Deaths caused by drunken driving and driving under the influence both dropped more than 30 percent since harsher punishments on drunk drivers took effect on May 1, the Beijing Times reported Thursday.

The paper also found fewer cars were caught in such cases, according to the traffic management authority.

A total of 45,556 traffic cases under the influence of alcohol were reported nationwide from May 1 to June 30, a 39-percent drop from last year. Among those cases, there were 8,756 drunken driving cases, which is a year-on-year decline of 33.6 percent.

The death toll from traffic cases involving drivers under the influence was reported at 134, a year-on-year decrease of 30.2 percent, while the number of deaths from drunken driving cases was 105, a drop of 33.1 percent.

The amended Criminal Law stipulates that all drunken driving incidents are considered criminal offenses. Previous laws imposed criminal penalties on drunk drivers only when they caused serious traffic accidents.

Further, an amended Road Traffic Safety Law, which also took effect on May 1, stipulates that convicted drunken drivers will have their licenses revoked, instead of suspended, as in the previous law.