Editorials

Enforcement matters

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-28 07:43

Despite a bombardment of publicity on the consequences of drunken driving, there is still a long way to go before such reckless acts can be minimized.

Three traffic accidents caused by drunken driving claimed four lives in a week in Beijing. This year alone, three people have been sentenced to life in prison for the crime of endangering public security in a hazardous manner after their drunken driving took others' lives. But many still have not learned the lesson and get behind the wheel after drinking.

The average age of the four killed was only 28, and the three drivers are even younger with an average age of 27. The three who have been sentenced to life are also in their 20s. The message is that many of them are too young to be aware of the consequences of driving with liquor in their blood. In addition, they are confident of their driving skills even after they drink or become drunk. Many of them believe that they cannot be that unlucky to cause an accident.

With increasing numbers of young people getting behind the wheel, it is important to tighten traffic rules and intensify punishment for such violations.

Enforcement matters

Starting April next year, anyone caught driving after drinking will have to receive training on traffic rules for seven days before they can drive again. Beijing traffic police announced that anyone caught driving while drunk will be detained for 15 days and their names and employers will be published.

Publication of their names and those of their employers may have some effect as many are quite concerned with losing face before their colleagues and friends. In addition, doing so may help raise the public's awareness against such violations.

Yet what if the offenders do not care about the appearance of their names in the media and neither do their colleagues or friends after they get used to the practice?

So the key to fight drunken driving lies in the strict enforcement of traffic rules and related laws. We can't expect checks by traffic police only once in a while or just during holidays to deter such offences.

That is exactly why many believe they have a good chance to get away with the offence unless they cause an accident. Some tend to use their connections with the traffic police to get away.

So whether we can effectively check drunken driving lies in whether we can reduce the chances for offenders to get away without being punished.

Life or even death sentences for the deaths they cause by drunken driving should have been heavy enough to deter drivers from hitting the bottle before getting behind the wheel. Even if they are sure they won't cause accidents, the 12 days in a detention center and the suspension of their driving license are heavy enough punishment.

That should have worked to reduce such offences - had most offenders, if not all, been brought to justice.

(China Daily 12/28/2009 page4)