by+Chong+Yatu

As in many countries， a party in China cannot be counted“successful” without plentiful heavy drinking. Of course， such get-togethers often result in incidents of drunk driving. To address this problem， the Chinese government has adopted strict traffic rules， ordered frequent inspections and checkpoints and stiffened punishments as part of a nationwide crackdown on drunk driving. On May 1， 2011， drunk driving was officially added to Chinas criminal code as “dangerous driving，” placing criminal liability on inebriated drivers.

While the crackdown has tremendously reduced drunk driving， it also created a brand new occupation in China. In the West as well as China， “designated driver”refers to a person who stays sober while others in the group drink. In China， professional designated drivers quickly emerged to provide practical and ethical services for drinkers. After drinking clients make a reservation， designated drivers deliver the drinkers as well as their cars to a certain destination. After several years of development， the designated driver service has evolved from a task for a sole proprietor to standard corporate operation. Several big companies are now preparing to fight for their rightful market share.

New Occupation

Hu Runzhou， a transportation expert and vice head of Wuhan Transportation Planning and Research Institute， believes that the new occupation of designated driving not only meets social demands， but also enhances the market and creates jobs.“Actually， paid designated drivers emerged as early as 2000，” reveals Hu. “The job was not well accepted by the public at first. People feared that they would be overcharged and didnt feel comfortable with a stranger driving their car. After the promulgation of related policies as well as improved management of the designated driving industry itself， the market gradually warmed up and designated drivers have become increasingly accepted. ”

For a long time after the designated drivers first emerged in China， the profession remained obscure and peripheral. Only four years ago， when drunk driving was officially added to Chinas criminal code， the designated driver service witnesses an overnight boom.

Hus research confirmed such development. He found that after May 1， 2011， the number of designated drivers in major Chinese cities witnessed a sharp rise. Today， Chinese metropolises such as Beijing， Shanghai and Shenzhen are each home to more than 100，000 designated drivers.

Li Pengfei has been working as a designated driver in Beijing for three years and believes that there is a reason for everything. “Chinese people love parties and socializing，” remarks Li. “When people get together， they drink. People who drive to gatherings still drink to save face and preserve decorum， risking major penalties if they get behind the wheel. However， they would prefer to abide by the law if presented with a choice. Thats where designated drivers come in.” Li adds that although some designated drivers stay available around the clock， their peak hours are usually after 9：00 p.m. “Calls just keep coming after 8：30 p.m. Sometimes， we just get our hands full. Dinner parties usually start at 6：30 p.m. in China， and if theyre not done by 8：30 p.m.， you can assume both the guests and hosts have had quite a few drinks.”

Alongside from daily peak hours， holidays and festivals are the busiest days on the calendar for designated drivers. Manager Chen from a mid-sized Nanjing designated driver company describes his business as “explosive” during festivals and holidays. According to him， myriad meetings， parties， and family gatherings occur during holidays and festivals， especially New Years Day and Spring Festival. Even attendees who drive to the gatherings will still have a few glasses of wine. Thats why demand for designated drivers skyrockets during these times. “Before mid-December， a designated driver usually makes three or four trips a day. And thats pretty good. But around the New Years Day and Chinese Spring Festival， they often make seven or eight trips a day. ”

New Competition

The large and growing market for designated drivers has attracted massive attentions from many big enterprises. Some companies are even looking for an edge by connecting the market via the mobile internet. On July 5， 2015， edaijia.cn， Chinas largest internet designated driving information and service platform， launched its first personal accident insurance for designated drivers. According to media reports， the move marks the first institutional guarantee from the designated driving industry to protect drivers safety in an attempt to recruit more qualified drivers.

Edaijia.cn now serves 150 cities across the country. As one of the leading companies in the industry， the organization has registered nearly 100，000 drivers and facilitates more than 200，000 trips each day.

However， many of its competitors， especially internet giants， are unwilling to yield an inch of the market. On April 7， 2015， Didi Kuaidi， Chinas largest taxihailing app， veered in a new direction by announcing a plan to recruit new management personnel and enter the designated driving market.

“From the perspective of industrial development， most early designated drivers worked part time，” explains Hu Runzhou.“It was just practical， independent behavior. When some hotels and restaurants began promoting the service， small and mid-sized designated driving companies emerged. These companies cooperate with hotels and restaurants. They distribute driverscontact information or allow drivers to wait outside their businesses for potential customers. Nowadays， with the development of the internet， many have implemented the‘internet plus designated driving strategy. I believe the market will soon realize more professional， intelligent， and systematic development.” He asserts that along with the development of the market and internet， a group of stand-out designated driver service providers will flourish.