China launches freight vehicles safety sweep

BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Public Security on Tuesday announced a six-month safety sweep of vehicles used to transport freight.

With the campaign to begin on April 1, the ministry urged police departments to crack down on speeding, overloading, refitted vehicles, fatigued driving, jumping red lights and other road misconduct.

According to figures released by the ministry's Traffic Management Bureau, there are now 19 million freight vehicles on China's roads, with this number accounting for 7.8 percent of all the country's motor vehicles.

However, a disproportionate 28 percent of road fatalities in 2012 were caused by freight vehicles. The accident rate per 10,000 freight vehicles in 2012 was more than twice that of other motor vehicles.

China's freight market lacks effective regulation, with many of its vehicles facing potential safety risks, said the traffic management bureau, adding it will work with other supervision departments to better regulate freight companies as well as the vehicle maintenance industry.