BEIJING, May 2 -- China has registered 21 million new motor vehicle drivers annually on average over the past two decades, according to traffic authorities.

The country now boasts an estimated 523 million motor vehicle drivers, a significant surge from the 103 million recorded 20 years ago, said the traffic control department of the Ministry of Public Security.

The number of motor vehicles on roads has soared to 435 million, up from 96 million two decades ago, an average annual increase of 17 million vehicles.

The mileage of roads in China has risen from 1.87 million kilometers to 5.44 million kilometers, with an average annual increase of 180,000 kilometers.

China has continuously refined its road traffic laws and regulations, leading to increasingly law-based road traffic management, with the public demonstrating heightened awareness of traffic laws, rules, safety and civility while traveling, according to experts.