China will take tough action to ensure road safety and sharply lower traffic accidents, said State Councilor Zhou Yongkang on Monday.

Zhou told a national conference on road traffic safety that China saw a drop in the number of traffic accidents, overall casualties, as well as the death rate per 10,000 vehicles in recent years.

Road safety work is still a long-term and arduous task, said Zhou, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee.

Zhou called on local governments and departments to attach great importance to road safety work.

He underlined the importance of driver management, maintenance of road order, publicity of road safety knowledge and relevant regulations.

(Xinhua News Agency April 18, 2006)