China’s long-distance lorry drivers are unsung heroes of its economy

AROUND FIVE in the morning is the most lethal time on China’s motorways, says a transport-industry veteran. The peril comes from long-distance lorry drivers, whose vehicles may have been rolling for days, pausing only for fuel and the rest stops required by law: 20 minutes every four hours, with no daily limit on driving. As dawn breaks, a long-haul trucker may be munching sunflower seeds and sipping cold tea to stay awake, while a driving partner dozes on a bunk bed. To help that partner sleep, the windows may be closed. The only sound may be the tinny tones of a satellite-navigation device. Such drivers “are like ticking bombs, you don’t know if they are awake or asleep,” says the veteran, adding that as a result wise travellers avoid highways until after seven.