The number of traffic accident deaths for the 11 months to November fell by 394 from the same period last year to 6,200, with the annual figure expected to remain below 7,000 for the first time since 1956 if the current pace persists for the rest of the year, the National Police Agency said Thursday.

This year's death toll is expected to drop for the fifth consecutive year to about 40 percent of the figure in 1970, when it neared 17,000 -- the largest number on record. Traffic death statistics only count people who die within 24 hours of an accident.

The figure dipped below 8,000 in 2003 and fell to about 7,000 last year, and it is expected to close in on the government-set target of 5,000 in the near future.

The agency attributed the steady reduction of traffic-related deaths to multiple factors, including higher penalties for traffic violations, an increase in seat-belt use and improvements to lifesaving features in cars.

Meanwhile, the number of road accidents in the first 11 months also dropped from the previous year despite a rising trend in accidents that peaked last year.

The number of traffic accidents dropped by 2.2 percent from the prior year to 841,619, and the number of people injured fell by 2.5 percent to 1,043,222. The annual total is expected to be lower than the previous year.

The number of deaths decreased in all age categories, most significantly in the 16-24 group, where it dropped to 772, about a third of the figures recorded a decade ago.

There were 2,635 deaths of people aged 65 and older, accounting for 42.5 percent of the total number. Fatal accidents involving drivers in the 65-plus group numbered 945, up 2.4 percent from last year.