Stop forcing people who'll drive to drink

To some extent, China's drinking tradition is to blame for drink driving. In fact, drink driving highlights the conflict between car and drinking cultures. Apart from punishing drunk drivers severely, we have to review our drinking culture to deter people from sitting behind wheels after drinking, says an article in Guangzhou Daily. Excerpt:

Drink driving has caused the deaths of many innocents in recent months and become a big problem across the country.

The results of a recent survey show most Chinese think drink driving is rampant in the country and the punishment for offenders too light.

Since China has entered the car age at breakneck speed, the country's drinking culture has made alcohol into a dreaded "road killer".

Official statistics show alcohol-related traffic accidents caused 18,371 deaths and left 76,230 people injured last year. They caused an economic loss of 250 million yuan ($ 36.7 million), too.

Drink driving not only endangers human life, but also is a hidden public security problem. Some believe that in order to cement guanxi (a relationship), nobody sitting at a dinner table can refuse to drink. It's time we reviewour misconceived belief that "to dine you need wine".

Drinking culture should not be cited as an excuse for drink driving. So apart from cracking down on drunk drivers, it's necessary to review some of our dinning habits, and people who offer and/or urge others to drink, too, should be blamed for drink driving.

Only by doing so can we improve people's security consciousness, and find a new balancing point between drinking and car cultures.

(China Daily 08/20/2009 page9)