XN000022-1984-01-02 — Page 5

MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 1984

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$28M PAID TO TRAFFIC VICTIMS

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MORE THAN $28 MILLION WAS PAID OUT TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS OR THEIR DEPENDANTS IN 5 608 CASES UNDER THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE SCHEME (TAVA) BETWEEN JANUARY AND NOVEMBER LAST YEAR.

+PAYMENTS AVERAGED $5 000 A CASE,+ SAID MR SIU KING-CHIU, HEAD OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT UNIT THAT ADMINISTERS THE SCHEME.

THERE WERE 6 183 APPLICATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE UNDER THE SCHEME, COMPARED WITH 7 160 IN THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1982.

MR SIU SAID THAT THE FEWER APPLICATIONS RESULTED PROBABLY FROM THE DECREASED NUMBER OF ROAD ACCIDENT CASUALTIES REPORTED.

HE NOTED HOWEVER THAT THE RATE OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS HAD INCREASED, FROM 85.2 PER CENT DURING JANUARY-NOVEMBER 1982 TO 90.7 PER CENT IN THE SIMILAR PERIOD IN 1983.

+THE HIGHER RATE OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS WAS POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF WIDER PUBLICITY CLARIFYING THE THREE-DAY MINIMUM SICK LEAVE REQUIREMENT, HE SAID.

+AS A RESULT, THOSE NOT MEETING THIS REQUIREMENT HAVE NOT COME FORWARD TO APPLY.+

MR SIU EXPLAINED THAT WHEN A MAJOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT OCCURS, +STAFF OF THE TAVA SECTION PROMPTLY REACH OUT TO VICTIMS OR THEIR DEPENDANTS TO HELP THEM APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE.+

THE HIGHEST SINGLE PAYMENT SINCE THE SCHEME WAS LAUNCHED IN 1979 WAS $40 050, HE SAID

THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE SCHEME, WHICH IS ADMINISTERED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, PROVIDES EARLY FINANCIAL HELP TO ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS OR THEIR DEPENDANTS, REGARDLESS OF WHO IS AT FAULT IN THE ACCIDENT.