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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1975
ZIG-ZAGS TO REINFORCE ZEBRAS
NEW MARKINGS WILL MAKE CROSSINGS SAFER FOR PEDESTRIANS
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A NEW ROAD SAFETY DEVICE, CONSISTING OF ZIG-ZAG MARKINGS ON EITHER THE APPROACH SIDE OR ON BOTH SIDES OF ZEBRA CROSSINGS, IS TO BE INTRODUCED IN HONG KONG NEXT MONTH WITH THE AIM OF GIVING EXTRA PROTECTION TO PEDESTRIANS AND REDUCING THE ACCIDENT TOLL AT THESE CROSSINGS.
ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEW MARKINGS ARE REINFORCED TRAFFIC RULES UNDER WHICH IT WILL BE AN OFFENCE FOR A MOTORIST TO OVERTAKE, WAIT OR PARK ON THE STRETCH OF ROADWAY MARKED WITH THE ZIG-ZAG LINES.
NOTICE OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE ROAD TRAFFIC (ROAD CROSSINGS) REGULATIONS, EMBODYING THE NEW RULES, APPEARS IN TODAY'S GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. THE NEW REGULATIONS WILL COME INTO EFFECT, ON ALL CROSSINGS THAT HAVE BEEN MARKED WITH THE ZIG-ZAG LINES, FROM MONDAY, MARCH 3.
IN ADDITION TO THIS NEW REQUIREMENT ON MOTORISTS, IT WILL ALSO BE AN OFFENCE FOR PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS THE ROAD WITHIN THE AREA DEFINED BY THE MARKINGS. THIS MEANS THAT, FOR THEIR OWN PROTECTION, THEY MUST CROSS AT THE ZEBRA CROSSING ITSELF.
THE NORMAL LENGTH OF ROADWAY WHICH WILL BE MARKED WITH THE ZIG-ZAG LINES ON EITHER SIDE OF A CROSSING WILL BE 19 METRES (NEARLY 21 YARDS).
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF THE ZIG-ZAG MARKINGS FOLLOWED THEIR SUCCESSFUL ADOPTION IN BRITAIN.
ROAD RESEARCH THERE HAD SHOWN THAT ABOUT A QUARTER OF ALL ACCIDENTS AT ZEBRA CROSSINGS ARE CAUSED BY ONE VEHICLE OVERTAKING ANOTHER WHICH HAS SLOWED DOWN OR STOPPED TO GIVE WAY TO PEDESTRIANS.
SINCE IN 1973 THERE WERE 2,482 SUCH ACCIDENTS IN HONG KONG AN INCREASE OF 354, OR 16 PER CENT, ON THE 2,128 ACCIDENTS IN 1972 - IT IS HOPED THAT THE ZIG-ZAG MARKINGS COULD LEAD TO THE PREVENTION OF ABOUT 500 ACCIDENTS A YEAR HERE THROUGH THE CLAMP- DOWN ON OVERTAKING.
POLICE TRAFFIC REPORTS IN HONG KONG SHOW THAT FAILURE BY A MOTORIST TO GIVE WAY TO PEDESTRIANS AT A ZEBRA CROSSING WAS A FACTOR IN 679 ACCIDENTS IN 1973.
RESEARCH IN BRITAIN HAS ALSO SHOWN THAT IT IS THREE TIMES MORE DANGEROUS FOR A PEDESTRIAN TO CROSS THE ROAD WITHIN ABOUT 19 METRES OF A ZEBRA CROSSING THAN ON IT. THIS UNDERLINES THE NEED TO HAVE PEDESTRIANS CROSS ONLY AT THE ZEBRA CROSSINGS THEMSELVES.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT STAFF OF P.W.D.'S HIGHWAYS OFFICE WOULD START WORK NEXT MONDAY ON PAINTING THE ZIG-ZAG MARKINGS AND BY THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, WHEN THE NEW REGULATIONS COME INTO EFFECT, ABOUT 30 CROSSINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN MARKED.
/THESE WILL
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