ULAN BATOR, May 14 (Xinhua) -- A total of 27 people have been killed and 51 seriously injured in motorcycle accidents across Mongolia so far this year, the country's traffic police department said Friday.
Most of the victims lost their lives in accidents on rural roads, according to the police department, who said this is partly due to the fact that Mongolian herders prefer to ride motorcycles to look for livestock animals instead of riding horses.
Overspeeding and drunk driving were the main causes of the motorcycle accidents, the department said, urging drivers to comply with traffic rules to protect themselves and others.
In 2020, there were 479 motorcycle-related accidents across the country, killing 74 people and seriously injuring 295 others, according to the department.
There are now more than 67,700 registered motorcycles in Mongolia, 85.5 percent of which are registered in rural areas.