Thousands of Beijing police who will drive patrol cars during
the 2008 Olympic Games are queuing up for a special
driver training program. The first batch of 30 policemen finished
their two-day training on Friday on a closed course hidden in a
mountainous area in the northwest suburbs of Beijing.
The training, which will run to the end of 2007, is part of the
city's comprehensive Olympic security project, which started in
April. About 5,000 Beijing police will be selected to receive the
driver training, and those who pass the examinations will be
eligible to drive police cars and service vehicles for the Games,
according to the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.
Zheng Weiping deputy president of the Beijing People's Police
College, where the police are being trained said the program would
consist of about 100 sessions, each lasting two or three days. The
training is focused on how to drive safely under various difficult
road conditions and how to deal with emergencies such as tire
punctures, Zheng said.
"The driving skills taught here are much harder than the
requirements for acquiring a driver's licence," Zheng said. "For
instance, a car, normally a Santana, is required to make a U-turn
in a small area that is only 6 meters wide and 7 meters long, and
the turn must be finished in a very short period of time."
Liu Shi, a professor with the college who is in charge of the
training, said the final examination comprises six sections, and it
is estimated that one of every four students will fail the
examination on the first try.
"Actually, most of the officers who will take the training
usually have driven cars for more than 10 years," Liu said, "and
the drill can hone their driving skills so that they ensure
safety?in dealing with various emergencies during the Olympic
Games."?
(China Daily July 22, 2006)