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WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1978
GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER MOUNTING A MAJOR ROAD
SAFETY CAMPGIAN NEXT YEAR
*****
THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES, SAID TODAY THE GOVERNMENT WILL GIVE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO MOUNTING A MAJOR ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN NEXT YEAR.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, MR. JONES SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD DECIDED EARLIER THIS YEAR NOT TO LAUNCH A MAJOR ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN IN THE 1978/79 FINANCIAL YEAR BECAUSE THERE HAD BEEN A MAJOR CAMPAIGN ON THIS THEME DURING EACH OF THE PREVIOUS FOUR YEARS AND IT WAS FEARED THAT TOO MUCH REPETITION WOULD DULL THE EFFECT.+
HE SAID NEVERTHELESS $200,000 WAS ALLOCATED FOR ROAD SAFETY PUBLICITY AND THIS WAS INCREASED LAST MONTH TO $350,000 IN RESPONSE TO CONCERN ABOUT THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FIGURES.
+EXPENDITURE WILL BE CONCENTRATED MAINLY ON TELEVISION AND RADIC PUBLICITY, HE SAID.
IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION FROM MR. CHEONG-LEEN
MR. JONES SAID THE PROVISIONAL FIGURES OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR WERE 7,279 AS COMPARED WITH 6,615 IN SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
OF THESE ACCIDENTS, 199 INVOLVED FATAL AND 2,741 SERIOUS INJURIES IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS THIS YEAR WHILE THE FIGURES FOR THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR WERE 187 AND 2,576 RESPECTIVELY.
THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 9,323 PEOPLE INVOLVED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS THIS YEAR, OF WHICH 209 WERE KILLED AND 3,132 SERIOUSLY INJURED.
THE CORRESPONDING FIGURES FOR THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR WERE 8,493 OF WRICH 201 WERE KILLED AND 2,905 SERIOUSLY INJURED, HE ADDED.
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