XN000022-1983-06-10 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1983

LAW ON PRIVATE CAR SEAT BELTS STARTS OCTOBER

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REGULATIONS TO REQUIRE THE WEARING OF SEAT BELTS IN THE FRONT SEATS OF PRIVATE CARS ARE GAZETTED TODAY AND WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ON OCTOBER 1 THIS YEAR.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT IN ESSENCE, THESE ROAD TRAFFIC (PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS PROVIDE THAT FOR CARS REQUIRED TO BE FITTED WITH SEAT BELTS, ALL FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS REGARDLESS OF AGE MUST BE RESTRAINEĎ,

+THE ONLY QUALIFICATION IS FOR ADULTS TRAVELLING AS PASSENGERS IN CARS WITH A FRONT BENCH SEAT WHERE THE NEARSIDE PASSENGER'S SEAT IS ALREADY OCCUPIED, AS THE LAP BELT IN THE CENTRE SEAT IS COMPARATIVELY LESS EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING INJURIES. NO ONE WHETHER ADULT OR CHILD, SHOULD SIT IN THIS POSITION IF AT "ALL POSSIBLE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

HE SAID SPECIAL PROVISIONS HAD BEEN MADE TO COVER CHILDREN TRAVELLING IN THE FRONT OF CARS: FIRST, A CHILD UNDER TWO YEARS OF AGE MUST BE SECURELY FASTENED TO HIS SEAT BY AN APPROVED RESTRAINING DEVICE DESIGNED TO FIT HIS SMALL FRAME INSTEAD OF AN ORDINARY SEAT BELT. SECOND, A CHILD FROM TWO TO 15 YEARS MUST WEAR A SEAT BELT EVEN IF HE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BENCH SEAT.+

HE ADDED THAT CONCERN ABOUT THE SAFETY OF BABIES WAS ALSO ONE OF THE REASONS FOR SPECIFYING THAT ONLY ONE PERSON MAY USE EACH SEAT BELT AT ANY ONE TIME. IT WOULD THUS BE AN OFFENCE FOR A MOTHER TO CARRY A BABY IN HER LAP WITH THE BELT AROUND THEM.

+IN AN ACCIDENT IN SUCH A SITUATION THE BABY WOULD ACT AS A BUFFER FOR THE MOTHER AND BE SUBJECT TO SERIOUS INJURY, HE SAID.

THE DRIVER WILL BE GUILTY OF AN OFFENCE IF HE DRIVES THE CAR WITH UNRESTRAINED CHILDREN IN THE FRONT SEAT OR WITH PASSENGERS WHO ARE NOT WEARING THEIR SEAT BELTS.

+IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE DRIVER SHOULD BE MADE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT THE CHILDREN HE IS CARRYING ARE WEARING RESTRAINTS, BUT WE CONSIDER THE DRIVER SHOULD ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT ADULT PASSENGERS, WHO WILL USUALLY BE FAMILY OR FRIENDS, COMPLY WITH THE LAW, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

HE EMPHASISED THE VULNERABILITY OF CHILDREN AND SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE EVEN SAFER IN THE BACK SEAT IN A PROPERLY ANCHORED RESTRAINT SYSTEM.

THE SPOKESMAN FURTHER POINTED OUT THAT SEAT BELT WEARING RATES IN HONG KONG WERE LOW AT PRESENT, ALTHOUGH HE ANTICIPATED THAT HONG KONG WOULD FOLLOW THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE LEGISLATION WITH SUFFICIENT ENFORCEMENT BACK-UP HAD LED TO CONSISTENT AND ACCEPTABLY HIGH WEARING RATES.

/PUBLICITY WHICH