China has 107 mln automobiles, 116 million drivers as of end of 2004

China had 107 million automobiles and 116 million drivers as of the end of 2004, increased by 13 times and 11 times from the 20 years ago, said by Wu Heping, spokesman of the Ministry of Public Security on Tuesday.

But the number of traffic police was merely tens of thousands, less one time more than the figure of 20 years ago. Inadequacy of police force was one of the major four reasons for the frequent occurrences of traffic accidents, said Wu.

Another three reasons for the high frequency of road accidents were driver's indifferent attitude toward traffic rules, inadequate road signs and isolation fencing and incompact traffic management by governmental departments.

He said that in 2004, traffic police spotted and adjusted 210 million traffic rule violations and punish drivers for 150 million times, illustrating driver's faint awareness on traffic rules.

By the end of 2004, China had constructed inter-province roads in length of 1.51588 million kilometers and 34,288 kilometers of highways.

Source: Xinhua