Beijing - The number of deaths in road traffic accidents fell to just over 200 per day in China in 2008, down 10 per cent from the previous year, the government said Sunday.

Police nationwide recorded 265,204 accidents that resulted in 73,484 deaths and 304,919 injuries last year, the Ministry of Public Security said a report posted on its website.

The number of road deaths was down 10 per cent from 2007, falling to just over 201 per day after peaking at nearly 300 per day about five years ago.

The number of accidents recorded last year dropped by 19 per cent from 2007, the ministry said.

Estimated losses from traffic accidents totalled 1.01 billion yuan (148 million dollars) last year, down 16 per cent.

The improvement was attributed to better road safety campaigns and tighter controls on commercial vehicles, the report said.

But it warned that a growing number of vehicles on China's rapidly expanding road network would continue to bring safety problems.

The World Health Organization has previously estimated the daily total of Chinese pedestrians, drivers, cyclists and others killed in road traffic accidents at more than twice the official figure.

Many traffic accidents occur on dangerous roads in rural areas of China.

Drivers are responsible for about 90 per cent of deaths on China's roads, the ministry said in an earlier report. (dpa)