China tightens crackdown on drunken driving

Drunken drivers will soon be slapped with a harsher penalty to stem the deadly trend on the nation's roads.

The regulation, revised by the Ministry of Public Security, was announced yesterday. Drivers found with a blood-alcohol content of more than 20 mg per 100 ml of blood will have 12 demerit points stripped from their record, an increase from the current rule that subtracts six points. Each driver's record begins with 12 points.

When all 12 are struck from the record, a driver will have his or her license confiscated by police, be forced to study traffic laws for a week and take an examination in order to regain the license.

Previously, many drivers said they did not take the traffic offense seriously because driving under the influence only becomes a criminal offence when an injury or death is caused.

"Driving after drinking is quite usual," Beijinger Zhou Manjun in his late 20s said. "I felt I was sober enough to drive after a few cups of beer."