Drunk driving kills 3 in Beijing, despite tougher crackdown

Xinhua, May 5, 2011

Three people were killed in a drunk driving accident Tuesday night in Beijing, even as the newly amended Criminal Law which criminalizes drink driving came into effect on Sunday.

Wen Xuewei, 29, drove under the influence of alcohol and hit roadside light poles and two pedestrians, killing one person on the spot and injuring another.

Wen and one 19-year-old passenger in the car died in a local hospital, said officials with the Beijing traffic management department.

A blood test showed the alcohol in every 100 cc of Wen's blood had reached 175.7 mg, indicating he was heavily intoxicated, said officials.

The accident occurred after the newly amended Road Traffic Safety Law took effect on Sunday, stating that anyone caught drunk driving will have their driver's license revoked upon conviction, need to wait five years to apply for a new license and face detention for one to six months.

Statistics show that from December 2006, more than 200,000 cases of drunk driving had been reported just in Beijing, and 14,000 drivers were detained. Fatal car accidents have also been seen in many Chinese cities, which triggered a public outcry for stricter penalties for drunk driving.