FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 1983
6
REFLECTING VEHICLE NUMBER PLATES TO BE REQUIRED
****
THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (FRIDAY) THAT BY JUNE 1, 1985 ALL VEHICLES IN THE TERRITORY WILL NEED TO BE FITTED WITH REFLEX-REFLECTING VEHICLE REGISTRATION NUMBER PLATES.
REGULATIONS TO GIVE EFFECT TO THIS REQUIREMENT ARE PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE TODAY.
SUCH PLATES, WHICH HAVE A BACKGROUND COMPOSED OF THOUSANDS OF MINIATURE LENSES, REFLECT LIGHT TO ITS SOURCE, AND ARE VERY CONSPICUOUS AT NIGHT OR IN POOR VISIBILITY WHEN MOTORISTS ARE DRIVING WITH THEIR HEADLAMPS ON.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THIS WAS ANOTHER PLANK IN THE ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY BEING COORDINATED BY THE ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL WITH THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
HE ANTICIPATED VERY WORTHWHILE ROAD SAFETY BENEFITS SINCE EVEN WITH HONG KONG'S GENERALLY WELL LIT URBAN AREAS, 25 PER CENT OF ALL TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS OCCURRED IN THE DARK WITH A FURTHER FIVE PER CENT HAPPENING AT DAWN OR DUSK.
THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER COUNTRIES SUGGESTED THAT REFLECTING NUMBER PLATES COULD BE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL IN ACCIDENTS INVOLVING VEHICLES PARKED OR BROKEN DOWN ON POORLY LIT ROADS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE INTRODUCTION OF REFLECTING NUMBER PLATES WOULD BE PHASED, HE SAID.
IN THE FIRST PHASE ALL VEHICLES NEWLY REGISTERED ON OR AFTER JUNE 1, 1983 WILL NEED REFLECTING NUMBER PLATES. IN THE SECOND PHASE ALL CURRENTLY REGISTERED VEHICLES WILL BE REQUIRED TO MAKE THE SWITCH TO REFLECTING NUMBER PLATES BY JUNE 1, 1985.
THE RELATIVELY BRIEF GRACE PERIOD WILL ENSURE THAT THE MAXIMUM BENEFITS OF REFLECTING PLATES ARE OBTAINED AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, HAVING A GRACE PERIOD OF OVER TWO YEARS SHOULD GIVE TRADERS PLENTY OF TIME TO STOCK UP ON REFLECTING NUMBER PLATES.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT FOLLOWING ENQUIRIES WITH THE MOTOR TRADE, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT A PAIR OF REFLEX-REFLECTING NUMBER PLATES WOULD COST BETWEEN $75 AND $90.
HE HOPED THAT MOTORISTS WOULD NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO SWITCH TO REFLECTING PLATES, AND POINTED OUT THAT THE LEGISLATION ALLOWED MOTORISTS TO FIT REFLECTING NUMBER PLATES EVEN BEFORE JUNE 1, 1983.
LOVER, 2.