RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's traffic accidents causing casualties fell 13.6 percent in the past two months thanks to the drink-drive regulations, Brazil's Federal Highway Police (FHP) said on Wednesday.

    The new regulations forbid drivers from drinking any amount of alcohol. Drivers that were caught with alcohol in the blood must pay a fine of 955 reais (597 U.S. dollars) and their driver license would be suspended for a year. If the amount of alcohol exceeds six decigrams per liter of blood, the driver would be arrested.

    According to Brazil's Ministry of Finances Institute of Applied Economical Research, the reduction of traffic accidents with victims has saved a total of 48 million reais (29.6 million dollars) in rescue and insurance costs.

    Statistics show that each accident without victims costs 19,000reais (11,730 dollars), and accident with injuries costs 96,000 reais (59,200 dollars). When there are victims, each accident costs as high as 467,000 reais (288,270 dollars).

    According to recent surveys, most of Brazilian people approved the new regulations. But some people complained that the "zero tolerance policy" is too harsh. They argued that the breath detector used by the police can detect even a small amount of alcohol contained in some bonbons.