XN000022-1984-08-07 — Page 4

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1984

ON WEARING SEAT BELTS IN PRIVATE CARS, MR MCCOSH SAID THERE WAS A 44 PER CENT DROP IN PRIVATE CAR DRIVERS AND A 75 PER CENT DROP IN FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS FATALITIES BY COMPARISON WITH THE SAME QUARTER LAST YEAR WHEN SEAT BELTS WERE NOT COMPULSORY.

ALSO, SERIOUS INJURIES DECREASED BY 28.9 PER CENT FOR DRIVERS AND 41.4 PER CENT FOR FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS, A GOOD INDICATOR THAT SEAT BELTS DO SAVE LIVES AND LESSEN INJURIES, MR MCCOSH SAID.

PORT TRAFFIC SAFETY SYSTEM DESIGNED

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THE MARINE DEPARTMENT HAS DEVELOPED A PRELIMINARY DESIGN FOR A VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN HONG KONG HARBOUR.

THIS FOLLOWS A RECENTLY-COMPLETED STUDY OF ROUTES AND VESSEL MOVEMENTS IN HONG KONG WATERS, WHICH SHOWED THAT A HIGH RISK OF COLLISIONS, STRANDINGS OR GROUNDINGS EXISTED IN CERTAIN AREAS.

THE STUDY, THE FIRST OF THREE PHASES, WAS DONE IN CONJUNCTION

IT AIMED TO REDUCE WITH THE CANADIAN COMMERCIAL CORPORATION. THE RISK TO VESSELS, LIVES AND THE ENVIRONMENT, AND TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MARINE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THAT THE RISK FACTOR HAD BEEN CALCULATED FROM HISTORICAL SHIPPING DATA, A STUDY OF SHIP MOVEMENTS, HAZARDS IN THE WATERWAYS AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. THE SOLUTION ALSO HAD TO BE COST-EFFECTIVE.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE EARLIER APPROACH TO VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT HAD BEEN TO INSTALL ELECTRONIC MONITORING EQUIPMENT WITHOUT A STUDY OF PRECISE NEEDS.

THIS HAD LED TO TECHNOLOGICAL OVERKILL IN SOME PORTS, WHERE

HOWEVER, IT THE EQUIPMENT WAS NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE TRAFFIC FLOW. WAS NOW COMMON PRACTICE TO MAKE STUDIES AND DEVELOP A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF TRAFFIC FLOW AND USE THIS TO DEVELOP COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS BEFORE INSTALLING EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT ELECTRONIC AIDS WOULD INCREASE SAFETY BY OFFERING SHIPMASTERS ADVICE ON TRAFFIC FLOW, WHICH SHOULD ALSO

THE REDUCE DELAYS AT BERTHS, ANCHORAGES AND PILOT STATIONS. PROPOSED SYSTEM WOULD ALSO HAVE A VALUABLE ROLE IN SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS.

HONG KONG HAD BEEN AMONG THE WORLD LEADERS IN THIS MORE RATIONAL APPROACH, BUT WAS NOW ALONE AMONG THE WORLD'S LEADING PORTS IN NOT OPERATING A SOPHISTICATED VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

LAST YEAR,