Most Chinese people consider drunk driving rampant in the country while the current legal consequences too light for violators, a poll has found.

According to the survey done by the China Youth Daily, more than 96 percent of the 1,792 respondents said people around them had driven after drinking, while more than 81 percent complained the current penalty was too lenient, the paper reported Tuesday.

Currently, offenders face a three-to-six month suspension of their driving licenses and detention for up to 15 days in serious cases.

Drunk driving has aroused wide public concern in China after a series of fatal accidents in recent months. On Aug. 4, a drunk driver in Hangzhou killed a 16-year-old girl. Two days later, another drunk driver in Shanghai killed a four-year-old boy and injured three others.

Drunk driving is regarded as mere traffic violation if no accidents result, according to the Chinese law. But some experts and netizens have called for its classification as a crime no matter whether it results in casualties.

"If it's a crime and anyone caught will go to jail, a lot more people will be afraid of risking it," said Wang Mingliang, a professor of criminal law at the Fudan University.

Other people, however, disagreed, saying the public outrage was a bit emotional.

In 2008, China's alcohol-related traffic accidents led to 18,371 deaths, 76,230 injuries, and a property loss of 250 million yuan (US$36.7 million), according to official figures.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2009)