MONDAY, JUNE 25, 1984
NEED FOR COMMON SENSE ON ROADS STRESSED
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COMMON SENSE, CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS AND A REGARD FOR SAFETY ARE THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE NEW ROAD TRAFFIC LEGISLATION WHICH WILL COME INTO FORCE IN AUGUST, THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR JAMES SO, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
HE WAS SPEAKING TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF TSUEN WAN ON THE EFFECTS OF THE NEW LEGISLATION ON MOTORISTS, ON PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS AND BUSINESSMEN ENGAGED IN THE FIELD OF TRANSPORT, AND ON PEDESTRIANS.
MR SO SAID THAT A DRIVING OFFENCE DEMERIT POINTS SYSTEM WOULD BE INTRODUCED IN AUGUST WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW ROAD TRAFFIC LAWS, IN THE INTEREST OF ROAD SAFETY.
+ THE PURPOSE OF THIS SCHEME IS NOT TO MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT FOR MOTORISTS, BUT TO PROMOTE ROAD SAFETY BY INDUCING MORE CAREFUL AND CONSIDERATE DRIVING, HE SAID.
UNDER THE SYSTEM, A DRIVER WHO ACCUMULATES 15 POINTS WITHIN TWO YEARS MAY, INITIALLY, BE DISQUALIFIED FROM DRIVING FOR THREE MONTHS.
AND TO SERVE AS A DETERRENT, PENALTIES FOR MOST MOVING TRAFFIC OFFENCES, IN PARTICULAR RECKLESS AND CARELESS DRIVING CAUSING INJURY AND DEATH, HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED.
NEW REQUIREMENTS, SUCH AS THE FITTING OF AT LEAST TWO REAR VIEW MIRRORS, ONE OF WHICH MUST BE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, AND THE MINIMUM STANDARD OF 1 MM TREAD DEPTH FOR TYRES, ARE ALSO LAID DOWN FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES, TO PROMOTE ROAD SAFETY.
ALSO UNDER THE NEW LEGISLATION, WHICH IS GENERALLY AIMED AT STREAMLINING AND UPDATING THE PRESENT ROAD TRAFFIC LAWS, TRAFFIC SIGNS WILL BE SIMPLIFIED BY THE USE OF INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED SYMBOLS.
BUT DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC SIGNS INVOLVED, THE CHANGEOVER WILL TAKE TWO TO THREE YEARS TO COMPLETE.
+UNTIL THE OLD SIGNS ARE ALL REPLACED BY NEW ONES, THEY WILL REMAIN IN FORCE, MR SO SAID.
MR SO SAID THAT GOODS VEHICLES LICENCES WOULD BE DIVIDED INTO LIGHT, MEDIUM, HEAVY AND ARTICULATED CATEGORIES, AND SEPARATE LICENCES WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THE DRIVING OF ARTICULATED GOODS VEHICLES.
DRIVERS OF HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES WOULD BE ALLOWED TO DRIVE ARTICULATED GOODS VEHICLES FOR UP TO THREE YEARS FROM THE DATE THE NEW LEGISLATION COMES INTO FORCE. HOWEVER, DISCUSSION WAS BEING HELD WITH THE TRADE TO SEE IF QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED DRIVERS COULD BE EXEMPTED FROM TAKING A TEST AFTER THE EXPIRY OF THE THREE-YEAR GRACE PERIOD.
/+I AM