An AI-generated illustration shows Chinese police officers administering a breath alcohol test to a suspected drunk driver. Photo: Legal Daily

A drunk driver in East China's Zhejiang Province probably did not expect his own car to help police find him. After he fell asleep with the vehicle still running, the automaker's emergency center repeatedly failed to get a response and eventually called 110, China's police emergency number, comparable to 911 in the US.

The man, surnamed Zhou, had been driving home after drinking in Jinyun county, Lishui, and switched on the vehicle's driving-assistance function during the trip. When he became sleepy, he pulled over and fell asleep on the roadside, the Legal Daily reported.

Although the car had stopped moving, it remained switched on. After the driver failed to respond to repeated system alerts and did not retake control for an extended period, the automaker's emergency center contacted a preset emergency number: 110.

Police arrived and found Zhou intoxicated. A blood test showed an alcohol level of 186 milligrams per 100 milliliters, more than twice China's 80-milligram threshold for drunk driving. The court also found that Zhou had previously been punished for drinking and driving in 2016.

Zhou then made an unusual argument: Because the vehicle's system had effectively triggered the police call, he claimed the incident should count as voluntary surrender and therefore qualify him for a lighter punishment.

The court rejected that argument. It said the emergency call was triggered passively after Zhou had lost effective control of the vehicle and was made by the automaker's rescue center to check on his safety, not at his request or because he intended to turn himself in.

The court convicted Zhou of dangerous driving and sentenced him to one month of detention and a fine of 2,000 yuan ($300).

Global Times