We’ve posted before on the subjects of randomness and luck. Along those lines, there’s a fascinating article by Jim Yardley in today’s N.Y. Times about the Chinese appetite for lucky numbers — well, for 8′s, the luckiest of all numbers — and how the government now auctions off lucky license plates for thousands of dollars. It used to be that government officials and their families and friends got all the good license plates, but this was seen as a corrupt practice. So now the government auctions off the plates — AC6688 recently sold for $10,000 — with the proceeds supposedly going to the victims of automobile accidents. Considering that 100,000 people die each year in auto accidents in China (this is good news only if you are awaiting an organ transplant), this is probably a worthwhile cause. Yardley points out that the Chinese consider 8 to be such a lucky number that the Beijing Olympics are due to open on 8/8/08 at 8 p.m.
Lucky 8′s in China
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100,000 deaths isn’t all that high, but…
I have been told that the ‘official’ estimate for automobile fatalities in China is far under the actual number (a family member recently spoke at a traffic safety conference in China, and came back with all sorts of interesting information). Some claim China has about a quarter million deaths per year. Even this is, per capita, not that much higher than American fatality numbers. I don’t know about the ratio of fatalities to the number of automobiles. There difference between the two countries there would be much greater.
Among China’s problems are lax traffic safety laws (eg. only front seat passengers are required to wear seatbelts), poorly maintained infrastructure, lack of safety features in Chinese-manufactured cars, and the fact that large numbers of Chinese drivers have no driver training, or even licenses.
100,000 deaths isn’t all that high, but…
I have been told that the ‘official’ estimate for automobile fatalities in China is far under the actual number (a family member recently spoke at a traffic safety conference in China, and came back with all sorts of interesting information). Some claim China has about a quarter million deaths per year. Even this is, per capita, not that much higher than American fatality numbers. I don’t know about the ratio of fatalities to the number of automobiles. There difference between the two countries there would be much greater.
Among China’s problems are lax traffic safety laws (eg. only front seat passengers are required to wear seatbelts), poorly maintained infrastructure, lack of safety features in Chinese-manufactured cars, and the fact that large numbers of Chinese drivers have no driver training, or even licenses.
Note that many traffic fatalities involve a car and a bicycle or pedestrian in China, at least according to the BBC. This is due to a number of factors, but includes the fact that bicycle riders in China do not wear helmets and many are carrying extra load (goods or people) and so are top heavy and less stable.
Note that many traffic fatalities involve a car and a bicycle or pedestrian in China, at least according to the BBC. This is due to a number of factors, but includes the fact that bicycle riders in China do not wear helmets and many are carrying extra load (goods or people) and so are top heavy and less stable.
Maybe they’ll stop reproducing when they reach 8 billion…
Or when our trade deficit with them reaches $8,888,888,888,888.
Maybe they’ll stop reproducing when they reach 8 billion…
Or when our trade deficit with them reaches $8,888,888,888,888.
When I lived in Taiwan I noticed that most hospitals didn’t have a 4th floor (the floor #s went from 3rd straight to 5th floor). I was told this was because the number 4 and “death” sound the same in Chinese.
When I lived in Taiwan I noticed that most hospitals didn’t have a 4th floor (the floor #s went from 3rd straight to 5th floor). I was told this was because the number 4 and “death” sound the same in Chinese.