Law and Enforcement
To help to prevent traffic accidents and to foster a safer driving environment, it is of paramount importance to introduce and enforce traffic laws and policies that are commensurate with Hong Kong’s traffic trends in a timely and effective manner.

Through the joint efforts of various stakeholders, the number of road traffic fatalities remained at a low level.  In 2011, among Hong Kong’s population of about 7 million, there were 130 traffic fatalities.  This is the second-lowest figure on record in half a century, after 117 fatalities were recorded in 2010. Hong Kong also ranks the highest in the world in road safety in our road fatality rate of only 18 per million population. Yet we should not be complacent and must continue to work with the community to promote road safety.

Drink driving and dangerous driving continue to be two serious threats to road users.  To tackle these, the Road Traffic (Amendment) Ordinance 2010 was enacted on 17 December 2010.  It is encouraging that the number of traffic accidents involving drink driving has continued to decline.  In 2011, a total of 210 drivers were arrested in traffic accidents involving drink driving.  This represents a significant drop of 70% compared with 701 drivers in 2008, before random breath testing was introduced.  There has been no fatality involving drink driving since 2010. These promising figures evidence the effectiveness of strict traffic enforcement together with high profile publicity and education campaigns in promoting road safety in Hong Kong.

In 1993, the Police introduced the Selective Traffic Enforcement Policy (STEP) to assist police officers in setting priorities for traffic enforcement in order to enhance road safety.  Statistics gathered from STEP and traffic accidents are regularly analysed to identify areas of concern in order to improve traffic policies and enforcement strategies.

Last year, 100 cases out of 128 fatal accidents (78%) involved public service vehicles and goods vehicles.  Operation Kickstarter is a territory-wide campaign that has continued to be mounted by the Police at regular intervals.  It targets drivers of goods vehicles and public service vehicles, such as franchised buses, public light buses and taxis, to enhance their road safety awareness with the aim of reducing their involvement in traffic accidents.

Project Safe-Ride, launched in November 2008, has continued to promote safe driving behaviour among drivers of public light buses (PLBs).  It aims to prevent and reduce traffic accidents involving PLBs.  Passengers can call a 24-hour police hotline to immediately report speeding or other driving misbehaviour by PLB drivers.  In 2011, a total of 156 complaints were received, resulting in 78 drivers being prosecuted or warned for contravening the Road Traffic Ordinance or driving poorly.

In recent years, cycling has become more popular, with increased activity on both cycling tracks and roads.  There has been a concomitantrise in traffic accidents involving bicycles.  Operation ‘Goldensun’, which targets cycling offences, especially those involving occupational cyclists, continued to raise awareness of cycling safety through education, publicity and enforcement. There were 6% fewer prosecutions against cyclists (8,654 cases) than in 2010. 

There is also general concern about seatbelt offences and illegal road racing.  These traffic violations are tackled by territory-wide operations codenamed ‘Outranger’ and ‘Fossington’ respectively, in addition to day-to-day traffic enforcement by the Police.  Additional speed cameras and digital red light cameras have been installed across the territory.  Notably, the numbers of traffic accidents caused by ‘Speeding’ and ‘Disobeying Traffic Lights’ in 2011 decreased from 62 to 54 (-13%) and 206 to 185 (-10%) respectively when compared with 2010.

Pedestrians continue to be the most vulnerable group of traffic accident victims, accounting for 55% of fatalities in 2011.  To address this, the Police continue to enforce laws and take stringent enforcement action against jaywalkers and other blatant pedestrian offenders.  In 2011, there were 20,307 prosecutions against pedestrians, a decrease of 14% when compared with 2010.  Unfortunately, fatalities among elderly pedestrians still increased by 4% from 48 cases in 2010 to 50 in 2011.  Whilst enforcement action will continue, the Council pledges to enhance publicity about elderly pedestrian safety.

After the introduction of more stringent enforcement action against drug driving, the number of drivers arrested for drug driving offences decreased by 39% from 84 drivers in 2010 to 51 in 2011, clearly demonstrating the deterrent effect of the new law. To further deter drug driving, the Council will continue its efforts in education, publicity and enforcement, and that combating drug driving will continue to be a major area of concern for the Council.