Shanghai authorities fear that the number of drunk drivers in China will increase following the start of the World Cup.

Shanghai police arrested more than 20 drivers suspected of driving under the influence yesterday morning. Many of those arrested were reported to be football enthusiasts who watched the opening match of the World Cup in bars.

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Authorities said that they will conduct early morning checks on drivers to prevent drunk-driving-related accidents.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup airs in a different time zone since the event is taking place in Brazil. Yesterday’s game started at 4:00 AM ending 3-1 victory for the host country against Croatia.

In an interview with the Shanghai Daily yesterday, a police officer said they will conduct random checks to ensure that roads are safe from drunk drivers.

“Police will undertake frequent random checks throughout this month, including setting up inspection points on elevated highways and checks during morning rush hour,” the officer told Shanghai Daily.

The police arrested Zhou, a 25-year-old man only identified by his last name, yesterday morning. Zhou tried to reverse his vehicle after spotting police check points on an elevated highway 20 meters away. 

The police pulled Zhou over and found he was driving under the influence.

The Jing’an District police has setup check points on other elevate highways and beyond, which include areas in Xizang, Huashan, Shimen and Beijing Road W.

Besides the reported 20 drunk-drivers caught yesterday morning, the police said they have apprehended at least 11 more who were driving drunk in the areas mentioned and most of them came from watching the opening World Cup match.

The arresting officers said the drunk drivers assumed the police were not around early in morning and went on to drive their vehicles. Chinese police authorities have already asked to boost the campaign against drunk driving in the country during the entire World Cup tournament.

According to a report by Shanghai List, the police will conduct inspections especially in places where there are karaoke bars, hotels and restaurants. Inspections will be tightened until the final match of the World Cup series.

“There will be zero tolerance of drunk-driving during the World Cup,” one police officer said in an interview.

The police officer said that they will not tolerate drunk driving during the World Cup.

However, authorities have encouraged football fans to take public transportation after watching the games in case they have been drinking.

Tags2014 Fifa World Cup, Croatia, Shanghai Daily, Shanghaiist