TUESDAY, JULY 15, 1986
11
ELABORATING ON THE INCREASE OF FATALITIES INVOLVING OLD PEOPLE, IT SAYS, THIS TREND WAS IDENTIFIED TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR AND THE ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL HAS IN HAND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGNS TO EDUCATE OUR OLDER CITIZENS AND TO ALERT OTHER ROAD USERS TO THE PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY ELDERLY PEDESTRIANS.+
THE PAPER POINTS OUT THAT SINCE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW ROAD TRAFFIC LEGISLATION IN AUGUST 1984, THE POLICE WITH THEIR PRINCIPAL CONSIDERATION OF ACCIDENT PREVENTION, HAVE GIVEN PRIORITY TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF PEDESTRIAN, SPEEDING AND VEHICLE MAINTENANCE OFFENCES.
+POLICE PROSECUTION ACTION IN THESE AREAS ROSE SIGNIFICANTLY DURING 1985. PEDESTRIAN OFFENCE SUMMONSES INCREASED BY 84 PER CENT, SPEEDING OFFENCE PROSECUTIONS (INCLUDING FIXED PENALTY TICKETS, ARRESTS AND SUMMONSES) ROSE BY 87.8 PER CENT AND DEFECTIVE VEHICLE REPORTS INCREASED BY 29.7 PER CENT, IT SAYS.
ACCORDING TO THE PAPER, THE DRIVING-OFFENCE POINTS SYSTEM IS CONSIDERED TO HAVE HAD AN INVALUABLE DETERRENT EFFECT AND THE ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL FULLY SUPPORTS CURRENT PROPOSALS TO INTRODUCE A GRADED ALLOCATION OF POINTS IN RESPECT OF SPEEDING OFFENCES.
+WITH THE OPENING UP OF HIGH CAPACITY ROADS, IT HAS BECOME APPARENT THAT BECAUSE FEW HONG KONG DRIVERS HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE ON SUCH ROADS BEFORE, THERE IS A WIDESPREAD TENDENCY TO DRIVE AT EXCESSIVE SPEEDS WITH LITTLE OR NO LANE DISCIPLINE,+ IT ADDED.
THE PAPER THEREFORE STRESSES THAT ENFORCEMENT ACTION MUST BE MAINTAINED TO ENSURE THAT THE LIMITS IMPOSED ARE NOT IGNORED AND DRIVING HABITS IMPROVE.
THE REPORT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT WITH THE CONTINUED DECREASE IN THE NUMBERS OF DRIVER FATALITIES AND SERIOUS INJURIES COMPARED TO THE NUMBERS IN THE SAME PERIOD IN PAST YEARS BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION OF SEAT BELT LEGISLATION, FRONT SEAT BELTS DO SAVE LIVES AND LESSEN THE SEVERITY OF INJURY.
THE PAPER REVEALS THAT A ROAD USERS CODE, WHICH WILL REPLACE AND SUPPLEMENT THE PRESENT HIGHWAY CODE, IS NOW SCHEDULED TO BE INTRODUCED BY 1987.
+APART FROM INFORMING ROAD USERS OF SAFETY METHODS, IT IS ALSO INTENDED FOR USE BY ROAD SAFETY TRAINING OFFICERS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS AS A RESOURCE BOOK FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF YOUNG PEOPLE,+ IT EXPLAINS.
THE ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL BELIEVES THAT THE VEHICLE EXAMINATION PROGRAMME SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCREASE THE FREQUENCY OF ALL INSPECTIONS AND TO WIDEN THE RANGE OF VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THEM.
/A MAJOR