XN000022-1983-05-25 — Page 13

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1983

+CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF DRIVING BEHAVIOUR WHICH POSE A THREAT TO OTHER ROAD USERS HAVE BEEN SELECTED AND PENALTY POINTS ALLOCATED BY REFERENCE TO THE LEVELS OF PENALTIES UNDER THE ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE, HE SAID,

WHEN THE DRIVER HAS ACCUMULATED 15 POINTS IN A TWO-YEAR PERIOD, HE WILL BE TEMPORARILY DISQUALIFIED FROM HOLDING A DRIVING LICENCE.

IN THIS WAY. THE DEMERIT POINT SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO SERVE AS AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO PERSISTENTLY BAD DRIVING BEHAVIOUR,+ HE SAID.

DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS FURTHER ADJOURNED.

BILL COULD LEAD TO BETTER DRIVING UNOFFICIAL

*****

THE ROAD TRAFFIC (DRIVING OFFENCE POINTS) BILL 1983 HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR RE-EDUCATING DRIVERS INTO GOOD HABITS AND IMPROVED DRIVING STANDARDS BY DANGLING THE LARGE STICK OF DISQUALIFICATION IN FRONT OF PERSISTENT OFFENDERS.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE HON S.L. CHEN DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE BILL AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR CHEN IS THE CONVENER OF THE AD HOC GROUP OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF LEGCO CONSIDERING THE BILL.

+ IF THE COMPUTER OF THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT HAS NOT ERRED, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD ACTUALLY RISK DISQUALIFICATION FROM THE SYSTEM IS COMPARATIVELY SMALL, BUT THE NUMBER OF THOSE WHOSE DRIVING BEHAVIOUR MAY BE IMPROVED BY THE KNOWLEDGE THAT POSSIBLE DISQUAL IF ICATION LIES IN WAIT IS LIKELY TO BE CONSIDERABLY HIGHER HE SAID.

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION. MR CHEN SAID IT WAS TO THE POTENTIAL EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF THE BILL THAT THE GROUP GAVE WEIGHT IN LENDING ITS SUPPORT.

HE POINTED OUT THAT ONE OF THE MAJOR AREAS OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS' CONCERN WAS THE QUESTION OF THE ACCUMULATION PERIOD.

+WE UNANIMOUSLY CONSIDERED THAT THREE YEARS WAS TOO LONG A PERIOD.+

HE SAID THAT TWO-YEAR PERIOD WHICH HE WOULD BE PROPOSING BY MEANS OF AN AMENDMENT IN THE COMMITTEE STATE +OFFERS BOTH A LONG ENOUGH PERIOD TO ENCOURAGE AWARENESS OF AND IMPROVEMENT IN DRIVING SKILLS AND A SHORT ENOUGH PERIOD TO ENSURE THAT THE THREAT OF DISQUALIFICATION DOES NOT HOVER UNJUSTIFIABLY HEAVILY OVER DRIVERS'

HEADS.+

MR CHEN NOTED THE +DOUBLE OR MULTIPLE PENALTY+ WHICH THE BILL WOULD IMPOSE OVER AND ABOVE ANY FINANCIAL OR CUSTODIAL PENALTY AWARDED UNDER THE ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE WAS NOT WITHOUT PRECEDENT IN HONG KONG LAW.

/HOWEVER,