Driving after alcohol consumption: A qualitative analysis among Chinese male drunk drivers

In China, alcohol-related impaired driving has been perceived as a crucial contributor to traffic accidents. However, the topic of driving after alcohol consumption is still understudied in the country. To fill this void, the aim of this study was to find out male drivers' unique experiences of drunk driving in China. A qualitative analysis was adopted based on semi-structured interviews with 38 Chinese male drunk drivers who were serving community corrections. The findings of this study revealed that, being regular alcohol consumers, Chinese male drunk drivers had very little knowledge of the impairment caused by alcohol intake on driving. They mostly underestimated alcohol's negative influence on their driving ability and were overconfident that they would have a safe drive and would not be involved in any traffic accidents after consuming alcohol. In addition, most participants of this study reported that there was very little possibility that they would be arrested after fully assessing the situation and implementing strategies to avoid detection by traffic police. All these reasons affected these men's decision to drive drunk. Several criminological theories are applied to explain the findings and implications are finally recommended to reduce the possibility of drunk driving among Chinese men.