All-Night World Cup Means More Drunk Driving in Beijing

In news that comes as no surprise given the fervor with which Beijing's citizens (and its bars) embrace the World Cup, drunk driving is up sharply, according to statistics compiled through June 13.

In the first three days of cup action, 570 drivers nationwide were cited for driving drunk, while another 5,200 were cited for driving under the influence. That's up a stunning 65 percent from the first three days of the 2010 World Cup. No word on what percentage of those incidents took place in Beijing.

There's two different penalties for drunk driving in China, both based on the blood alcohol level of the driver. The more serious of the two penalties – when a driver test for more than 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – is considered driving drunk and is carries a myriad of penalties: a suspension of drivers' license for three to six months, up to 15 days detention, a RMB 2000 fine and 12 points recorded on the driver's record.

The lesser of the two penalties is for driving under the influence, where a driver tests for between 20mg and 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. This is punishable by a suspension of drivers' license for one to three months, a RMB 500 fine and six points recorded on the driver's record.

What's shocking is why people bother to drink and drive to begin with, given the city's preponderance of taxis and taxi apps such as Dididache and Uber.

Best yet pretty much anything under the sun can be ordered online and delivered to your door – so why not invite a bunch of people to your house, pull an all-nighter and order your food and alcohol for delivery.

Here's a sample plan for this evening:

8.30pm: Stock up on bubbly for the victory party by taking up Cheers Wine on their offer of 20 percent off all sparkling wine for the rest of the summer (stop by one of their 16 stores – some open until 1am – or call them before 9pm for delivery at 400 005 5500).

9.30pm: Order a 12-pack of beer (on 15 percent discount) and an accompanying late night feast from one of the 70-odd restaurants Sherpa's delivers from. Sherpa's takes their last delivery order at 10.30pm (beware, some of the restaurants on their list close earlier than that).

10.30pm: Spend a half an hour trying to figure out what goddamn station is playing each match (or re-arrange your wireless internet connection for the umpteenth time to get the best reception for your streaming broadcast).

11.30pm: Settle in for a long night of getting shitfaced with your friends and watching footie in the comfort of your living room. Gloat over the fact that you will not be tempted to get behind the wheel of your car, angry and drunk, after staying up all night to watch a series of 0-0 draws and getting rained on in the process.

7.00am: During halftime of the 6am match, call McDonald's 4008-517-517 for 30-minute delivery of a round of hangover-helping Sausage McMuffins and coffee.

8.00am Once the final game and your evening bacchanalia concludes, call your boss to say the pipes broke and you need stay home to let the plumber in. Then sleep it off until noon.

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And if you are going out after midnight these days (or getting up early), be extra careful not only about your own drunken behavior but also be aware of drivers of all manner of vehicles on their way home from a night of guzzling heavily from the World Cup – there's likely to be an increase in drunk bicyclists, drunk scooter drivers, and drunk commuters as well.

Tonight's action: Australia v Netherlands (midnight); Spain v Chile (3am); Cameroon v Croatia (6am).

Image: China Daily via ECNS