WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1982
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SUITABLE TRANSLATION FOR RECKLESS DRIVING+ IS IMPORTANT
*****
THE INTRODUCTION OF +RECKLESS DRIVING+ TO REPLACE +DANGEROUS DRIVING+ BRINGS ABOUT QUITE A FEW PROBLEMS IN HONG KONG, THE HON K.C. CHAN TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
HE SAID THAT WITH 98 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S POPULATION BEING CHINESE, A SUITABLE TRANSLATION FOR THE NEW TERM IS IMPORTANT.
+BUT I MUST ADMIT THAT AN ADEQUATE ONE IS NOT EASY TO COME BY.
+EVEN IF THE BEST TRANSLATION IS FOUND, IT STILL GIVES THE PUBLIC A FEELING OF NEW BOTTLE WITH THE SAME WINE',+ HE SAID.
MR CHAN WAS SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE CONTROVERSIAL ROAD TRAFFIC BILL WHICH SEEKS TO REVAMP THE EXISTING ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE.
THE BILL WAS DEBATED TWO WEEKS AGO AND THE THIRD READING WAS ADJOURNED UNTIL TODAY.
MR CHAN SAID HE WAS GLAD TO LEARN THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, AND NOT THE POLICE, WOULD INITIALLY DECIDE ON ALL RECKLESS DRIVING CASES.
BUT HE URGED THAT DURING THE TRIAL PERIOD, A CLEAR-CUT DEFINITION SHOULD BE FOUND WHICH COULD BE SEEN BY ALL LAYMEN AS EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND FAIR.
ON THE PROPOSED STIFFER PENALTIES, MR CHAN CONTENDED THAT IT WAS USELESS FOR MOTORISTS TO COMPLAIN BECAUSE THE EXISTING ONES HAD BEEN ERODED BY INFLATION AND THE PINCH OF THE PENALTY WAS LESS ACUTE AND COULD NOT DETER INCREASING CASUALTIES.
HE CITED STATISTICS TO SHOW THAT THERE WERE 339 335 CASUALTIES BETWEEN OCTOBER 1981 AND SEPTEMBER 1982 AND 323 546 FOR THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD LAST YEAR.
THIS SHOWS AN INCREASE OF 8.27 PER CENT IN CASUALTIES AGAINST AN INCREASE OF 4.88 PER CENT IN THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES REGISTERED.
+EVERY CARELESS AND DANGEROUS ACTION OF EACH DRIVER MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE POOL OF CASUALTIES AND WHEN THESE FIGURES REACHED AN UNACCEPTABLE LEVEL, THE AUTHORITIES HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO IMPOSE MORE STRINGENT AND UNPLEASANT MEASURES IN ORDER TO CUT DOWN THE ACCIDENT FIGURES,+ MR CHAN SAID.
+THINK OF THE 478 DEAD IN 1981 AND ALL THE LOSSES TO THEIR FAMILIES AND 7 446 SERIOUSLY INJURED WHO MAY BE HANDICAPPED FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES, THEN MOTORISTS MAY NOT FIND THE PENALTIES TOO HARSH, HE SAID.
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