Fig.1-3-1-1 shows the number of traffic accidents and the number of persons killed or injured in those accidents since1946.
  The number of persons killed(those who died within24hours after the accident;hereinafter the same in this Section)peaked in1970(16,765).It has been on the decline since1993,and decreased by4.5%from the previous year to7,358in2004.The number of persons who died within30days from the accident also decreased,down by4.3%from the previous year to8,492in2004.In contrast,the number of traffic accidents has been on the rise since1978,setting a record high in2004at952,191(up by0.4%from the previous year).The number of persons injured in traffic accidents has generally continued to rise since1978,and hit a record high in2004at1,183,120(up by0.1%(id.))(see Appendix1-5 ).

Fig.1-3-1-1  Numbers of traffic accidents,persons killed or injured in traffic accidents(1946-2004)