ZOOOOM! A delivery man drives super fast past us, giving us a sudden, heart-stopping     1     . Over the past few years, delivery drivers have been    2     , fined, and even arrested for breaking traffic laws across China. Delivery drivers often     3     red lights, take no notice of speed limits, and pay little attention to pedestrian crossings. But they also often pay the ultimate     4     . Each year, it seems like     5     injuries involving delivery drivers are increasing. However, given that delivery drivers are, generally speaking, poorly paid, how much blame do they really deserve for running against the clock?

Well, it turns out to be a complicated issue. Recently, an article titled “Delivery Drivers Stuck in the System” was     6     widely on social media. According to the article, competition between delivery services Ele. me and Meituan has caused each app to take increasingly extreme     7     to outdo (超过) the other. Over time, the platforms have only increased the pressure on drivers. As a result, drivers find themselves facing a difficult choice: break traffic laws or, in some cases, lose hundreds of yuan in earnings for late deliveries.

According to surveys online, few care much whether their deliveries are a few minutes late, with most believing that it is not worth risking someone’s life for. In response, Ele. me and Meituan have added a combination of features to extend delivery times for slow elevators or bad weather    8     Although these new features cannot solve the underlying problems of intense competition or the dangers of driving, they should, in some way,     9     some of the pressure on drivers. In the meantime, as consumers, we can help to make life for delivery riders safer and easier. For example, be a     10     person and care more about them. After all, they are putting their lives on the line just to deliver our food.