Special Report: Spring Festival Special 2009

    BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- China saw 1,653 road accidents during the lunar New Year holiday from Jan. 25 to Jan. 31, reduced by 57.6 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Public Security Wednesday.

    These accidents resulted in 724 fatalities, a drop of 37.3 percent year-on-year.

    A spokesman with the ministry said following the country's intensified efforts to regulate the road transport system, road accidents decreased considerably.

    Statistics from the ministry show that, accidents involving overloaded passenger buses during the lunar New Year travel rush dropped by 88 percent. The exact figure was not given.

    During traffic peak seasons in China, many drivers and bus companies dared to violate regulations to load more passengers than the buses should to earn more money for each run. And passengers who were eager to get home were willing to squeeze themselves into the already full buses with no comfortable spaces even to stand.

    In January, 18,000 road accidents occurred, killing some 5,700 people, respectively 18 percent and 4 percent less year-on-year.

    A ministry official with the traffic management bureau warned that between Feb. 10 and Feb. 20, returning migrant workers and college students will pressure traffic.

    Many migrant workers will leave home for working in the new year after celebration of the Lantern Festival, a traditional festival for Chinese family reunions, which falls on Feb. 9 this year.

    The official also warned that upcoming bad weather conditions might test road management capacity.

    Light or moderate snow is forecast in the coming ten days for the west, east, central, south and southwest China. There may also be rain in southern China in the next three days.

    The ministry urged public security and traffic departments at all levels to strengthen supervision over long-distance passenger buses and sleeper buses. It urged police to take timely action to cope with road emergencies amid potential weather threats.

    The ministry also asked the media to release traffic information and expose illegal road activities.