Drink too much? Chauffeur can drive you home safely

By Cui Jia (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-03 09:32

On Friday night, a middle-aged Beijinger who had too much to drink during a night out with his business partners stumbled to his parked BMW car after dinner.

But instead of starting his vehicle and driving while intoxicated, the man sat in the back seat quietly and let someone else take the wheel.

His driver for the night was someone from the Ben Ao An Da chauffeur agency, also known as BAAD.

The company is one of the largest of its kind in the capital that specializes in driving those who drink too much.

BAAD's business is also booming, thanks to authorities' tightened controls on drunk driving and rising awareness of its danger to society, He Jin, the general manager of the company, told China Daily Sunday.

"The conflict between China's 'Ganbei' (toasting) culture and the authorities' crackdown on drunk driving has improved our business," He said.

His team picks up most clients who are under the influence of alcohol from high-end restaurants and hotels around Beijing, and drives them and their cars to their destinations. The peak period for booking drivers is the week before Spring Festival, when many banquets are held in Beijing, he said.

Before being driven by a BAAD employee, the person must sign a contract regarding the condition of the car, responsibilities and service fee. BAAD drivers do not drive clients who are completely drunk, to prevent disputes. Besides individual customers, BAAD's clients include government officials and car insurance companies that offer the chauffeur service as perks for their clients.

He registered BAAD after China's first Road Traffic Safety Law was passed in October 2003. He saw the harsher penalties put in place for drunk driving as a business opportunity.

BAAD suffered losses for three years running since 2004, but He's business became profitable soon after the Beijing Municipal Traffic Management Bureau tightened its controls on drunk driving at the end of 2006.

BAAD's drivers have taken more than 50,000 intoxicated people to their destinations "safe and sound," He said.

"The number of clients who booked our drivers soared this year, with clear signals sent through recent court verdicts - such as the death penalty in a recent drunk driving case - that drunk drivers can expect harsher punishment," He said.

Those who use BAAD chauffeurs can expect to pay up to four times more than a taxi cab fee, but many say it is worth it to ensure their professional reputation.

"How can I be seen in a taxi when I go to a business banquet? I don't want to lose face," said a businessman surnamed Wu, who said he is a regular customer of BAAD.

Wu said the service saves the trouble of him picking up his car in the morning. Also, he does not have to worry about the safety of his Mercedes Benz.

Government officials and businessmen often drive to banquets in their own cars in order to make a good impression or "save face," although they know they will be drinking excessively, said Xia Xueluan, a sociology professor at Peking University.

By the end of July, 97 people were killed by drunk drivers in Beijing this year. This is more than the total number of people who died in traffic accidents because of drivers failing to stop at red lights, speeding and driving fatigue, according to the latest figures from the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.

"If those drunk drivers had used our services instead of driving themselves, those 97 people would be alive today," He said. "Our service actually saves lives."