A Chinese police officer on Thursday warned motorists to give way to pedestrians at zebra crossings, saying 55 people had been killed on pedestrian crossings in November.

"It's nothing to wait a moment. In fact, it's a basic traffic rule to give way to pedestrians at zebra crossings," said Wang Jinbiao, deputy director of traffic bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, at a press conference on traffic accidents in the first 11 months.

He called for motorists and pedestrians to obey the traffic rules.

"Obeying rules is a virtue that deserves praise and respect," said Wang.

As the number of cars rises rapidly in China, the rules and etiquette of driving have sparked public debate.

About 350,000 traffic accidents occurred in China in in the first 11 months with a total death toll of 82,000. The number of deaths was down 8.4 percent from the same period last year.

Source: Xinhua