Punish those driving under drug influence

A car carrying a couple and three children crashed into a school in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province in East China. The driver, who had no license, has been detained on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs as well. Although a police officer and school security guard were hurt when apprehending the driver, it was fortunate no one was killed or injured. The Modern Express says driving under the influence of drugs should be penalized more severely:

People's driving ability is impaired by drugs, which may pose a risk to others. Despite there being no reports of any of the students being injured in this incident, we cannot rely on such luck. Instead, we should crack down on driving under the influence of drugs.

According to this year's annual report on drug control in the country, the Chinese mainland had 2.96 million registered drug addicts at the end of 2014. Of these, 20 percent had a driving license. In recent years, more accidents have been caused by drivers under the influence of drugs. But no efficient way has been found to curb this increasing trend. The reason for this is there is no actual punishment for this behavior.

According to the law, those who drive under the influence of drugs can have their driving license revoked and forced to take treatment for up to three years. But compared to the potential risks they pose, this penalty is not enough. The legislation on driving needs to include severer punishments for such dangerous behavior.