Top court urges leniency for some who get behind wheel after drinking

BEIJING - The Supreme People's Court has asked courts nationwide to be cautious and use discretion when sentencing people in drunken-driving cases after the offence was declared a crime in the newly amended Criminal Law and Road Traffic Safety Law on May 1.

In a recent announcement, the top court told lower courts they should be careful when deciding whether to convict drunken drivers because the practice is so common in China.

According to the current law, drivers who have at least 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood are considered drunk.