英闻天下——466 Public Concerns Aroused about Drivers' Health Check

 After several accidents involving drivers around the country, many people have become concerned about the health of drivers today. The matter is not only related to each and every individual driver, but also greatly effects public security. 

As a result, some people are wondering whether it is possible to subject drivers to health checks prior to them going on duty every day. Wang Limei, deputy director of the China Road Transport Association says that such a practice would be hard to implement². 

"It's hard to have drivers carry out health checks every time before they start working. Doing such health checks requires physicians to be present at the same time and the same place as the drivers. However, the real situation doesn't allow for such health checks. Some drivers start their routes at the bus terminus, while others take over shifts from other drivers at certain bus stops. Changing shifts takes place during the day and at night."

Currently, the practice of administering health checks to bus drivers before they begin work does not exist anywhere in the world. Most drivers say they are only required to undergo a health check when they are first recruited. 

"No, we don't have an annual checkup provided by the company. And I seldom go for a health check by myself. Whenever I feel uncomfortable, I'll take a rest at home."

At the annual verification for one's driving license³, drivers are usually required to pass a health check. In Beijing, there are 114 hospitals specified⁴ to provide drivers with health checks. 

However, some hospitals are not that serious in their assessment⁵ of drivers' health.

Although the assessment form includes many items including testing one's vision, audiometric tests, and the dexterity⁶ of a person's limbs, every aspect is examined by one doctor in just a couple of minutes. 

One doctor says the check just goes through the motions, so that drivers can pass the annual verification for their driving license. 

In the United States, there are many more items included within the health assessment for drivers, such as blood pressure tests, electrocardiographs, and an assessment of knee jerk reaction time. Expert Wang Limei says these items of assessment are necessary and should be included in China's assessment system for drivers. 

"I think we should pay more attention to potential cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. As we can see, these diseases are not rare among middle aged⁷ employees in the transportation sector⁸. When a driver is at risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, he or she should be stopped from driving public transportation."

Wang Limei adds that it is better for drivers to receive health checks every three months, in order to thoroughly⁹ reduce any potential health risks. 

"We should also pay more attention to drivers' physical and psychological health. I think the talk-before-driving mechanism¹⁰ is good. That means certain security personnel arrange a talk with the driver who is about to start his work, in order to assess the driver's mental status, for example, to see if the driver is under great pressure and anxiety, or if the driver is drunk, or if the driver has any potential health risks."

Experts underline that both transportation companies and individual drivers should strictly¹¹ adhere to the regulations for drivers as determined¹² by the transport administration. For instance, drivers are forbidden to work continuously for more than 4 hours, and for distances exceeding 400 kilometers, there must be two drivers taking regular turns. 

For CRI, I am Zhang Wan¹.

1 wan   

(wide area network)广域网

参考例句：

• The shared connection can be an Ethernet,wireless LAN,or wireless WAN connection.提供共享的网络连接可以是以太网、无线局域网或无线广域网。

2 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

3 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

4 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

5 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

6 dexterity   

n.(手的)灵巧，灵活

参考例句：

• You need manual dexterity to be good at video games.玩好电子游戏手要灵巧。
• I'm your inferior in manual dexterity.论手巧，我不如你。

7 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

9 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

10 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

11 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。