More can be done to rein in road toll

Carnage on the roads - the scourge of developed societies - has exacted a terrible price for China's modernisation. Three years ago, the mainland accounted for 15 per cent of the world's road deaths with only 1.9 per cent of the total number of cars. The annual toll was more than 100,000 and rising.

Now, China has more than three times as many cars - an estimated 34 million at the end of last year. But far from the unthinkable scenario of three times as many road deaths, the toll is now falling at an annual rate of nearly 8 per cent and may come in at less than 90,000 this year.

The authorities are entitled to some of the credit through building better roads, curbing speeding, tightening driver responsibility for accidents and improving vehicle safety. More resources for a determined effort to slash the toll could cement the turnaround. This would offer a measurable social dividend compared with resources devoted to censoring the internet, for example.

Anyone who has experienced the mainland's enthusiasm for motoring has seen snapshots of the problem, ranging from speeding to reckless lane-changing, pedestrians dodging through streams of traffic, poor driver skills, lack of traffic management, undermanned police and the poor quality of roads in the country.

Officials estimate that drivers with less than three years' experience account for more than 70 per cent of all accidents. Driver training and licensing leaves a lot to be desired and will continue to do so until all licences are obtained by passing a driving test - and not by bribing officials.

Apart from the increasing experience of the huge number of new drivers, a further explanation for the turnaround in the toll may be found in another scourge of modernisation - the traffic jams gradually paralysing more big cities and slowing drivers down. This will not improve their sentiment towards government but it may be saving lives.