XN000022-1983-04-26 — Page 4

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TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 1983

SUPER-HERO TO PROMOTE ROAD SAFETY

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HONG KONG'S YOUNG CHILDREN ARE ABOUT TO HAVE THEIR OWN LOCAL SUPER-HERO.

+CAPTAIN SAFETY+ THE CENTRAL CHARACTER IN AN INNOVATIVE ROAD SAFETY EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN DIRECTED SPECIFICALLY AT PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN, WAS INTRODUCED TODAY (TUESDAY) AT A PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN BY THE ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL.

THE CURRENT ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN IS PRIMARILY AIMED AT REDUCING PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS INVOLVING THREE IDENTIFIABLE TARGET GROUPS I.E., YOUNG CHILDREN, TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS; AND DRIVERS.

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS THE MOST VULNERABLE GROUPS OF VICTIMS OF ROAD ACCIDENTS IS CHILDREN AGED FIVE TO 11 YEARS. LAST YEAR 23 CHILDREN IN THIS AGE GROUP WERE KILLED AND MORE THAN 2 000 WERE INJURED ON HONG KONG'S ROADS.

IN VIEW OF THIS, SPECIAL CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN IN THE ROAD SAFETY PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN TO THE EDUCATION OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN ON THE DANGERS THAT EXIST ON THE ROADS.

THE ACTING COMMISSIONER OF POLICE AND CHAIRMAN OF THE ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL, MR PETER MOOR SAID AT TODAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE: +INTERNATIONALLY SPEAKING, IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT CAMPAIGNS AIMED AT YOUNG CHILDREN ARE NOT VERY EFFECTIVE. ON THE OTHER HAND, INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH HAS CLEARLY INDICATED THAT YOUNG CHILDREN ARE VERY RESPONSIVE TO HERO FIGURES.

+THROUGHOUT THE WORLD THERE ARE TWO HIGHLY REGARDED ROAD SAFETY PROGRAMMES AIMED AT PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN. ONE IS THE TRAFFIC CLUBS, SCHEME IN NORWAY. THE OTHER IS THE UNITED KINGDOM'S 'GREEN CROSS MAN CAMPAIGN', AND WE HAVE USED A SIMILAR APPROACH IN CREATING CAPTAIN SAFETY.+

MR MOOR WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT THE CREATION OF A SPECIAL ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN SUPER-HERO WAS A LONG-TERM APPROACH TO EDUCATING THE YOUNG ON THE SUBJECT OF USING THE ROADS CORRECTLY. THE CAMPAIGN IS AIMED AT ENCOURAGING CHILDREN TO HEED CAPTAIN SAFETY'S ADVICE CONCERNING ROAD SAFETY AND TRAFFIC EDUCATION IN GENERAL.

INTRODUCING CAPTAIN SAFETY (ACTOR JOE LEE) AND HIS ROBOT, MR MOOR SAID THAT CAPTAIN SAFETY WILL APPEAR IN PERSON AT THE MANY DISTRICT AND TERRITORY-WIDE ROAD SAFETY FUNCTIONS THAT ARE PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR. HE WILL ALSO BE FEATURED IN SHORT TELEVISION FILMS TO BE SCREENED IN THE AFTERNOONS DURING CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMES. THESE FILMS WILL HAVE A STRONG INTERACTION WITH SPECIAL COMICS FEATURING CAPTAIN SAFETY TO BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

THE PUBLICITY PROGRAMME PROVIDES FOR A PLANNED SEQUENCE OF SHORT FILMS BUILDING UPON ONE ANOTHER AND AMPLIFYING THE SIX INDIVIDUAL PRINCIPLES OF THE ROAD CROSSING CODE. FUTURE EDITIONS OF CAPTAIN SAFETY COMICS WILL EXPLAIN IN GREATER DETAIL THE POINTS MADE BY THE TV FILMS.

GANDATON,