Seatbelt use helps traffic death fall continuously in Japan
TOKYO – High seatbelt use rate and improved braking system have contributed to a further decrease of fatalities in traffic accidents in Japan in 2013, according to a white paper on road safety approved by the Japanese cabinet on Tuesday.
The overall number of people killed in traffic accident in Japan in 2013 came to 4,373, down 38 from the previous year for the 13th straight month of fall, the paper said.
It said that the elder aged 65 or older was the most vulnerable group to traffic accident, adding 2,303, or 52.7 percent of the fatalities, were old people.
Of the aged, 48.5 percent were involved in traffic accidents while walking, 26.6 percent while driving cars and 16.4 percent while riding bicycles.
Drink driving in the said year killed 238, down 18 from the previous year, and the number was the lowest since comparable data became available in 1990.
Source: Xinhua
Published: 27 May 2014
