The transport ministry plans to strengthen administrative penalties on logistics companies whose truck drivers were found drunk at the wheel.

The ministry is currently collecting public comments about the tougher penalties, which are slated to be introduced in January 2025.

The planned measures are part of a policy package the government drew up in June last year to address what is known as the 2024 problem in the logistics industry, which refers to an imminent shortage of truck drivers stemming from a new overtime regulation put into place in April this year for such drivers, resulting in disruptions to cargo transport operations.

After a steady decline, the annual number of traffic accidents caused by drunken truck drivers has been leveling off, remaining between 30 and 50 a year since 2012.

This trend prompted the ministry to strengthen penalties under the trucking business law in an effort to clamp down on drunken driving.

While the number of trucks subject to suspension and the period of suspension vary depending on the size of the businesses involved, the current rules basically suspend one truck from operation for 100 days over drunken driving.

Under the new stricter rules, the period of suspension will be extended for 100 days if companies whose drivers were found to be drunk at the wheel are confirmed to have neglected preventative measure, such as check their drivers for drinking before the start of work or failing to educate them about the dangers of drinking and driving.

According to the ministry, multiple violations tend to be detected in audits of trucking companies where drunken driving was found. An accumulation of violations could lead to suspension of a business.