Drinking and driving up sharply during World Cup

Cases involving people driving under the influence of alcohol have risen sharply since the FIFA World Cup in Brazil kicked off on June 12, as soccer fans tend to bet on their luck in eluding police checks, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Statistics from the ministry show that in the first three days of the World Cup, which runs through July 13, police nationwide dealt with more than 570 cases of drunken driving and 5,200 cases of drinking while driving - an increase of 65 percent over the number for the first three days of the World Cup four years ago.

"The sharp increase should be attributed to intensified police checks and many people falsely believing they can avoid legal punishment," said Liu Chunyu, a press officer from the ministry's traffic control bureau.