Safety Through Education

The Council is assuming an increasingly important role in terms of public education on road safety by identifying focal points, initiating curriculum-based programmes and course tools and co-ordinating the work of other groups interested in, or responsible for, road safety.

This multi-agency approach is particularly effective in wide ranging community education initiatives involving District Councils, schools, community centres and non-government organisations.  Lectures are provided by the Police to various groups and organisations on our Road Safety Bus or in our Road Safety Towns.

Youth Education

The Council's Road Safety Towns turn road safety education into fun for children and young people by providing a pleasant and comfortable environment.  Managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the towns attracted more than 35,000 visitors of all ages in 2009.  They are proving a favourite destination for kindergartens and primary schools as well as clubs, social groups and associations that serve elderly people.  Open days with interactive games and performances were held regularly to promote road safety themes.

Hong Kong's four Road Safety Towns are located at:

Meanwhile, our Road Safety Bus continues to deliver road safety messages to students, residents at housing estates and children at youth centres.  With its vibrant colours, simulated road environment and innovative computer games, it recorded more than 46,000 visitors in 2009, evidenced the valuable role it plays on road safety education.

To raise road safety awareness and to develop good practice, we continue to reach out to our children and young people through interactive educational activities.  The Proficiency Badge Scheme is a Council initiative introduced for children, young persons and the elderly people.   All primary school students who join the Road Safety Patrol have been invited to participate in activities such as safe cycling courses delivered by the Hong Kong Cycling Association.  From 2005, the Hong Kong Road Safety Patrol has organised 96 training classes for more than 2,000 students from 88 schools.

School Liaison

Liaising with schools on road safety issues remains a cornerstone of our educational work.  In the school curriculum recommended by the Education Bureau, elements of road safety, such as safety regulations, the proper use of public transport and common causes of traffic accidents are incorporated in various Key Learning Areas or subjects.  These curriculum areas include General Studies at primary level and Personal, Social and Humanities Education Key Learning Area as well as Physical Education Key Learning Areas at secondary level.  To support the promotion of road safety education in schools, teachers are provided with teaching materials, such as educational television programmes.  They are also provided with teaching plans to enhance students' understanding of traffic regulations and the importance of obeying traffic rules.  In addition, life-wide learning activities are organised to impart a sense of road safety among students.  Ongoing curriculum reform is helping to reinforce these initiatives, giving students a positive set of values and instilling attitudes that provide a strong foundation for safe driving.  Our objective is to encourage future generations to make road safety a life-long practice.

Lectures and seminars are integral to our education programmes across all age groups, from schools to centres for the elderly and community venues.  We deliver useful messages relevant to specific groups and audiences.  For example, educational programmes designed for new immigrants to Hong Kong aim to help people understand better local regulations and requirements.

Driver Education

Safe driving is one of the main themes in our road safety campaign in Hong Kong.  The 'Driver Improvement Scheme', introduced by the Transport Department in 2002, continues to promote a culture of road safety by providing driving improvement courses for drivers who wish to improve their on-road practice voluntarily as well as drivers who are ordered by the courts to attend an improvement course.

Once all sessions and assignments are successfully completed, drivers receive a certificate and, when relevant, have their total driving-offence points reduced by three points.  Since the implementation of the Driving Improvement Course in September 2002 and up to December 2009, nearly 23,000 drivers have attended the course.  Encouragingly, 80% of the participants did not incur any new driving-offence points within six months of completing the course.

The Road Traffic (Amendment) Ordinance 2008 has mandated the need for a driver to attend the Driving Improvement Course since 9 February 2009 under the following circumstances :

1. Convicted of a serious traffic offence, such as drink driving or dangerous driving; or

2. Incurred 10 or more driving-offence points within two years.

Pedestrian Safety

In Hong Kong, elderly pedestrians remain vulnerable to road accidents.  The Council continues to focus many of its seminars, road safety messages and educational programmes on this demographic group, emphasising proper road use.  Young people have been enlisted to help the elderly people to cross the roads safely.  Elderly Road Safety Ambassadors are recruited to help elderly pedestrians by reminding them to use designated crossing facilities, such as traffic light controls, zebra crossings, pedestrian flyovers and pedestrian subways.

For further information on educational programmes and road safety initiatives, please visit:
http://www.roadsafety.gov.hk