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Police catch 6,094 drunk drivers in 2 days

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-08-21 01:06

Chinese police caught 6,094 people driving under the influence of alcohol from 8 am Tuesday to 8 am Thursday in a nationwide crackdown on drunk driving, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement on its website Thursday.

As of 8 am Thursday, 11,696 Chinese drivers had been caught driving after drinking since the ministry launched a two-month nationwide campaign against drunk driving on Aug 15.

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A "startling" 14 percent of such drivers's blood alcohol concentrations reached 80 mg per 100 ml when busted by the police, the statement said.

According to the ministry, if drunk drivers are caught, their licenses will be suspended for three or six months and, in serious cases, the driver would be detained for 15 days.

If a drunk driver is caught twice within one year, his or her license will be revoked for two to five years.

The campaign was launched to prevent serious traffic accidents ahead of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in October.

It is also the ministry's latest move against drink-driving following increased media coverage of traffic fatalities and accidents in recent months.

On Aug 4, a drunk driver in Hangzhou killed a 16-year-old girl. Two days later, another drunk driver in Shanghai killed a four-year-old boy and injured three others.

The ministry said it would continue to strictly monitor and punish drunk driving during and after the campaign.