The characters combine literally to mean “Road Assassin” or “Street Killer,” painting a very clear picture of a person whose lack of driving skill is a weapon on the public roads.
The term 马路杀手 is a direct product of China's rapid modernization. In recent decades, car ownership has exploded, meaning millions of new drivers (`新手 xīnshǒu`) hit the road every year. This has created notoriously chaotic traffic conditions in many cities. The term reflects a common social anxiety and frustration with the dangers of sharing the road with inexperienced, unpredictable, or rule-flouting drivers. It's a way for people to vent about the stress of driving in China. Comparison to Western Concepts: A 马路杀手 is different from a “Sunday driver” in the West. A “Sunday driver” is typically someone who drives slowly and cautiously, causing annoyance but not necessarily immediate danger. A 马路杀手, however, is actively dangerous due to incompetence. They might suddenly brake for no reason, swerve across lanes, mistake the gas pedal for the brake, or show a complete lack of awareness of traffic rules. They are a menace, not just an inconvenience. The term carries a much stronger, more hyperbolic weight than the English “bad driver.”
马路杀手 is a very common, informal term used in everyday conversation, on social media, and in news reports about traffic incidents.