Drink driving accidents down in China

Drink driving accidents in China have dropped by a quarter since harsher punishments were imposed three years ago, the Ministry of Public Security has said.

Drink driving was defined as a crime on May 1, 2011. Since then, deaths from such accidents have decreased by 39.3 percent, the ministry said.

The amendment to the criminal law also ruled that those who drive after drinking alcohol and cause an accident serious enough to constitute a crime will have their licenses permanently revoked.

According to the bureau, China now owns more than 260 million vehicles with nearly 300 million drivers, and the number of drivers is estimated to continue to grow rapidly.

Public security organizations will continue cracking down on drink driving with a zero-tolerance attitude, the ministry said.