Police to focus on drunken driving during World Cup
Traffic police said they will strengthen enforcement of drunken driving laws during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which kicked off on Thursday, and warned soccer fans to abide by traffic rules when driving during the event.
The World Cup tournament kicked off in Russia on Thursday, prompting millions of Chinese soccer fans to stay up late to watch the games.
Drunken driving usually peaks during the World Cup, “because the chances for people to stay up late to watch games or go out for parties and travel increase”, the traffic management bureau of the Ministry of Public Security said in a notice.
Traffic police will redouble their efforts until the World Cup ends on July 15.
Jia Wenrong, a traffic officer in Hefei, Anhui province, said the intensified effort means longer working hours.
“Our inspections usually start at 8 pm and end at 10:30 pm, but during the World Cup the inspections will last until 11:30 pm because the first game of the day ends then,” he said. “Moreover, there is a second round of inspections every day during the World Cup, which starts at 2:30 am and ends at dawn.”
In Guangdong, traffic police in Guangzhou and Foshan said they would join hands in the fight against drunken driving in the coming month.
Traffic police in the two cities, located just 20 kilometers apart, will expand patrols and establish more checkpoints at major highway entrances and exits, said Chen Canwen, a Guangzhou traffic police officer.
The extra checkpoints will mainly be established near the city’s entertainment venues, bars and restaurants that typically attract many fans, Chen said.
Chinese media reported that traffic police across the mainland investigated more than 30,000 drunken driving cases during the previous World Cup period, with more than 3,000 drivers being placed in detention. Another 3,000 people were allowed out on bail to await trial.