Beijing police are stepping up efforts to cut down incidents of drunk driving by using car-disabling devices and tear gas to prevent drivers from fleeing or becoming violent during drunk driving inspections, local authorities said Friday.

The 10-meter-long car-disabling device is a strip of nails meant to be laid on the road and is designed to puncture the tires of would-be runaways, Zhang Jingchun, director of the information office of Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, told journalists.

Each device is capable of covering two lanes, Zhang said.

Police officers conducting the inspections are equipped with recorders, tear gas, health kits and handcuffs.

A newly-amended Road Traffic Safety Law took effect on May 1, stating that anyone caught drunk driving will have their driver's license revoked. Drunk drivers will also need to wait five years to apply for a new license and face a detention period of one to six months under the amended law.

However, enforcing the new law has brought a higher risk of confrontations to police officers, as some drunk drivers attempt to flee or become violent during the inspections.

"Drunk people are more irrational, therefore, the equipment is necessary for police on the frontline to prevent drunk drivers' confrontations or potential threats to public safety," said Zhang.

In one recent case, a drunk driver in north China's Shanxi Province bit the hand of a police officer in an attempt to avoid an alcohol test.

In June last year, a police officer, He Yu, tried to stop a driver for an alcohol test, prompting the drunk driver to intentionally hit He with his car. He is still in a coma.

"Confrontations with drunk drivers threaten not only the safety of the traffic police but also the safety of the public. However, we will definitely continue our efforts to cut down on drunk driving," said Zhang.

In recent years, fatal car accidents in Chinese cities such as Chengdu, Nanjing and Hangzhou have triggered a public outcry for stricter penalties on drunk driving.

The effects of the crackdown were already observed during the three-day Labor Day holiday, a time reserved for family reunions and weddings. These gatherings often involve heavy consumption of alcohol.

According to a statement released Tuesday by the traffic management authority of the Ministry of Public Security, the number of alcohol-related road accidents that occurred during this year's Labor Day holiday fell 27.6 percent year-on-year, with a total of 1,458 accidents reported between 12 a.m. Saturday morning and 3 p.m. Monday afternoon.

"It is necessary and important for China to put stricter penalties on drunk driving," Zhang Jingchun said. "The law, together with tough enforcement, can increase people's road safety awareness, and gradually reduce and eliminate drunk driving cases in the future."

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