title: Investigation on deterrence effect of legal punishment measures on driving after drinking in Chongqing, China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Driving after drinking is one of the main causes associated with road accidents in China. China has been concerned about this serious problem and updated the regulations of road traffic safety law about driving after drinking 3 times in the last 10 years to deter this offense. The deterrence effect of the current punishment measures implemented since January 2013 was studied in this article.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data applied in the study were collected by questionnaire surveys carried out in Chongqing, a city in southwest China. A total of 329 drivers participated in 3 rounds of the survey and a 5-point scale rating was applied in the investigation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a slight difference between drivers' familiarity of the law regarding driving after drinking in April 2013 and April 2014. The perceived certainty of being caught for driving after drinking was higher in April 2013 than in April 2014 and it had a time-dependent decreasing tendency. Our investigations also show that license suspension is the most practical and effective measure and penalty points system ranks second. A monetary fine appears to be inefficient to achieve the desired effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The fourth edition of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, which took effect in January 2013 coinciding with the application of random breath testing and intensification of enforcement activity, is effective in deterring driving after drinking according to our investigation. More measures should be implemented to change the decreasing tendency of perceived certainty of being caught for driving after drinking. An increase in the monetary fine is suggested.
authors.affiliation: a School of Engineering and Technology , Southwest University , Chongqing , China.
authors.forename: Qinghui
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Suo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology*; D001944:Breath Tests; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035846:Law Enforcement / Q000379:methods*; D008004:Licensure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D011678:Punishment / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: deterrence effect; driving after drinking; punishment measures; questionnaire survey