28,000 died in Russian road accidents in 2011

About 28,000 people were killed in nearly 200,000 traffic accidents that occurred across Russia in 2011.

According to Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev, Russia continues to suffer from an alarming traffic fatality rate.

“A total of 27,900 people were killed and 252,000 injured in 199,900 traffic accidents across Russia in 2011,” said Nurgaliyev said at a ministerial meeting.

He said the number of people killed in road accidents last year fell by a quarter compared to 34,500 in 2004, but is higher than witnessed in 2010, when there were 26,560 traffic deaths.

The number of fatal accidents involving drunk drivers has also decreased by 25 percent since 2004, Nurgaliyev added.