China prolongs hardline crackdown on drink driving
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China has prolonged a nationwide crackdown on drink driving to the year end, said the Ministry of Public Security Monday.
Chinese police launched a two-month-long campaign on Aug. 15 following a series of fatal accidents involving drunk drivers.
As of Oct. 15, the number of traffic accidents caused by drink driving has seen a drop of 34.5 percent year on year and the death toll reduced by 38 percent, the ministry said.
Vice Minister Huang Ming said drink driving was a "long-term phenomenon" and could rebound if handled loosely. He said the move was also made under the request of the public.
During the crackdown, public security authorities across the country reported 122,000 cases of drink driving, including 19,000 cases of drunk driving.
All 122,000 drivers involved were fined while 108,000 licenses were suspended. About 17,000 drivers were detained.
However, drink driving is still frequently seen in rural areas and some medium-sized and small cities, according to the ministry.
Huang revealed that the ministry was considering incorporating drink driving records into the personal credit system.
On Aug. 4, a drunk driver in Hangzhou of east China's Zhejiang Province killed a 16-year-old girl. Two days later, another drunk driver in Shanghai killed a four-year-old boy and injured three others.
