Recently, a man in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province reported thatI had a dental floss pick in my mouth while driving, but I got a ticket for no reason.The man said that on August 25 this year, he felt bored while driving, so he put a dental floss pick in his mouth.
When the vehicle was driving into a right-turn lane in the city, it was captured by a traffic camera, and he received the relevant warning and penalty notice the next day.
The content of the ticket shows that the illegal behavior is "other behavior that hinders safe driving while driving" and is subject to a warning.
He expressed confusion: "I held the steering wheel with both hands and looked forward the whole time. I drove completely normally. It neither distracted my attention nor affected my operation. Is this punishment one-size-fits-all?"
So, he consulted on the "Traffic Management 12123" APP.
The administrator responded that holding a dental floss stick in the mouth would be an obstruction to safe driving if it distracts the driver's attention and affects driving operation.
In this regard, staff at the Wuxi Yixing Traffic Command Center said that even though the traffic law does not clearly stipulate that you cannot hold dental floss in your mouth, holding dental floss while driving still hinders normal traffic and violates the traffic law.
"Whether it's flossing, toothpicks, or chewing gum, it all interferes with normal traffic."
Staff at the Jiangsu Provincial Traffic Accident Alarm Hotline said that holding a dental floss stick in your mouth is not illegal under normal driving conditions.
"I don't think it's illegal if you drive normally without taking your hands off the steering wheel."