BEIJING - The number of drunk driving cases in China have plummeted since May 1, when an amended law criminalizing drunk driving was enforced.

During the first four months after the Criminal Law Amendment VIII was enforced, traffic police handled a total of 95,000 DUI (driving under influence) cases nationwide, down by 45.4 percent compared with the same period of last year, according to the Traffic Management Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security.

Meanwhile, 17,700 drunk driving cases were handled under the crime of dangerous driving, down by 37.9 percent year-on-year.

During the four months, 379 people were killed in traffic accidents caused by drivers who had alcohol in their blood, down by 29.3 percent, while 231 of the deaths were caused by drunk drivers, 85 less than the figure in the same period of last year, or a drop of 26.9 percent.