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THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 1974.
PROPOSED ROAD SAFETY PROGRAMME
ENDORSED BY TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
****
THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TODAY ENDORSED A PROPOSED PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES AIMED AT FURTHER PROMOTING ROAD SAFETY IN HONG KONG IN THE YEAR 1975-76.
THE TAC WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE RESULTS OF THE +CROSS IN SAFETY + CAMPAIGN CONDUCTED LATE LAST YEAR, WHICH SAW AN IMMEDIATE REDUCTION IN ACCIDENTS AND CASUALTIES IN THE CAMPAIGN'S SIX-WEEK PERIOD COMPARED TO THE SAME PERIOD IN 1972.
DURING THAT PERIOD, THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS INVOLVING CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12, AT WHOM THE CAMPAIGN WAS DIRECTED AT, FELL BY 21.8 PER CENT, AND CASUALTIES FOR THE SAME CATEGORY OF CHILDREN DROPPED BY 22 PER CENT.
OTHER FIGURES FOR THE SAME PERIOD SHOWED A DROP OF 13.8 PER CENT IN INJURY ACCIDENTS= 18.89 PER CENT IN CASUALTIES 8.9 PER CENT IN FATAL ACCIDENTS 10.5 PER CENT IN FATAL CASUALTIES 19.1 PER CENT IN PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS AND 18.3 PER CENT IN PEDESTRIAN CASUALTIES.
STATISTICS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR WERE AGAIN ENCOURAGING, SHOWING AN EVEN HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF REDUCTION IN ACCIDENTS AND CASUALTIES COMPARED TO THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD LAST YEAR.
HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT THE EFFECTS OF THE CAMPAIGN ARE NOW BEGINNING TO WEAR OFF AS THE NUMBERS OF ACCIDENTS AND CASUALTIES WERE SLIGHTLY HIGHER IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF THIS YEAR THAN IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER AND IN THE SIX-WEEK PERIOD OF THE CAMPAIGN.
THE TAC WAS TOLD THAT THIS ILLUSTRATED THE NEED FOR FREQUENT MAJOR ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGNS IF THE IMPACT WAS NOT TO BE LOST AND ACCIDENT RATES RETURN TO AN UNACCEPTABLY HIGH LEVEL.
THE PROPOSED ROAD SAFETY ACTIVITIES ENDORSED TODAY FOR THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR INCLUDE BOTH GENERAL AND SPECIFIC CAMPAIGNS, THE SETTING UP OF MORE SCHOOL ROAD SAFETY PATROLS, FILMS AND PAMPHLETS.
NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE BEGINS WORK ******
MR. MORRIS MORGAN, FORMERLY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, TODAY ASSUMED DUTIES AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE.
HR. MORGAN, WHO RETURNED FROM LEAVE LAST (WEDNESDAY) NIGHT, HAS BEEN IN HONG KONG SINCE 1961 AND HELD VARIOUS POSTS IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE COLONIAL SECRETARIAT, THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, AND THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT BEFORE MOVING TO THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
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