TNAG-0523-FCO40-618-Visits-of-members-of-Urban-Council-from-Hong-Kong--to-UK-1975 — Page 57

(1)

Road Safety Authority

Road safety is a very important aspect in urban life and in many

countries especially in Australia, it is sometimes a political platform. In Hong

Kong we are "safer" than most of the countries in the South East Asia and even

safer than in London because in Hong Kong there is only roughly one death a day

while in London two deaths.

(2)

Road safety has been exercising the minds of Urban Councillors for

a long time and a project called the 'road safety town' had been completed in the

year 1969 for road safety education combined with recreation.

(3)

Generally, road safety consists of three Es, namely, enforcement,

education and engineering.

(4)

Enforcement of road safety rules and the road traffic legislation is

vested in the Royal Hong Kong Police and the courts. For engineering, especially

the design, planning and completion of fly overs, pedestrian crossings, tunnels etc.

are the responsibility of the Public Works Department. Education in road safety

is generally done in Hong Kong by the Road Safety Association of Hong Kong which

in 1969 organised the first International Road Safety Conference in the Far East.

Many other voluntary agencies are also involved in road safety, for instance, like

the Kai Fongs, Education Department, the service clubs such as Lions and Rotarians.

(5)

During the Conference delegates came in from many countries

especially from Australia and Singapore and the second conference was subsequently

held in Singapore in 1971. Hong Kong was also requested to host the third Road

Safety Conference but probably because of lack of Government financial support,

such had not been implemented.

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