The losses caused by traffic accidents from 2000 to 2004 in China, over US$12.5 billion, has accounted for one to three percent of its GDP, according to statistics released by Asian Development Bank (ADB) today.

The amount is higher than the country's budget on public health services and rural compulsory education.

It is said that traffic accidents have claimed some 500,000 lives and 2.6 million injuries in China during the past five years, equivalent to one person killed in every five minutes, the highest mortality in the world.

Pedestrians, bike and motorbike riders as well as the low-income group, such as coach passengers, are those who suffer most from traffic accidents on the road. Such groups constitute some 60 percent of the total casualties. Once one family member gets killed or injured, the whole family would become even poorer.

The injuries from traffic accidents take up some 25 percent of the total hospital beds, posing a heavy burden on medical institutions.

"Road accidents always trigger a series of health, environmental as well as social problems, and cause huge losses to national economy," says Kim Jraiw senior transport specialist with ADB.

Jraiw says frequent traffic accidents show the current road transport system is unable to meet the actual demand.

The Asia-Pacific region is specially troubled with road safety problem. The region, with only 18 percent of the world's total motor vehicles, takes up half of the world's total death toll on road.

It is said that each year the region loses from traffic accidents US$35 billion, which is twice the external aids it receives.

By People's Daily Online