XN000022-1984-01-15 — Page 10

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 1984

MORE ACCIDENTS INVOLVING CYCLISTS

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THE GROWING NUMBER OF SERIOUS ACCIDENTS INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE ON BICYCLES HAS BECOME A CONCERNED ASPECT OF ROAD SAFETY WHICH THE ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL WILL EXAMINE SHORTLY.

THIS WAS DISCLOSED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR PETER LEEDS, WHEN INSPECTING THE ROAD SAFETY PATROL PARADE OF THE HONG KONG ISLAND REGION AT THE VICTORIA PARK TODAY (SUNDAY).

HE SAID : +CYCLE RIDING IS A HEALTHY AND ENJOYABLE ACTIVITY BUT MANY ROADS ARE CROWDED AND OTHERS HAVE STEEP GRADIENTS THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR TRICK-RIDING OR IMPROMPTU ROAD RACES.

+DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY CAN BE, AND TOO OFTEN IS, THE RESULT.+

HE SAID THAT BICYCLE RIDING MUST BE RESTRICTED TO PLACES WHERE IT IS SAFE.

THE SAFETY MESSAGE GIVEN BY THE COMMISSIONER IS +HAVE FUN, BUT TAKE CARE+.

IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE PATROL MEMBERS, MR LEEDS EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY THE ROAD SAFETY ASSOCIATION IN PROMOTING SAFETY CONSCIOUSNESS.

HE PRAISED THE MEMBERS FOR THE IR PARTICIPATIONS IN VARIOUS GOVERNMENT ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGNS, ROAD SAFETY ACTIVITIES ORGANISED BY DISTRICT BOARDS AND IN SUCH COMMUNITY SERVICES AS WALK FOR A MILLION, THE CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN, THE ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN AND THE BEAT CRIME CAMPAIGN.

WHEN THE PATROL SCHEME WAS FIRST INTRODUCED, IT ATTRACTED ONLY TWO SCHOOLS WITH A TOTAL MEMBERSHIP OF 48.

NOW THERE ARE OVER 10 000 PATROL MEMBERS FROM 190 SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY.

TODAY.

THIRTY-THREE PATROLS COMPRISING 700 MEMBERS WERE ON PARADE

THE SCHEME IS STILL EXPANDING, AND THE FIRST PATROL ON LANTAU ISLAND WILL SOON BE ESTABLISHED.

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