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SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1975.
IMPORTANCE OF ROAD SAFETY STRESSED
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THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR. IAN MACPHERSON THIS (SATURDAY) EVENING STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF USING PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES PROVIDED WHEN CROSSING THE ROAD, AND SAID IT WAS BETTER TO TAKE LONGER TIME THAN TO BE KNOCKED DOWN BY A CAR.
HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF A ROAD SAFETY DEMONSTRATION ORGANISED BY THE WANGHAI KAIFONG WELFARE ASSOCIATION AT SOUTHORN PLAYGROUND, WAN CHAI. EARLIER, HE HAD INSPECTED A PARADE OF 100 SCHOOL ROAD SAFETY PATROL MEMBERS.
THE COMMISSIONER NOTED THAT IT WAS SOMETIMES QUICKER TO JUMP OVER THE RAILINGS INSTEAD OF CROSSING AT THE LIGHTS OR THE ZEBRA CROSSINGS, AND TO WALK IN THE ROAD RATHER THAN ON THE CROWDED PAVEMENT.
+BUT A MOMENT'S THOUGHT MUST SURELY MAKE ONE REALISE THAT IT IS BETTER TO TAKE A MINUTE OR TWO LONGER THAN TO BE KNOCKED DOWN BY A VEHICLE, HE SAID.
TO THE MOTORISTS, MR. MACPHERSON POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO SHOW CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS AND GOOD ROAD DISCIPLINE EVEN IF IT MEANT ADDING A BIT OF TIME TO THEIR JOURNEY.
IT IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT TO KEEP THEIR VEHICLES IN GOOD REPAIR SO THAT ITS BRAKES AND STEERING ARE IN A CONDITION TO DEAL WITH ANY CRISIS, HE ADDED.
HE POINTED OUT THAT ONE OF THE CAUSES OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS WAS THE FACT THAT MANY PEOPLE, BEING IN A HURRY TO GO ABOUT IN THIS CROWDED AND BUSY COMMUNITY, TOOK RISKS AND SHORT-CUTS.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS MADE CONTINUOUS EFFORTS THROUGH VARIOUS CAMPAIGNS TO PROMOTE ROAD SAFETY, BUT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY MUST ALSO CO-OPERATE, HE SAID.
MR. MACPHERSON PRAISED THE WORK OF THE SCHOOL ROAD SAFETY PATROLS AND NOTED THAT SINCE THE SCHEME WAS STARTED IN 1963, NOT ONE STUDENT HAD BEEN KILLED OR INJURED WHILST CROSSING THE ROAD UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF PATROL MEMBERS.
AFTER THE CEREMONY, MR. MACPHERSON WAS PRESENTED WITH A PENNANT BY MR. CHAN LING-FUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG AND KOWLOON COUNCIL OF KAIFONG ASSOCIATIONS.