Beijing police have detained nine drunken drivers since the introduction of laws to improve road safety on May 1.

The offenders, aged 25 to 60, were all caught by patrols between 9 pm and 2 am, with three directly responsible for road accidents, according to data provided by the city's traffic management bureau on Tuesday.

Just two were detained in downtown areas, Chaoyangmen area in Dongcheng district and Xibianmen area in Xicheng district.

The others were pulled over on suburban roads. Only two were permanent residents of Beijing, said the authority.

Liu Jiulin, who was involved in an accident in Miyun county at 7:30 am on May 1, was found to have 200.1 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. The legal limit is 80 mg/100 ml.

"When officers find suspect drivers, they will firstly use breath-test machines. If the driver fails, they will then be taken to a qualified medical clinic for a blood test," said Wang Yu, section chief at the bureau's Dongcheng law office.

The new laws have not only been a boon for safety, but also the capital's chauffer services.

"We estimate clients will increase 15 to 20 percent in the month to come," said Zhang Jing at Drink To Your Happiness Automobile Service, which rents out cars and drivers.

"Renting a driver can save car owners time and trouble. For their safety and everyone else's, they should not risk lives by driving after drinking."

Under the nation's amended laws, drunken drivers face six months of detention and fines of up to 13,800 yuan. They will also lose their driving licenses for five years, or even permanently in serious cases.

Previously, offenders faced a maximum of 15 days in detention and a 2,000-yuan fine, with their licenses revoked for just six months.

China Daily

(China Daily 05/05/2011 page)