Beijing: About 73,500 people lost their lives in road accidents in China last year, a drop by 10 percent from a year ago, the ministry of public security said Sunday.

China, which has one of the world's worst safety records, saw 265,204 accidents in 2008, killing 73,484 people and injuring 304,919 others.

However, the ministry said the traffic deaths declined by 10 percent compared to that of 2007 because of the nationwide safety campaign undertaken during the Olympic Games.

Losses from these accidents were estimated at 1.01 billion yuan ($148 million), a drop by 15.8 percent compared to the loss incurred in 2007.

The ministry also warned against the growing number of vehicles that ply on roads every year, and pledged to take strong measures to make the roads safer and more orderly.

China has witnessed an unprecedented growth in its auto sector in the recent years, becoming the world's second largest auto market.

 

Source : ians