Raising Awareness

Publicity remains a key tool in our drive to raise public awareness about road safety.  Over the past year we have strengthened our existing publicity tools and introduced new aspects to our campaign to highlight specific road safety issues.

The 'Smart driving with courtesy' campaign, first introduced in 2006, has been at the heart of our publicity effort and is intended to instill a positive attitude among drivers.  In 2007, in view of a spate of related traffic accidents, we also enhanced campaigns highlighting anti-drink driving as well as the safety of elderly pedestrians and cyclists.  This in turn led us to a range of new publicity campaigns in 2008.

Publicity Campaigns and Events

The 2008 Road Safety Launching Ceremony cum Safety Vision Song and Symbol promotion was held in December 2008 at the Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground.  Organised by the Road Safety Council and assisted by the Road Safety Patrol, model helicopters flew banners carrying the Council's vision:  "Zero Accidents on the Road, Hong Kong's Goal". On the ground, thousands of elderly Tai Chi practitioners formed red and green man traffic signs to show the importance of complying with traffic signals.  There were also interactive games focusing on the key road safety concerns like anti-drink driving, elderly pedestrian safety and cycling safety.  Singer Ms. Priscilla Chan, accompanied by 50 kindergarten children, was invited to sing the Road Safety Vision Song with all the spectators to promote the Council's vision.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Council's chairman, Mr YAM Tat-wing, called for the general public to show support for road safety, "Fatal accidents in the first 10 months of 2008 dropped by 9.5% to 114, but there is no room for complacency.

In March 2009, the Council, Sham Shui Po District Council and Traffic Branch Headquarters of the Hong Kong Police Force jointly organised the Sham Shui Po Elderly Pedestrian Road Safety campaign to raise road safety awareness among the elderly.   After the launching ceremony, the Council members, traffic police, District Councilors, road safety ambassadors and guests boarded a campaign bus to visit traffic black spots in the area to distribute publicity leaflets and souvenirs to the senior residents.   More than 300 senior citizens from elderly centres then attended a luncheon with the guests to learn more about road safety and traffic rules.  Road Safety Ambassadors sang a Cantonese Opera and a group of elderly residents performed a comedy at the luncheon.

The Chairman of the Council's Road Safety Campaign Committee, Mr Yu Kam-kee, noted the importance of this initiative. He said, " Sham Shui Po has the highest traffic accident casualty record involving people over the age of 60, but I believe that, with all the educational efforts, publicity and support from various agencies and other road users, this figure can be reduced."

The Council also carried out a territory-wide pedestrian road safety campaign to distribute educational leaflets at all Hong Kong pedestrian black spots.

Following a tragic fatal accident in Sai Kung in July 2008, an Announcement in Public Interest (API) was produced to target heavy vehicle drivers' safe and responsible driving. The announcement reminds drivers to use low gears for downhill driving.

Other radio and television APIs were produced to highlight correct cycling behaviour on the road, including wearing helmets and protective gear.  In parellel, the Hong Kong Police distributed leaflets to both leisure and commercial cyclists to maximise publicity efforts.

The Council's website www.roadsafety.gov.hk receives on average 2,300 site visits each day.  Containing a range of road safety features and providing on-line access to all Council publications as well as useful statistics and hyperlinks, the website is updated regularly to offer the latest road safety information to the general public.

As part of our on-street education programme geared at different age groups, leaflets, booklets and posters covering various road safety topics are distributed through talks, seminars and campaigns, by our regional road safety teams and road safety bus.

Advertisements and Promotions

The Council's outdoor advertising campaign targets both drivers and pedestrians and is regularly updated to incorporate new themes. Over the past year, the Council made use of banners, billboards, parking meter stickers and bus body advertisements to promote anti-drink driving. Banners were relocated each quarter to ensure maximum exposure for our messages. A key message "If you drink, don't drive!" was disseminated in print media, on billboards and through radio and TV APIs to raise public awareness about the consequences of drink driving and the introduction, on 9 February, 2009, of random breath tests.

Road safety is promoted through publicity campaigns and competitions. Souvenirs featuring the Road Safety Council's logo and our road safety vision, symbol or slogans, were produced and distributed during the publicity activities and visits to the District Councils. In 2008 we produced reflective caps, stickers and bright-coloured umbrellas for senior citizens to use at night to improve visibility and prevent traffic accidents.

Partnership

Road safety in Hong Kong is the product of partnerships.  The Council continues to co-ordinate road safety policies and initiatives with a range of groups – from government departments and enforcement agencies to social service and community organisations and academic institutions involved in road safety research.

Especially important areas of co-operation among the Police, Transport Department and District Councils frequently involve the Council and its non-official members.  District Councils are a vital channel in terms of getting information to the society's two most vulnerable traffic accident groups – the young and the elderly.  The Social Welfare Department and its non-governmental partners in social services also ensure that key road safety messages reach their population catchments.

We have focused on strengthening our relationships with District Councils.   We visited 10 districts throughout the year – Sham Shui Po, Tai Po, Wong Tai Sin, Yau Tsim Mong, Central and Western, Sha Tin, Eastern, Tuen Wan, North District and Kwun Tong District - and received positive feedback on our work.  District Councils remain keen to work on partnership programmes with us.

Where young people are concerned, the Education Bureau anchors road safety attitudes and culture to its curriculum, particularly through moral and civic education programmes in schools.   The Road Safety Association organises proficiency badges which recognise road safety knowledge among young people.  Similarly, the Council partners with youth groups and sports groups, particularly in the promotion of safe cycling.

A key stakeholder in our safe driving initiatives is the Institute of Advanced Motorists Hong Kong, a group dedicated to correcting and improving driving behaviour.  The institute works closely with the Council's Road Safety Campaign Sub-Committee and the Road Safety Research Sub -Committee. In 2008, it organised advanced driver training courses for fleet drivers of major companies as well as for private drivers who are seeking to improve their driving performance. The institute also trained and tested motorcyclists working for two local companies as well as drivers involved in the 2008 Equestrian Olympics which was held in Hong Kong.

The road safety partnership programme with the AIA Foundation, a non-profit making organisation focusing on community education, has continued to run road safety messages on taxis and outdoor billboards and to display road safety posters and banners at Leisure and Cultural Services Department's locations and at traffic black sites.