WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1983
COMPULSORY WEARING OF SEAT BELTS WOULD LIKELY APPLY ONLY TO PRIVATE CARS IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, SOME FOUR-FIFTHS OF WHICH ARE ALREADY REQUIRED TO BE FITTED WITH THE SAFETY DEVICE. TAXIS AND LIGHT BUSES MAY ALSO BE REQUIRED IN FUTURE TO FIT SEAT BELTS AT LEAST IN THE CASE OF NEW VEHICLES.
MR CLANCY NOTED THAT SOME PEOPLE STILL DOUBTED THE NECESSITY CF SEAT BELTS. IF THE LEGISLATION IS PASSED, INTENSIVE PUBLICITY WILL BE LAUNCHED TO PUBLICISE THE ADVANTAGES AND LEGAL REQUIREMENTS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT AT SPEEDS BELOW 35 MPH, A CAR OCCUPANT IS SIX TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED OR SERIOUSLY' INJURED IF HE IS NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT AND EVEN THOUGH AVERAGE SPEEDS MAY BE LOW, THE COMBINED VELOCITY IN A HEAD ON CRASH WOULD BE GREATLY INCREASED.
+OTHER PEOPLE FEAR BEING TRAPPED IN THEIR CAR BY A SEAT BELT SHOULD THE CAR CATCH FIRE OR BE PLUNGED INTO WATER. HOWEVER, IN 1981 ONLY 15 OF THE 25 500 VEHICLES INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS IN HONG KONG CAUGHT FIRE, AND THOSE ACCIDENTS INVOLVING VEHICLES PLUNGING INTO WATER WERE EVEN RARER.
+MOREOVER IN SUCH ACCIDENTS A SEAT BELT IS LIKELY TO PREVENT INJURIES TO THE HEAD. THUS THE DRIVER IS MORE LIKELY TO AVOID BEING DAZED OR BECOMING UNCONSCIOUS, AND WILL BE BETTER ABLE TO RESPOND TO ANY EMERGENCY, SUCH AS FIRE BREAKING OUT, MR CLANCY SAID.
HE EXPLAINED THAT THE PROPOSAL UNDER CONSIDERATION WAS TO ALLOW CHILDREN TO TRAVEL IN THE FRONT SEAT PROVIDED THEY ARE WEARING A SEAT BELT OR ARE IN A CHILD SAFETY SEAT WHICH IS PROPERLY ANCHORED.
THIS IS BECAUSE IT IS USUALLY SAFER FOR A CHILD TO ES RESTRAINED IN THE FRONT SEAT RATHER THAN UNRESTRAINED IN THE REAR, HE SAID.
ANOTHER MAJOR PIECE OF ROAD SAFETY LEGISLATION IS THE REVISED ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE AND ITS SUBSIDIARY REGULATIONS.
IT WILL INTRODUCE A NEW SET OF IMPROVED TRAFFIC SIGNS BASED ON INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ENDORSED IN UNITED NATIONS CONVENTIONS. MOTORISTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF 1 MM OF TREAD OVER 3/4 OF THE WIDTH OF THE IR TYRES INSTEAD OF THE PRESENT SUBJECTIVE REQUIREMENT TO HAVE TYRES WHICH WOULD NOT CAUSE DANGER TO PERSONS. THEY WILL ALSO BE OBLIGED TO USE THEIR DIP: D HEADLIGHTS IN CONDITIONS OF POOR VISIBILITY, SUCH AS IN EAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN. +THIS IS A GOOD P-ACTICE TO ADOPT NOW. BT IN 1984 IT WILL BE COLIGATORY, AND T: US ALL MOTORISTS SHOULD FIND IT EASIER TO SEE AND BE SEEN,+ MR CLANCY SAID,
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