS WILL SOMETIMES THEN TRY TO KILL THEM.
AND YET NOT ONLY IS IT TRUE, IT IS FAIRLY COMMON.
SECURITY CAMERAS HAVE REGULARLY CAPTURED DRIVERS DRIVING
BACK AND FORTH ON TOP OF VICTIMS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE DEAD.
THE CHINESE LANGUAGE EVEN HAS AN ADAGE FOR THE PHENOMENON,
IT IS BETTER TO HIT TO KILL THEM TO HIT AND INJURE."
>> THAT IS SO PERVERSE.
IT IS APPARENTLY NOT JUST IN CHINA, HE EXPERIENCED IT
ORIGINALLY IN TAIWAN AND FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY HAD
THE SAME LAW THERE.
HE TALKED ABOUT HIS TIME IN TAIWAN AS WELL.
>>HE SAYS, "IN TAIWAN IF YOU CRIPPLE A MAN, YOU PAY FOR
THE INJURED PERSONS CARE FOR A LIFETIME.
BUT IF YOU KILL THE PERSON, YOU ONLY HAVE TO PAY ONCE, LIKE
A BURIAL FEE."
HE ALSO SAYS THAT IF YOU KILL A PERSON, YOU PAY FOR THE
BURIAL FEE, BUT THEN YOU ARE LIKELY TO SPEND TIME IN PRISON.
BUT YOU DON'T SPEND TIME IN PRISON FOR MURDER BECAUSE
OFTENTIMES YOU WILL BE CONVICTED OF SOMETHING LIKE
NEGLIGENCE.
THE PEOPLE WILL SERVE ONE TO TWO YEARS BEHIND BARS FOR
INTENTIONALLY KILLING PEOPLE.
THE DEFENSE THEY USE COURT IS OH, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS A
PERSON, I THOUGHT IT WAS A TRASH BAG.
AND THE COURT BELIEVES IT INCREDIBLY.
>> THE PEOPLE THAT HAPPEN TO BE RUN OVER ñ
SO THEY PRETEND TO BELIEVE IT.
THE STORIES HERE OUTLINED IN THIS SLATE ARTICLE
ARE AMAZING.
IN ONE CASE, THERE IS A WOMAN WHO WAS IN A BMW, SHE HITS
A TWO-YEAR-OLD GIRL, AND THEN SHE BACKS UP OVER THE
GIRL'S BODY TO MAKE SURE SHE IS DEAD.
EVEN THOUGH THE GRANDMOTHER IS SITTING THERE YELLING "YOU
HIT A PERSON".
THEN THERE IS A 64-YEAR-OLD
GRANDMOTHER THAT IS KILLED IN ANOTHER AREA.
THERE WAS A TELEVISION REPORT ABOUT THIS BACK IN 2008.
THE GRANDMOTHER IS HIT SO MANY TIMES THAT THE WHEELS GRIND
HER INTO THE PAVEMENT.
>> THAT IS SICK.
>> I AM NOT DONE YET.
THEY ARE ALL HIDEOUS.
THE DRIVER WHO HIT THE GRANDMOTHER ONLY HAD TO PAY
$7000.
IF YOU HAD A CHILD, THOSE BILLS WILL ADD UP FOR THE REST OF
THEIR LIVES.
THEY ARE MORE INCENTIVIZED IN KILLING KIDS, OR YOU MAKE
THE ONE LUMP SUM PAYMENT TO THE GRANDMOTHER.
ON THE THREE-YEAR-OLD THAT WAS KILLED, IN 2010,
ANOTHER WEALTHY YOUNG MAN, ANOTHER BMW NOT ONLY HIT A
THREE-YEAR-OLD BOY IN A PARKING LOT, HE BACKS OVER THE BOY
AND THEN GETS OUT OF THE CAR AND DIRECTS THE CAR OVER THE
KID TO MAKE SURE THE KID IS DEAD AND RUNS OVER HIS SKULL.
HE IS SO CLOSE THAT THE REPORTER SAID IN THE VIDEO IF THE KID
WAS STILL ALIVE, HE COULD TOUCH HIM.
HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
THIS IS AN AMAZING STORY NOT JUST ABOUT CHINA, BUT ABOUT
WHAT HUMANITY IS CAPABLE OF GIVEN THE MOTIVATIONS YOU
GIVE THEM THROUGH INCENTIVES AND DISINCENTIVES.
>> THERE IS A CASE OF A MAN WHO WAS DISABLED BECAUSE
SOMEONE HIT HIM WITH A CAR.
THE PERSON THAT HIT HIM HAD TO TAKE CARE OF HIM OR PAY HIS
FINANCIAL BILLS FOR 23 YEARS.
IT CAME OUT TO $400,000.
THESE PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY WILL BE COMPLETELY DESTROYED
FINANCIALLY IF THEY DON'T KILL THESE PEOPLE.
WHEN YOU SET UP THAT TYPE OF INCENTIVE STRUCTURE, IT IS
NOT SURPRISING PEOPLE WOULD DO THIS.
I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD NOT DO IT.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE IN FINANCIAL RUIN,
PEOPLE WILL DO THE WORST POSSIBLE THING TO SAVE
THEMSELVES.
>> BUT THIS IS ALSO A COARSENING OF SOCIETY.
TO THEM, THOSE LIVES DIDN'T MATTER.
IN BOTH CASES THEY CLAIM THAT THE PERSON WAS A TRASH BAG.
IF YOU THOUGHT IT WAS TRASH WHY DID YOU RUN OVER IT FIVE TIMES?
WHY DID YOU BOTHER GET OUT OF YOUR CAR AND MAKE SURE YOU
RAN IT OVER 3 TO 5 TIMES?
IT MAKES NO SENSE.
NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND COULD POSSIBLY BELIEVE THAT.
YOU THINK JUDGES DON'T KNOW THAT PEOPLE DO THIS REGULARLY?
THE RICH IN THIS CASE GET
AWAY WITH MURDER.
SMALL JAIL TIME, SMALL FINE, AND IT IS BECAUSE OUR INFINITE
GREED DRIVES WORSE.
INFINITE GREED OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS EXISTS EVERYWHERE.
IT IS LITERALLY KILLING PEOPLE.
>>THIS DOESN'T SURPRISE ME ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU
CONSIDER HOW SOMEONE'S SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IS A
HUGE ROLE IN HOW THEY ARE TREATED IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
THERE IS A TWO-TIER SYSTEM HERE WERE PEOPLE WITH CERTAIN
RESOURCES GET AWAY WITH THINGS.
>> THAT
IS ANOTHER PHENOMENON THAT EXPLAINS THIS WHICH IS
THAT ONCE YOU HAVE A TON OF MONEY, YOU BECOME
INDIFFERENT TO OTHER PEOPLE'S PLIGHT.
YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON IN THE PLANET.
YOU ARE ENTITLED TO EVERYTHING.
IF YOU WIND UP KILLING PEOPLE, THEN YOU ARE ENTITLED TO
GET AWAY WITH IT.
WHAT HAPPENS?
THE GOVERNMENT IN ALL THESE COUNTRIES REINFORCES IT.
A SMALL PUNISHMENT, AND THEY
GO BACK TO THEIR RICH
PRIVILEGED LIVES.
AT SOME POINT WHETHER IT IS IN CHINA OR THE U.S.,
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GRAB PITCHFORKS.