July 02, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 16, 1428

BEIJING: A total of 37,000 people were killed on China's roads, among the world's most dangerous, in the first six months of the year, state media reported Sunday.

The number of fatalities, compiled by the Ministry of Public Security, marked a decline of 12.2 percent from the same period in 2006, the Xinhua news agency said. A total of 159,000 road accidents were recorded in the period, down 16.9 per cent, with 189,000 injured, a decline of 15.2 per cent, according to Xinhua.

The ministry said the drop in the numbers came about because of better safety awareness, especially when it comes to overloading, speeding and fatigued driving.—AFP