China road deaths top 100,000
 |
Road accidents are on the rise, the China Daily said.
Story Tools
|
BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- Road accidents in China killed 75,841 people in the first nine months of the year, the state-run China Daily reported, adding that rising car sales fueled by a booming economy were boosting the death toll.
The United States, Britain and Japan witnessed a similar development as economies grew after World War Two, the newspaper added.
The newspaper said 109,363 people died in traffic accidents nationwide in China last year.
That was over 3,300 more deaths than the year before and about 15,500 more than in the year 2000.
While the 2003 cumulative toll looked down when compared to last year's final tally, the paper said accidents were on the rise.
"With the soaring growth in the national economy and an ever-growing number of motor vehicles on the road, China is experiencing a huge upsurge in traffic accidents and fatalities," the newspaper said.
China's car sales jumped 60 percent to 1.2 million last year, making it the world's fastest growing major car market.
Analysts expect close to two million cars will be made and sold in China in 2003.
Copyright 2003
Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
