BEIJING -- China has launched a campaign to curb drunk driving across the country, the Ministry of Public Security said Monday.

Traffic police nationwide should step up traffic checks, including daily and regular inspections on the streets, according to a guideline released by the ministry's traffic management bureau.

The one-year campaign is aimed at reducing the number of traffic accidents and casualties caused by drunk driving, said the traffic management bureau.

Drunk driving has long been one of the major causes of traffic accidents in China. A total of 17,264 Chinese drivers were banned from driving for life in 2018. Among them, 5,149 were caught drunk driving in serious traffic accidents.