Why can drunk driving be retested after 3 years?

[VanRuby]

Drunk driving cannot be retested after 3 years, the reasons are: 1. For drunk driving of motor vehicles, the traffic management department of the public security authority will restrain the driver until sober, revoke the motor vehicle driving license, investigate for criminal responsibility according to law, and the driver shall not re-obtain the motor vehicle driving license within five years; 2. For drunk driving of commercial motor vehicles, the driver shall not re-obtain the motor vehicle driving license within ten years, and after re-obtaining the motor vehicle driving license, the driver shall not drive commercial motor vehicles again; 3. If a major traffic accident occurs due to driving a motor vehicle after drinking or drunk driving, which constitutes a crime, criminal responsibility shall be investigated according to law, and the traffic management department of the public security authority shall revoke the motor vehicle driving license, and the driver shall not re-obtain the motor vehicle driving license for life.

[FrankRose]

My neighbor was just talking about this the other day. He had his license revoked for drunk driving and had to wait three years before retaking the test. Actually, the law sets this three-year period based on comprehensive considerations—it's enough time to soberly reflect on the mistake. During this period, offenders must attend traffic law training and community service organized by traffic authorities to prove their remorse. Moreover, the retest is extremely strict: the theory exam covers the latest traffic regulations, and the difficulty of the practical tests (like parking and road tests) is doubled. If you fail to handle an emergency situation during the road test, you're immediately disqualified. Last time, an experienced driver failed due to poor handling of a simulated drunk driving accident scenario, which shows how rigorous the evaluation is.

[Leanne]

As a practitioner who has handled traffic cases, I have encountered many re-examination cases. The three-year period is primarily designed to enforce three major tests for offenders: first, completing the full revocation period (criminal penalty + administrative detention); second, passing a psychological assessment via the Driver Risk Evaluation System; and third, providing a three-year clean record certificate without any violations. The key point is that during the re-examination, the system automatically retrieves the applicant's historical violation data, with drunk driving records archived for life. Examiners also conduct additional on-site alcohol tests. Last year, there was a case where a re-examinee, whose blood alcohol concentration had reached 200mg/100ml three years prior, was required to undergo three additional emergency response tests during the road test.

[LilaRose]

Our driving school receives dozens of DUI retest candidates annually. Honestly, three years is no short period. Registration requires submitting alcohol dependency screening reports from top-tier hospitals and proof of ten community service activities within three years. 30% of the theoretical exam questions relate to drunk driving, and road tests are three times more likely to be scheduled during rainy nights compared to regular students. Last week, an examiner suddenly played drunk driving accident audio before a crosswalk during a road test to assess emergency response – this truly reflects how the system ensures offenders undergo genuine transformation.