Tougher times for drunken drivers ahead

Beijing has again beefed up punishment for drunken driving offences, as local authorities announced yesterday it would raise the 950-yuan annual compulsory traffic insurance by up to 60 percent for offenders starting next month.

The insurance fee will increase by 30 percent to 1,300 yuan in the following year for each drunken driving offence committed this year, according to the Beijing bureau of China Insurance Regulatory Commission, which drew up the new move.

However, the punishment will top at 1,500 yuan for drivers implicated in several drunken driving incidents in one year.