XN000022-1983-04-13 — Page 16

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1983

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ACTION STEPPED UP AGAINST DRIVING OFFENDERS

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THE POLICE WERE STEPPING UP ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST THE UNDESIRABLE UPWARD TREND IN OFFENCES OF DRIVING WITHOUT A VALID VEHICLE LICENCE OR DRIVING LICENCE, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON ALAN SCOTT SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

+THIS WILL CONTINUE, HE SAID.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HO KAM FAI, MR SCOTT SAID PROSECUTIONS FOR DRIVING WITH EXPIRED VEHICLE LICENCÈS TOTALLED 952 IN 1980, 921 IN 1981 AND 1 407 IN 1982.

+PROSECUTIONS FOR DRIVING WITH EXPIRED DRIVING LICENCES WERE

1 430 IN 1980, 1 739 IN 1981 AND 3 348 IN 1982.

+PROSECUTIONS FOR DRIVING WITHOUT A DRIVING LICENCE AMOUNTED TO 507 IN 1980, 496 IN 1981 AND 604 IN 1982, HE SAID.

SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH PERSISTENT RECKLESS DRIVING

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DRIVING OFFENCE POINTS SYSTEM IS THAT IT TACKLES UNSAFE DRIVING BEHAVIOUR DIRECTLY, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON ALAN SCOTT, SAID IN MOVING THE ROAD TRAFFIC (DRIVING OFFENCE POINTS) BILL 1983 THROUGH A SECOND READING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

ROAD SAFETY STUDIES WORLDWIDE HAVE INDICATED THAT MOST ACCIDENTS ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE SHORTCOMINGS OF ROAD USERS RATHER THAN TO THE HIGHWAY ENVIRONMENT OR TO FAULTS IN VEHICLES,

MR SCOTT POINTED OUT.

+THE INNOVATIVE AND IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE DRIVING OFFENCE POINTS SYSTEM IS THAT IT IS NOT ONLY AIMED AT INFLUENCING THE BEHAVIOUR OF DRIVERS, BUT ALSO THAT BENEFITS SHOULD APPEAR IN THE SHORT TERM AND SHOULD PERSIST, HE SAID.

STATISTICS INDICATE THAT UNDER THE SYSTEM PROPOSED, ABOUT ONE- FIFTH OF DRIVING LICENCE HOLDERS WOULD ACCUMULATE SOME POINTS WITHIN THE THREE-YEAR PERIOD.

MOST OF THESE WOULD HAVE LESS THAN NINE POINTS, AND LESS THAN TWO PER CENT WOULD REACH THE LEVEL AT WHICH THEY WOULD BE LIABLE TO DISQUALIFICATION, MR SCOTT SAID.

+THESE FIGURES UNDERLINE THE OBJECT OF THE SCHEME: TO TACKLE THE PERSISTENT OFFENDER WHOSE RECKLESS BEHAVIOUR CREATES DANGERS AND PROBLEMS FOR THE MAJORITY OF RESPONSIBLE MOTORISTS AND OTHER ROAD USERS,+ MR SCOTT SAID.

DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED TILL THE NEXT SESSION ON APRIL 27.

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