XN000022-1996-05-02 — Page 3

- 2 -

Trial scheme to promote safe driving distance

The Transport Department will put on trial a chevron marking scheme this summer for a section of Tolo Highway to increase drivers' awareness towards safe driving distance.

In July, chevron markings will be painted on each traffic lane for the section of Tolo Highway south of Lam Kam Interchange at 40 metres separation to help drivers gauge the safe driving distance between two vehicles.

Informatory signs will also be erected on the road sides to advise drivers to keep two chevron markings apart from the vehicle in front.

Introducing the trial scheme, Senior Engineer (Analysis and Strategy) of the Road Safety and Standards Division, Miss Ying Fun-fong, said the markings would be a simple aid to drivers for keeping a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.

Miss Ying said: "This is the commonly known 'two seconds rule' as recommended in the Road Users Code.

"The application of this rule is simple. Just choose a stationary object ahead, such as a lamp post or traffic sign, as your marker.

"When the vehicle ahead passes the marker, say the phrase 'a thousand and one, a thousand and two'. If you pass the marker before finished saying the phrase, then you are driving too close and cannot stop safely in case of a hazard."

Miss Ying pointed out that driving too close to a vehicle in front had been a major contributory factor to traffic accidents in Hong Kong in the past years.

Figures for the past three years show "head to tail" (H/T) accidents comprised an averaged 19 per cent of all accidents in the territory, 2,858 out of 15,240 cases. This category also accounts for 23 per cent of the number of casualties involved in road accidents, 4,706 out of 20,510.

For accidents occurred on expressways, H/T accident and casualty numbers comprised a significant proportion averaged 46 per cent (518 out of 1,116 cases) of all accidents and 52 per cent (1,013 out of 1,933) of casualties involved in the past three

years.