BEIJING - Traffic management authorities nationwide will tighten patrol and inspection efforts to ensure road safety during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush period starting Sunday in China, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Preparations are being made to ensure safe and smooth traffic as millions of Chinese are heading home for the Spring Festival, or the Lunar New Year, which falls on January 23, the ministry said Saturday.

The Lunar New Year is the most significant festival for Chinese and a typical time for family reunions and friend gatherings.

A total of 2.8 billion and 235 million trips are expected to be made by road and by train, respectively, during the traffic peak between January 8 and February 16, up 9.5 percent and 6.1 percent year-on-year, according to authorities.

The ministry also warned drivers to be wary of harsh weathers which have been forecast for many parts of China during the coming travel peak, with fog for Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu and Anhui in the north and east and cold rain or snow for Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan in the center and southwest.