XN000022-1982-04-27 — Page 2

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 1982

REFLECTIVE LICENCE PLATES FAVOURED BY TAC

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THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN ITS MEETING TODAY CONSIDERED A PROPOSAL TO SET UP A CENTRAL ISSUING AUTHORITY FOR CAR REGISTRATION NUMBER PLATES AND A SUGGESTION TO INTRODUCE REFLECTIVE NUMBER PLATES.

AFTER WEIGHING THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES IN IMPLEMENTING THE PROPOSAL AGAINST THE ADVANTAGES, THE COMMITTEE ADVISED AGAINST PURSUING THE IDEA OF A CENTRAL ISSUING AUTHORITY BUT WAS IN FAVOUR OF REQUIRING VEHICLES TO FIT REFLECTIVE REGISTRATION PLATES.

ADOPTION OF A CENTRALISED ISSUING AUTHORITY FOR NUMBER PLATES HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF SECURITY, ACHIEVED BY INCORPORATING A SERIAL NUMBER INTO THE PLATE, AND CONTROL OVER THE SIZE AND SPECIFICATION OF THE PLATE MATERIAL. PRODUCTION OF THESE PLATES COULD BE USEFULLY CARRIED OUT AS A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS INDUSTRY.

THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES IN PRODUCING DIFFERENT COLOUR COMBINATIONS FOR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF VEHICLES, AND A UNIFORM-SIZED PLATE COULD BE A PROBLEM TO FIT ONTO SOME

VEHICLES.

THE CASE FOR INTRODUCTION OF REFLECTIVE NUMBER PLATES WAS RESEARCHED BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S ROAD SAFETY DIVISION. AN ANALYSIS BASED ON 1980 TRAFFIC ACCIDENT STATISTICS SHOWED THAT ABOUT ONE PER CENT OF THESE ACCIDENTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED OR MADE LESS SERIOUS IF THE CARS INVOLVED HAD REFLECTIVE NUMBER PLATES.

ALTHOUGH THE DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTABLE REDUCTION IN ACCIDENTS IS SMALL IN PERCENTAGE TERMS, THE POSSIBLE SAVINGS IN HUMAN SUFFERING AND IN COST TO THE COMMUNITY CAN BE CONSIDERABLE.

TO MINIMISE INCONVENIENCE TO THE PUBLIC, THE REQUIREMENT PROPOSED BY THE TAC WAS FOR ALL VEHICLES BEING REGISTERED FOR THE FIRST TIME TO BE FITTED WITH THE REFLECTIVE PLATES AND FOR OTHER VEHICLES TO COMPLY WITHIN A GRACE PERIOD.

THE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF ROAD ACCIDENTS, ALSO RECEIVED A REPORT ON THE FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION OF THE ROAD SAFETY DIVISION.

THE DIVISION'S ANALYSIS AND STRATEGY SECTION HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN DEVELOPING COMPUTER PROGRAMMES TO RETRIEVE AND ANALYSE ACCIDENT DATA AND IN ADVISING ON THE PRODUCTION OF ROAD SAFETY PROMOTION MATERIAL, INCLUDING A ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION KIT.

ITS INVESTIGATION AND REMEDY SECTION HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN INTRODUCING QUICK COUNTER-ACCIDENT MEASURES AT BLACK SPOTS WHICH THEY ARE IDENTIFYING AND IN PROVIDING A ROAD SAFETY INPUT TO PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS.

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