WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1984
00
8
TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS CLAIM MORE LIVES THAN CRIMES
****
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS LAST YEAR WAS FOUR TIMES MORE THAN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED DURING THE COURSE OF CRIMES IN HONG KONG.
THE NUMBER OF INJURED WAS THREE AND A HALF TIMES THE
FIGURE FOR VICTIMS OF SERIOUS ASSAULT CASES.
THIS WAS DISCLOSED BY THE POLICE DISTRICT COMMANDER OF
YAU MA TEI. MR BEN MUNFORD, AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF YAU MA TEI ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN THIS WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON.
THERE WERE NEARLY 17 000 ROAD ACCIDENTS IN 1983, RESULTING
IN 340 PEOPLE KILLED AND SOME 22 000 INJURED.
MR MUNFORD SAID THAT WHILE PEOPLE WERE SHOCKED AND INDIGNANT ABOUT A VIOLENT CRIME AND SYMPATHISED WITH THE VICTIM, THEY RARELY HAD THE SAME FEELING TOWARDS A ROAD ACCIDENT.
>
HE SAID ''THIS LACK OF CONCERN CAN PERHAPS BE ATTRIBUTED TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS INCLUDING THE SOMEWHAT SELFISH ATTITUDE THAT IT DOES NOT AFFECT ME OR MY FAMILY.
''BUT IT DOES. ANY LOSS TO THE COMMUNITY MUST AFFECT YOU EVEN IF ONLY INDIRECTLY, AND NEXT TIME IT COULD BE YOUR LITTLE BOY OR YOUR AGED MOTHER WHO IS INJURED BECAUSE EITHER THEY DO NOT HEED THE BASIC SAFETY RULES OR AN INCONSIDERATE DRIVER HAPPENS TO BE IN A HURRY TO GET FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.'*
IT WAS NOT JUST THE DRIVERS WHO WERE THE ONES TO BLAME IN MOST ROAD ACCIDENTS. MR MUNFORD EMPHASISED. POLICE INVESTIGATIONS SHOWED THAT IN ABOUT HALF OF ALL CASES IT WAS THE PEDESTRIANS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THEIR OWN DEATH OR INJURIES THROUGH SHEER NEGLIGENCE, OR BY CROSSING THE ROAD AT THE WRONG TIME OR IN THE WRONG PLACE.
TO SAFEGUARD LIVES HE URGED ALL ROAD USERS TO OBSERVE THIS MOTTO: "DO NOT DRIVE TOO FAST, AND STOP AND LOOK BEFORE YOU CROSS THE ROAD.".
ALSO OFFICIATING AT THE CEREMONY WERE POLICE SENIOR STAFF OFFICER OF KOWLOON TRAFFIC, MR MIKE HARPER THE PRESIDENT OF THE CAMPAIGN ORGANISING COMMITTEE, MR YANG TZE-KIANG, AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE, MR NG MAN-KEUNG.
STARTING FROM TOMORROW, THERE WILL BE AN EDUCATION FORTNIGHT. IT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER TWO-WEEK POLICE ENFORCEMENT ACTION.
DURING THE CAMPAIGN, POLICE STREET EDUCATION TEAMS WILL BE DEPLOYED TO LOCAL TRAFFIC BLACKSPOTS AND PEDESTRIAN PROBLEM AREAS TO EDUCATE LOCAL RESIDENTS ON HOW TO USE THE ROADS.
IN ADDITION, OTHER ACTIVITIES SUCH AS QUIZ AND SEMINARS ON ROAD SAFETY WILL BE HELD.