the road sign labels as "serial downgrades". It actually means that there are continuous curves heading downward, spiralling downward. If one speeds in this section, fatal accidents can occur—and many have, racking up a horrendous death toll. Thus the nickname "valley of death". It begins right after the first tunnel after the expressway splits at Badaling, entering Beijing. The Measures taken in response After seeing more than enough vehicles and people plunge to premature deaths in this part of the expressway, the Beijing police authorities enacted a low speed limit of 60 km/h for light-duty vehicles and 40 km/h for lorries. Lorries with questionable brakes and overloaded lorries are forced into a service area. Massive, repetitive and nearly ubiquitous signposts were put in place, urging people to slow down. Meanwhile, numerous cameras are on permanent lookout for people who drive too quickly. A valley-wide loudspeaker system broadcasts speeders' vehicle licence numbers, and an electronic display records the licence plate of the speeding vehicle. Those who are caught face heavy fines and licence suspension. According to the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, exceeding 50% of the regulated limit results in loss of driving licence (plus a 2-year waiting period for reapplications) and a fine of CNY 2000 (approximately US$260). Five speed cameras and a GPRS wireless network for violator data transfer make this system highly effective. There is little tolerance outside of the posted speed limits. In rare cases, police have reportedly stopped speeders near the disused Juyongguan toll gate. Safety and results Car safety is also a major feature on this part of the expressway. There are many of emergency brake-fail areas, where cars that suffer brake failure can slow down by rolling into an upward hill full of pebbles. There are also "Vehicle Self-Check Lines", emergency bays where questionable cars can be parked and the car itself checked for any mechanical problems. No fatal accidents have occurred in the over 200 days after the implementation of the new system. Meanwhile, drivers are driving more carefully, and speeders are caught. The strong speeding deterrent is also working well. List of exits Beijing section Listed are exits heading north and northwest as of Madian (N. 3rd Ring Road). Symbols: ↗ = exit (↘ = exit only, → = only when heading for Kangzhuang, ← = only when heading for Madian), ⇆ = main interchange; ¥ =