China to further crack down on drunk driving

China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS)said Saturday that police will improve the long-term mechanism against drunk driving and exert "zero tolerance" toward this dangerous conduct.

An unidentified official from the Traffic Management Bureau under the MPS said that although police work against drunk driving has yielded obvious results, the work still faces great challenges, as some people have lax attitudes about drunk driving and even drive drunk themselves. Some have even resisted alcohol tests by attacking law enforcement officials or drinking alcohol on the spot.

"Police will give security administrative punishments, or investigate the criminal responsibility if the cases constitute crimes," said the official.

The official said that in some areas, like Beijing and Hangzhou, long-term, coordinated efforts have been established to curb incidents of people driving under the influence of alcohol.

Various efforts include establishing dedicated law enforcement contingents in cities to deal with drunk driving as well as coordinating with procuratorates and courts in investigations and adjudication.

The number of drunk driving cases has plummeted since May 1, 2011, when an amended law criminalizing drunk driving was enforced.

The amended Criminal Law stipulates that all drunk driving constitutes a criminal offence, even if no road accidents or other serious consequences occur.

From May 1, 2011, to April 20 this year, traffic police handled a total of 354,000 DUI (driving under influence) cases nationwide, down by 41.7 percent compared with the same period last year, while drunk driving cases totaled 54,000, marking a 44.1-percent drop, according to the Traffic Management Bureau.

Results have been most apparent in Beijing, Shanghai and other large cities, as cases in the two cities dropped by 50 percent and 70 percent, respectively.