FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1986
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AMENDED SPEEDING LAW TAKES EFFECT ON JULY 28
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AMENDMENTS TO THE ROAD TRAFFIC LAWS ON SPEEDING OFFENCES WHICH WERE PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON JULY 9 WILL TAKE EFFECT ON JULY 28. A NOTICE TO THIS EFFECT WAS GAZETTED TODAY (FRIDAY).
FROM THAT DATE, AN ESCALATING DRIVING-OFFENCE POINTS SYSTEM WILL APPLY TO SPEEDING OFFENCES, AND A DRIVER WILL INCUR MORE POINTS THE GREATER THE MARGIN BY WHICH HE EXCEEDS THE SPEED LIMIT,
+UNDER THE ROAD TRAFFIC (DRIVING-OFFENCE POINTS)(AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE 1986, A DRIVER WILL INCUR THREE POINTS FOR EXCEEDING THE SPEED LIMIT BY MORE THAN 15 KILOMETRES PER HOUR, FIVE POINTS FOR EXCEEDING THE SPEED LIMIT BY MORE THAN 30 KILOMETRES PER HOUR AND EIGHT POINTS FOR EXCEEDING THE SPEED LIMIT BY 45 KILOMETRES PER HOUR, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.
REMAIN AT $200 +THE FIXED PENALTY FOR SPEEDING WILL, HOWEVER, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE EXCESSIVE SPEED MARGIN, HE EXPLAINED.
THE SPOKESMAN WARNED THAT ANYONE WHO HAS ACCUMULATED 15 OR MORE POINTS IN TWO YEARS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED FROM HOLDING OR OBTAINING A DRIVING LICENCE.
A DRIVER WHO HAS INCURRED EIGHT DRIVING-OFFENCE POINTS OR MORE WILL BE NOTIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT OF HIS RECORD OF POINTS AND THE CONSEQUENCES.
UNDER THE OLD SYSTEM, A DRIVER CAUGHT EXCEEDING THE SPEED LIMIT BY 15 KILOMETRES PER HOUR INCURS THREE DRIVING-OFFENCE POINTS AND HE IS NOT NOTIFIED OF HIS RECORD OF POINTS UNTIL HE HAS ACCUMULATED 10 POINTS.
A LEAFLET ON THE NEW DRIVING-OFFENCE POINTS SYSTEM IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AT ALL LICENSING OFFICES OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT AND AT CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION ENQUIRY COUNTERS.
ALSO GAZETTED TODAY IS THE ROAD TRAFFIC (AMENDMENT)(NO. 2) ORDINANCE 1986 WHICH REPEALS MANDATORY DISQUALIFICATION FOR SPEEDING OFFENCES AND MANDATORY RETESTS AFTER DISQUALIFICATION.
NEVERTHELESS, THE COURT WILL RETAIN DISCRETIONARY POWER TO DISQUALIFY ANY DRIVER CONVICTED OF SPEEDING AND TO ORDER A RETEST FOLLOWING DISQUALIFICATION IF IT DOUBTS THE COMPETENCE OF THE CONVICTED DRIVER.
+THE EFFECT OF THE LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS IS THAT DISQUALIFICATION FOR SPEEDING WILL NOW NORMALLY BE APPLIED UNDER THE ROAD TRAFFIC (DRIVING-OFFENCE POINTS) ORDINANCE, PERMITTING THE USE OF THE FIXED PENALTY SYSTEM IN ALMOST ALL BÚT THE MORE SERIOUS CASES WHILE MANDATORY RETESTS WILL CEASE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
HE STRESSED THAT IN CASE OF VERY SERIOUS SPEEDING, THE SUMMONS PROCEDURE UNDER THE ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE WILL CONTINUE TO BE USED.
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