Traffic police in the capital are experimenting with digital
recording pens to help them deal with traffic violators and
accidents.
The digital devices were supplied to traffic police in Dongcheng
and Chaoyang, two main districts in downtown Beijing.
Traffic police who record an incident with a motorist can
protect themselves against interference or malicious complaints
from drivers, according to the municipal traffic bureau, who did
not say how many recorder pens it had acquired.
The recorder pens also encourage traffic police to follow
correct procedures when carrying out their work and behave in a
fair and civilized manner, said the bureau.
For the moment, the recorder pens are a pilot project. A number
of issues still have to be considered, such as possible
infringements of drivers' privacy or the question of whether
recordings obtained in this way can be admitted in court as
evidence. About 3,000 traffic police work on Beijing's roads every
day. They sometimes encounter poorly-behaved drivers who react
aggressively when caught violating traffic rules.
(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2006）