Police caught six drivers that were speeding as much as 213 kilometers per hour in car races being held on a ring road in Thessaloniki on Christmas Eve, authorities said yesterday.

In checks held on December 23 and 24, two drivers were found to be traveling at 213 kilometers per hour while another two were clocked at 176 km/h.

They all had their licenses revoked for 90 days and were fined undisclosed amounts.

Police said another driver, who was unlicensed, was caught doing 174 kilometers per hour while under the influence of alcohol.

Meanwhile, the government made public yesterday data showing that the number of people killed in traffic accidents for the whole of 2007 dropped almost 3 percent in comparison with the previous year.

For the Christmas period, between December 21 and January 1, police said that seven people lost their lives in accidents in the broader Athens area versus 13 last year.