XN000022-1985-01-09 — Page 38

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1985

SEAT BELT RULE CUTS DOWN CASUALTIES

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THE WEARING OF SEAT BELTS WAS MAKING AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO REDUCING THE NUMBER AND SEVERITY OF FRONT SEAT CASUALTIES IN ACCIDENTS, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON ALAN SCOTT, SAID TODAY.

THERE HAD BEEN 14 PER CENT REDUCTION IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASUALTIES, WHICH INCLUDED A 15 PER CENT REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF FATAL OR SERIOUS INJURIES, IN THE SIX MONTHS FOLLOWING THE INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPULSORY WEARING OF SEAT BELTS, COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING SIX MONTHS, HE SAID.

HE BELIEVED, MR SCOTT SAID, THAT THESE FIGURES INDICATED A SATISFACTORY LEVEL OF ENFORCEMENT BY THE POLICE, AND THAT IT WAS HELPING TO ENSURE A HIGH LEVEL OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE SEAT BELT WEARING LEGISLATION.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON F.K. HU. HE ALSO SAID THAT BETWEEN THE OCTOBER 1, 1983 AND THE NOVEMBER 30, 1984, THERE HAD BEIN 12 237 PROSECUTIONS FOR THE OFFENCES OF DRIVING A PRIVATE CAR WITHOUT WEARING A SEAT BELT OR DRIVING A PRIVATE CAR WITHOUT THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WEARING A SEAT BELT.

+SEVEN OF THESE PROSECUTIONS WERE BY WAY OF ARREST 2 512 BY SUMMONS ACTION; AND 9 718 BY FIXED PENALTY TICKETS. OF THE FIXED PENALTY PROSECUTIONS, 4 454 WERE FOR THE DRIVERS PERSONALLY NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT, AND 5 264 WERE FOR DRIVING WITHOUT THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WEARING A SEAT BELT, HE SAID.

NEW LAND AND BUILDING ADVISORY COMMITTEE PROPOSED

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THE FUNCTIONS OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON LAND SUPPLY (SCLS) AND THE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (BDAC) COULD BE COMBINED AND EXPANDED AND A MORE PERMANENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE SET UP, THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SHE SAID THE PROPOSAL TO FORM A NEW ADVISORY COMMITTEE, TO BE KNOWN AS THE LAND AND BUILDING ADVISORY COMMITTEE (LBAC), WOULD HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED AND APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.

MRS WONG, WHO WAS SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF VICTORIA, SAID THE PROPOSAL WAS PART OF AN EXERCISE +TO RATIONALISE A NETWORK OF COMMITTEES AND SUB-COMMITTEES DEALING WITH LANDS AND WORKS MATTERS.+

/SHE SAID