ENG-1952 — Page 165

JUSTICE, RECORDS, POLICE AND PRISONS

Accidents involving serious injury showed a slight decrease, but there was an increase in the number of accidents reported which may be attributed, in part, to the extensive road construction throughout the Colony during the year, causing increased traffic con- gestion, and the exceptionally heavy rainfall which led to a number of minor accidents due to bad visibility and dangerous road surfaces. A further cause of the increase in the number of reports was the introduction on the 1st June, 1952, of third party risk insurance. This led to the notification of very minor accidents which were not reported before the introduction of this legislation.

Fatal

Comparative figures for previous years

1947 1948 1949 1950 1951

1951 1952 132 95 119 129 104 106 Serious Injury .. 226 462 618 603 490 466 1,738 1,952 2,786 2,976 2,328 2,698 Damage Only.. 3,222 3,871 4,923 4,619 3,937 4,787

Slight Injury

5,329 6,380 8,446 8,327 6,859 8,057

Developments

A new telephone system was installed throughout the New Territories and the Frontier posts. Work was also begun at the end of the year on the installation of a teleprinter service between all Police Stations.

Crime

The total number of crime reports rose from 289,377 to 314,438, of which no fewer than 126,355 were of a criminal nature. There were 18,306 reports of serious

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