SATURDAY, MAY 16, 1981
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THERE IS A PUBLICITY SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE SCRS WHICH CARRIES OUT THE PLANNING AND RUNNING OF PUBLICITY MATTERS AND TO AROUSE PUBLIC AWARENESS IN ROAD SAFETY. PUBLICITY INCLUDES THE PRODUCTION OF TV APIS (ANNOUNCEMENTS OF PUBLIC INTEREST), RADIO MESSAGES ROAD SAFETY POSTERS, DOCUMENTARY FILMS, PRESS RELEASES AND THE ORGANISING OF SEMINARS. THE PURPOSE IS TO INFORM THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE MASS MEDIA OF THE DANGERS ON ROADS AND TO EDUCATE THEM ON ROAD SAFETY.
TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS STATISTICS FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS REVEALED THAT MORE THAN 4 000 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND NEARLY 180 000 PEOPLE WERE INJURED. LAST YEAR ALONE, ROAD ACCIDENTS CLAIMED A TOTAL OF 402 LIVES.
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF CAUSES OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, BUT THE MAIN REASON IS THE +CARELESSNESS+ OF BOTH THE MOTORISTS AND THE PEDESTRIANS. MANY CARELESS PEDESTRIANS TAKE UNNECESSARY RISKS IN CROSSING ROADS BY CLIMBING OVER THE ROAD CENTRE FENCE OR DISOBEYING TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNALS AND IGNORING ZEBRA CROSSINGS.
AS TO THE FAULTS OF MOTORISTS, MOST CRASHES ARE DUE TO THE IMPATIENCE OF DRIVERS, WHO OFTEN RACE ON THE ROADS, JUMP TRAFFIC LIGHTS, OVERTAKE ON A DOUBLE WHITE LINE AND CHANGE LANES FREQUENTLY WITHOUT SIGNALLING.
IN FACT, BOTH PEDESTRIANS AND DRIVERS UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT THEY DO IS DANGEROUS, BUT THEY STILL TAKE THE RISKS. THE RESPONSIBLITY OF THE CONFERENCE JS TO HELP PEOPLE CHANGE THESE ATTITUDES, ESPECIALLY BY MEANS OF PUBLICITY.
DURING THE YEARS MUCH HAS BEEN ACHIEVED BY THE CONFERENCE. A ROAD SAFETY TOWN WAS CONSTRUCTED AT SAU MAU PING ESTATE, WHICH ATTRACTED SOME 9 000 VISITING STUDENTS AND OTHER PARTIES LAST YEAR. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE POLICE, TWO ROAD SAFETY MOBILE EXHIBITION BUSES HAVE BEEN IN OPERATION PAYING VISITS TO SCHOOLS, HOUSING ESTATES AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES TO PROMOTE ROAD SAFETY, PRIMARILY TO YOUNG CHILDREN. LAST YEAR, THE NUMBER OF VISITORS EXCEEDED 110 000.
IN ADDITION, ROAD SAFETY TEAMS HAVE BEEN SET UP IN VARIOUS POLICE STATIONS TO EXPLAIN ROAD SAFETY MESSAGE TO STUDENTS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THROUGH LECTURES, SEMINARS, DOCUMENTARY FILM SHOWS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES. LAST YEAR ALONE, NEARLY 2 500 LECTURES WERE GIVEN BY THESE TEAMS, WITH OVER 220 000 PEOPLE ATTENDING.
THE ROAD SAFTEY TEAMS ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ORGANISING AND TRAINING OF SCHOOL ROAD SAFETY PATROLS. AT PRESENT, THERE ARE 174 SUCH PATROLS IN HONG KONG INVOLVING 6 000 STUDENT MEMBERS, COMPARED TO THE 115 PATROLS AND 4 388 MEMBERS AT THE END OF 1977.
A ROAD SAFETY DAY IS ALSO DESIGNATED EACH YEAR TO HIGHLIGHT THE ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN. THIS YEAR THE EVENT WILL BE ON MAY 24 (SUNDAY) AT VICTORIA PARK, WHERE THERE WILL BE A SERIES OF DEMONSTRATIONS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING AN EXHIBITION ON ROAD SAFETY.