The Shenzhen police came up with a new penalty for drivers who are caught misusing their headlights. These erring drivers are made to stare at bright lights for five minutes as punishment.

In a statement released by the Shenzhen traffic police on Sina Weibo, it said that moving forward, anyone dazzling other drivers will have to look directly into the headlights of the arresting officer for five-minutes.

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"From now on, traffic police will make those found carelessly using bright lights to look at them for five minutes," the post stated.

The inappropriate use of headlights was described in the post as "harmful to other road users". The police said the violators need to have a taste of what they are causing others.

Lawbreakers will also have to listen to a police lecture regarding the proper use of headlights and pay a US$49 fine.

The Shenzhen police have a number of followers on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, and many of their followers expressed their approval of the new punishment.

"An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," posted one user regarding the punishment.

Other expressed their dissatisfaction with the punishment saying that it should be even harsher to stop irresponsible drivers from repeating the offense. "I suggest they extend the stare time to 30 minutes," a follower said.

However, not everyone was happy with the punishment.

A Weibo user said it's irrational for the police to make lousy drivers stare at headlights and then send them back in the street in a dazed state.

Shenzhen City is situated north of Hong Kong and is known all over China for its numerous electric taxis and buses, according to the Wall Street Journal.