THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1983
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MOTORISTS WARNED OF NEED TO WEAR SEAT BELTS ******
POSTERS HAVE BEEN PUT UP AND 170 000 COPIES OF AN EXPLANATORY BOOKLET WILL BE DISTRIBUTED SHORTLY AROUND HONG KONG TO GET THE SEAT BELT MESSAGE ACROSS.
THE BI-LINGUAL BOOKLET INCLUDES INFORMATION ON THE REASONS WHY SEAT BELT WEARING IN THE FRONT SEATS OF PRIVATE CARS WILL BE COMPULSORY FROM OCTOBER 1, THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS, EXEMPTIONS, FITTING AND PROPER WEARING OF BELTS, CARE AND MAINTENANCE AND CHILD SAFETY IN CARS.
THE BOOKLET WILL BE AVAILABLE AT DISTRICT OFFICES, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, THE TRAFFIC POLICE, HOUSING ESTATES, THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, THE HONG KONG AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION, THE HONG KONG SCHOOL OF MOTORING, AND THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES.
THE BOOKLET REPORTS THAT EACH YEAR MORE THAN 4 000 CAR DRIVERS AND FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS ARE KILLED OR INJURED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN HONG KONG.
A HEAD-ON COLLISION INVOLVING TWO VEHICLES EACH MOVING AT ONLY 25 KILOMETRES PER HOUR (15 MPH) PRODUCES AN IMPACT SPEED OF 50 KILOMETRES PER HOUR (30 MPH).
THE BOOKLET POINTS OUT THAT THIS IMPACT HAS THE SAME EFFECT AS WHEN A PERSON FALLS HEAD FIRST FROM THE THIRD FLOOR WINDOW OF A BUILDING.
WEARING A BELT REDUCES THE CHANCE OF DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY IN A CRASH BY MORE THAN HALF, IT SAYS.
THE LAW REQUIRES THAT DRIVERS AND FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS OF VEHICLES REGISTERED AS PRIVATE CARS WHICH WERE FIRST REGISTERED ON OR AFTER AUGUST 1, 1976, WEAR SEAT BELTS.
THE DRIVER HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT HE OR SHE AND ANY FRONT-SEAT PASSENGER WEAR A SEAT BELT.
PERSONS OVER 15 YEARS OF AGE ALSO HAVE THEIR OWN RESPONSIBILITY
TO COMPLY WHEN RIDING IN A FRONT SEAT.
OFFENDERS ARE LIABLE TO A MAXIMUM FINE OF $500 AND THREE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT ON FIRST CONVICTION AND A FINE OF $1 000 AND SIX MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT ON SUBSEQUENT CONVICTION.
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