Get tough to protect pedestrians police told

The Ministry of Public Security is directing police departments nationwide to strengthen their enforcement efforts - including handing out tougher punishments - for motorists who do not give way to pedestrians.

In the past three years, 3,898 people have been killed in 14,000 crosswalk incidents in China, 90 percent of which involved motorists failing to yield to pedestrians, according to the ministry's Traffic Management Bureau.

Traffic police should step up patrols and strengthen monitoring through use of surveillance cameras on streets, the bureau said.