Chinese police launched a nationwide program of testing coach drivers for drug use on Tuesday, as investigation blamed a crystal meth-taker for a fatal traffic accident on Sunday.

A coach collided with a truck on Sunday on an expressway in east China's Jiangsu Province, killing 14 people and injuring 20 others.

Police investigation revealed a urine sample taken from the coach's driver came back positive for drug use, said a statement from the Ministry of Public Security.

The driver is thought to have taken crystal meth on Friday evening and only slept for four hours before he started driving on Sunday morning.

The testing of coach drivers will last till the end of June. Those found to have a history of drug use will be suspended from their jobs and those who are found addicted will be deprived of their driving licenses and banned from the business, the statement said.

The investigation into the Sunday accident also found that the coach has not been subjected to the annual safety check.

Police will also inspect the operation of coaches. Coach firms and travel agencies will be suspended from operation if they fail to adopt safety measures, and coaches that do not meet safety standards must not be put into use, according to the statement.

It warned that, so far in 2012, the number of traffic accidents involving coaches is 40.4 percent higher than in the same period of last year, and the casualty rate in such incidents has risen by 158.2 percent.

The increases have exposed safety loopholes and management problems in the business, it said.

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