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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1984
HUMAN FACTOR CITED AS MAIN CAUSE OF ROAD ACCIDENTS
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ON AVERAGE, ONE PERSON DIES AND MORE THAN 60 PEOPLE ARE JURED IN ROAD ACCIDENTS EVERYDAY IN HONG KONG, WITH THE HUMAN FACTOR AS THE GREATEST SINGLE CAUSE.
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THIS WAS REVEALED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY MR YEUNG YU-CHEONG, VIOR ENGINEER OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S ROAD SAFETY DIVISION.
ADDRESSING MEMBERS OF THE INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORT ADMINISTRATION ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND ROAD SAFETY, MR YEUNG SAID THE FATALITY PATE WAS ABOUT FOUR TIMES THAT OF HOMICIDE IN HONG KONG.
MR YEUNG SAID A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT WAS GENERALLY CAUSED BY FACTORS RELATING TO THE ROAD USER, THE ROAD ENVIRONMENT AND THE VEHICLE.
+ IN NUMERICAL TERMS THE ROAD USER FACTOR OR THE HUMAN FACTOR PAS MORE THAN 10 TIMES THE EFFECT OF THE VEHICLE FACTOR AND MORE THAN THREE TIMES THE EFFECT OF THE ROAD ENVIRONMENT FACTOR IN ACCIDENT CAUSATION.
+ THE ROAD ENVIRONMENT FACTOR HAS MORE THAN THREE TIMES THE EFFECT OF THE VEHICLE FACTOR, HE SAID.
MR YEUNG EXPLAINED THAT THE HUMAN FACTOR INVOLVED EITHER A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR BAD BEHAVIOUR ON THE PART OF THE ROAD USER.
TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY THE HUMAN FACTOR, LONG-TERM, WELL-ORGANISED EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS ON ROAD SAFETY AND PROPER TRAINING COURSES FOR DRIVERS ARE NECESSARY. MOREOVER ROAD SAFETY LAWS HAVE TO BE ENACTED TO DETER BAD DRIVING BEHAV LOUR AND POLICEMEN TRAINED TO ENFORCE THE LAWS.
ENGINEERING REMEDIES TO IMPROVE THE ROAD ENVIRONMENT ARE EASIER TO IMPLEMENT.
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MR YEUNG SAID THE MEASURES INCLUDED THE INTRODUCTION OF TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEMES LIKE RE-ROUTING OF A ROAD; BANNING CERTAIN MOVEMENTS AT A JUNCTION: INSTALLATION OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND PEDESTRIAN CROSSING FACILITIES; PROVISION OF TRAFFIC SIGNS, ROAD MARKINGS, GUARDRAILS AND SAFETY FENCES AND PROVISION OF ANTI-SKID ROAD SURFACING.
ALTHOUGH THE ROAD TOLL HAS BEEN DECLINING SINCE 1982, THE GOVERNMENT SPARES NO EFFORT IN PREVENTING TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS THROUGH THE WORK OF THE ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL, A BODY COMPRISING VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS.
THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S ROAD SAFETY DIVISION CONDUCTS STUDIES ON PREVIOUS ACCIDENTS AND MAKES SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS. SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN 1981, THE DIVISION HAS RECOMMENDED ABOUT 200 REMEDIAL MEASURES, OF WHICH OVER 100 HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
/TO ENSURE