BEIJING, April 28 -- Traffic accidents and deaths caused by driving under the influence (DUI) have both declined in the five years after drunk driving was criminalized in 2011, said the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on Thursday.

The two figures are down by 18 percent and 18.3 percent compared with the five years before the law was amended, according to the MPS.

In 2011, the amended Criminal Law took effect. It defines all drunk driving as criminal offenses, even if the act does not result in a traffic accident.

Since the Criminal Law amendment was enforced, traffic police have handled a total of 2.47 million DUI cases nationwide.

A MPS statement said, with awareness of the danger of DUI raised, a nascent business of designated driving services burgeoned. A total of 218 million orders for such services have been placed in five years.

The ministry said that as car ownership increases, so will the challenges, but assured that enforcement efforts will continue.