Guangdong has issued stricter new road and traffic safety regulations, which will be implemented from May 1.

Under the new regulations, the driver of a taxi or a minibus parked illegally can receive a spot fine from a policeman, instead of a verbal warning as stated by the previous regulations.

The regulations provide for seven levels for fines, ranging from 10 yuan (US$1.25) to 200 yuan. Cases that seriously affect road traffic will incur a fine of more than 200 yuan.

The new regulations also make it clear that it is the driver's responsibility to ensure the passenger's seat belt is fastened, and will be fined if the passenger is not using the seat belt.

According to the regulations, a driver involved in a traffic accident will share 70 percent of responsibility even if the accident wasn't caused by the driver's behavior. The minimum compensation for a person killed in a traffic accident is 200,000 yuan, and is payable by the driver.

Editor: Yan