SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 1987
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LAW UPDATED TO IMPROVE ROAD SAFETY
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THE GOVERNMENT IS CONSTANTLY IMPROVING LEGISLATION TO ENSURE THAT VEHICLES ON THE ROADS ARE SAFER AND THAT THE BEHAVIOUR OF ROAD USERS IS SUITABLE TO THE PREVAILING CONDITIONS, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, SAID THIS (SUNDAY) MORNING.
SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE ROAD SAFETY PATROLS AT THE HONG KONG STADIUM, MR LEUNG SAID: +TO THIS END, AN ADVISORY BOOKLET, THE ROAD USERS' CODE HAS BEEN PRODUCED, AND WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IN JUNE THIS YEAR.+
OUTLINING THE GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IN PROMOTING ROAD SAFETY IN HONG KONG, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS THE ROAD SAFETY ASSOCIATION WHICH IS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE PROMOTION OF ROAD SAFETY,
AT THE SAME TIME, THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICISED AND PROMOTED ROAD SAFETY CONCEPTS THROUGH RADIO AND TELEVISION, THE PRESS, POSTER CAMPAIGNS AND THROUGH PROGRAMMES ORGANISED BY THE DISTRICT OFFICES,
+FINALLY, + HE SAID, +AT A PLANNING STAGE, THE GOVERNMENT TRIES TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG'S ROADS AND FOOTWAYS ARE DESIGNED TO INCORPORATE THE LATEST SAFETY FEATURES SUITABLE FOR ANY GIVEN LOCATION, WHETHER THESE BE AN AERIAL WALKWAY OR A SIMPLE BARRIER.+
MR LEUNG SAID ROAD SAFETY WAS A SERIOUS BUSINESS. + IN FINANCIAL TERMS, ROAD ACCIDENTS COST MONEY FOR THOSE INVOLVED AND FOR THE POLICE AND THE AUTHORITIES WHO MUST INVESTIGATE ANY SERIOUS ACCIDENT.+
+MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHERE THERE ARE CASUALTIES, THERE IS A HUMAN COST. WHETHER IT BE A MINOR INJURY OR A FATALITY, PEOPLE ARE HURT. IN SERIOUS CASES, FAMILIES CAN LOSE A LOVED ONE,+ HE SAID.
+THIS IS WHY THE GOVERNMENT PLACES SUCH A PREMIUM ON ROAD SAFETY, HE ADDED.
MR LEUNG NOTED THAT WHEN THE ROAD SAFETY PATROL SCHEME FIRST STARTED IN 1963, ONLY TWO SCHOOLS PARTICIPATED AND THERE WERE JUST 48 MEMBERS. NOW, 24 YEARS LATER, OVER 12 000 STUDENTS FROM 204 SCHOOLS ARE INVOLVED.
+ IT IS THE PROUD BOAST OF THE ROAD SAFETY PATROLS, AND INDEED A VERY JUSTIFIED BOAST AT THAT, THAT IN THE IR 24 YEARS OF EXISTENCE, NOT ONE PEDESTRIAN HAS BEEN INJURED AT A CROSSING UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A PATROL,+ HE SAID.
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