The world would be stunned if every day an airliner carrying 300 passengers crashed in China. But the fact is that such a casualty actually happens, albeit not in the sky but on the roads.

The latest figures, released by the public security department, show that the country saw nearly 100,000 people die on its roads last year -- the world's largest group of victims of traffic accidents.

In terms of the commonly used "deaths per 10,000 vehicles" index, China's record was 9.2 last year, as compared with 15.45 in 1999. While in developed countries, the number is generally below 5.

Officials also revealed that China's vehicles account for only 2 per cent of the world's total, but they cause more than 15 per cent of its total road deaths.

Even though the public is outraged every time they hear about a new mining accident and other workplace hazards, the number of road deaths was only reported as a piece of ordinary news. This almost borders on cruelty, considering the fact that there are more than 15 times as many people killed on the roads as in coal mine explosions.

The numbness of the public in the face of such an enormous loss of human lives, not to mention economic resources lost and the time wasted in clearing up accident scenes, may point to an even greater danger. We should not take for granted that, in a time of unprecedented economic development and transition into a modern industrial country with a faster transport system, some people will inevitably have to make sacrifices.

It would be a grave mistake to think only building roads is development, and protecting lives from traffic accidents is not. And judging from the size of China's demand for road safety, and the making and selling of modern security systems, there is the potential to generate huge volumes of cash in saving lives.

We also have to consider the hard reality that many of China's drivers abandoned their bicycles very recently, and many pedestrians are still unaccustomed to increasingly complex road signs. Road safety should become a top priority and include all the efforts needed to raise public awareness and teach drivers.

The lack of adequate training, in particular, has caused much road tragedy. Statistics indicate more than 70 per cent of road accident deaths are caused by drivers' errors. Although drivers with less than three years of driving experience make up only 30 per cent of the total, they cause 70 per cent of accidents.

Rules concerning the training and testing of drivers are being tightened in large cities, but many people simply regard driving as a test of guts in the countryside and small towns. They do not usually receive much training before getting their driver's licence.

A high level of uniformity in China's training and testing will not only provide practical protection for the people, but will also be proof of the effectiveness of our public services. It would not be hard to bring about a change in this area. It could come along as quickly as the building of roads as long as there is the will from the central government down.

(China Daily April 13, 2005)