Police strengthen drink driving checks

Chinese police handled 1,129 cases of suspected drink driving on Friday in intensified nationwide checks, said the Ministry of Public Security.

Of the cases, 50 were drunk driving, the ministry said.

The ministry has strengthened checks for drink driving on roads near to restaurants and recreational places in cities, roads connecting cities and suburbs, as well as roads near to public gathering places.

On Thursday, the second day of the Lunar New Year, traffic increased remarkably on major expressways, and national and provincial highways while rain, snow and fog in north, northeast and northwest regions also affected travel, according to the ministry.

Local traffic police have initiated response plans to deal with the traffic. Parts of expressways in Hebei, Shanxi and Heilongjiang provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were closed due to bad weather but most of them have been reopened as of 5 p.m., it said.