Chinese police caught 2,435 people driving under the influence of alcohol on Monday, close to the number of Saturday and Sunday put together, according to the Ministry of Public Security Wednesday.

By Tuesday morning, 5,602 drivers had been caught driving after drinking since the ministry started a two-month nationwide campaign against drink-driving on Friday, according to a statement issued on the ministry's Web site Wednesday.

The ministry would continue to strictly monitor and punish drink-driving during and after the campaign, the statement said.

Since Saturday, police across the country tightened monitoring on main roads near restaurants, hotels and pubs and set up checkpoints, according to a statement issued by the ministry on Monday.

Police in some provinces also distributed letters to drivers reminding them of the danger in drink-driving.

The campaign was launched to prevent serious traffic accidents ahead of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in October. It is also the latest ministry move against drink-driving following an increase in traffic fatalities and 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.

According to the ministry, if drunk drivers are caught, their licenses will be suspended for three or six months and, in serious cases, the driver would be detained for 15 days.

If a drunk driver is caught twice within one year, his or her license will be revoked for two- to- five years.

Source:Xinhua