XN000022-1991-06-02 — Page 2

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ROAD SAFETY URGED

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 1991

THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, TODAY (SUNDAY) CALLED ON MOTORISTS TO EXERCISE GREATER SELF-DISCIPLINE AND COURTESY TO ENHANCE ROAD SAFETY.

CAMPAIGN

SPEAKING AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE ROAD COURTESY ORGANISED BY THE HOTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG NORTHEAST, MR LEUNG SAID SPEEDING AND CARELESS LANE-CHANGING HAD CAUSED MORE THAN 4,000 ACCIDENTS LAST YEAR, REPRESENTING ABOUT 27 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS.

HE SAID: "TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION, THE GOVERNMENT HAS DRAFTED EXPRESSWAY LEGISLATION TO CURB LANE-CHANGING AND SPEEDING ON HIGH CAPACITY ROADS."

THE SECRETARY SAID THE LEGISLATION WOULD HOPEFULLY COME INTO EFFECT IN OCTOBER THIS YEAR IF IT WAS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

MR LEUNG SAID APART FROM INTRODUCING LEGAL AMENDMENTS, THE GOVERNMENT ALSO DIRECTED ITS EFFORTS IN PROMOTING ROAD SAFETY BY IMPROVING THE DESIGN OF ROADS, MOUNTING EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS, AND STEPPING UP LAW ENFORCEMENT.

"OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT RATE HAD DROPPED FROM 64 ACCIDENTS PER 1,000 VEHICLES IN 1981 TO 43 ACCIDENTS PER 1,000 VEHICLES IN 1990, THANKS TO THE CO-OPERATION OF VARIOUS SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY," HE SAID.

MR LEUNG HOPED THAT THE ROAD COURTESY CAMPAIGN'S MESSAGE "TAKE TURNS TO GO, QUICKER FLOW" WILL INFLUENCE DRIVING HABITS AND ACHIEVE BETTER AND SAFER ROAD USAGE.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN A'T THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR COLLECTION IN GIS NEWSROOM.

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