BEIJING -- China's commerce supervisor on Friday ordered local authorities to intensify monitoring of illegal sales of retired vehicles in an effort to protect driver and passenger safety and prevent major traffic accidents.

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce, or SAIC, ordered local regulators to crack down on the sales of retired cars and their parts and to curb the practice of using parts taken from retired vehicles in other vehicles.

In China, passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles normally have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years. After this period, the vehicles should be abandoned under a compulsory regulation. Owners who wish to continue driving their retired cars will need to send their cars for safety checks up to four times each year.

The SAIC also asked local authorities to step up monitoring on the used car market and clamp down on fraudulent advertisements from sellers in order to protect consumers.

Meanwhile, the government agency said it will enhance monitoring over the electric bike market. It ordered local supervisors to crack down on sales of electric bicycles that don't meet standards set by authorities, and said that sellers of unqualified electrical bicycles will be fined.