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Details of the new requirements are contained in the Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) Regulations 1995 which was gazetted today (Friday).
The new requirements will take effect on June 1, 1996 so as to provide sufficient time for vehicle manufacturers to meet the new requirements and to allow time to publicise the need to wear the seat belts.
A spokesman for the Transport Branch said there was a clear evidence that the wearing of seat belts would reduce the number and severity of injuries suffered in traffic accidents.
Statistics showed that the number of injuries to drivers and front seat passengers in private cars fell by 28 per cent in the year after seat belt wearing was made compulsory in 1983. Fatal and serious injuries dropped by 51 per cent.
Meanwhile, traffic accident statistics for 1994 showed that 1,424 rear seat passengers in private cars (mainly unbelted) were injured in traffic accidents.
"Rear seat passengers in private cars are therefore an at-risk group to whom compulsory seat belt wearing should be extended," he added.
For children who are two years of age or less and are sitting in the rear seats, the spokesman said the new regulations required that they should wear a child restraints when one was available.
"An extensive publicity campaign will be mounted when the new regulations come into effect. This will include advice to parents of young children that they should install and use approved child restraints," he added.
End/Friday, June 23, 1995
Last turn-over at 1IMS Tamar
Royal Navy Commander Ross Thoburn assumes command today (Friday) of HMS Tamar, the naval base on Stonecutters Island, from Commander Berry Reeves who leaves after two and a half years in Hong Kong.
Commander Thoburn will be the 25th and the last commanding officer of HMS Tamar since the name was adopted by the Royal Navy's Hong Kong base after the Second World War. HMS Tamar will be taken over by the new Hong Kong Government Dockyard in 1997.