Mother stops car on highway to discipline child, incident goes viral

A woman in China stopped her car on an expressway to discipline her young child after he threatened to jump out of the vehicle due to his bad behaviour.

The incident, which occurred in Zhengzhou, Henan province, in mid-February, was captured on video and quickly went viral, sparking a debate on parenting. As reported by South China Morning Post, the footage of the incident sparked heated discussions on social media.

In the video, the mother, identified as Zhang, is seen pulling her son out of the car on the emergency lane and whipping him with a tree branch while holding onto his coat to prevent him from running away, according to a report by Hangzhou Daily. The boy, around eight years old, is heard crying during the ordeal.

Zhang explained her actions, saying that her son’s protests were affecting her ability to drive safely. She acknowledged that she was aware of the potential fines for stopping in the emergency lane but felt an immediate need to "teach him a lesson."

Under China’s Road Safety Regulations, stopping in a freeway emergency lane for non-emergencies can result in a 200 yuan fine and a nine-point deduction from the driver’s license.

Zhang also stated that her domestic rules prohibit other family members from intervening when she is disciplining her child, which is why the person filming did not intervene.

In a follow-up video released on February 18, Zhang’s son admitted his mistake, acknowledging the danger of his actions. The incident, which was viewed over 5 million times online, divided opinions.

While some supported Zhang after learning more about the situation, others criticized her for the risks involved, with one observer suggesting it would have been safer to discipline the child at home.