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Traffic regulations address the mutual relationships among road users and also the relationship between road users and their surroundings. They aim to promote the safe and smooth flow of traffic on roads. Breaches of regulations are addressed through police enforcement.
In 2014, there were 100 traffic fatalities for over seven million population in Hong Kong. Enforcement action continued to focus on reducing traffic accidents and improving traffic flow. Experience has shown that our efforts have significantly enhanced road safety. The overall enforcement figure in 2014 was 1,557,578, a decrease of 1% compared with 2013. Drink driving, drug driving, speeding and illegal road racing remain issues of concern.
With a view to achieving continuous improvement in the safety and service quality of Public Light Bus (PLB) operation, the Road Traffic (Amendment) Ordinance 2012 came into effect on 13 April 2012. The new Ordinance stipulates a maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour (km/h) for PLBs when travelling on roads. The Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations, Cap. 374A, were amended to mandate installation of an approved speed limiter on every PLB by an authorised speed limiter installer. In addition, the new ordinance requires a sign showing only the words ‘THE MAXIMUM SPEED OF THIS VEHICLE IS LIMITED TO 80 KM/H’ to be displayed in a conspicuous position in the passenger compartment of every PLB. The PLB driver ID plate and holder should also be displayed.
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 analysed to identify areas in which improvement to traffic policies and enforcement strategies may be made.
The Road Traffic (Amendment) Ordinance 2011 came into effect on 15 March 2012 empowering police officers to require drivers to provide a blood or urine specimen and to undergo a preliminary drug test that includes Drug Influence Recognition Observations (DIRO), Impairment Tests (IT) and Rapid Oral Fluid Tests (ROFT). In 2014, a total of 111 DIROs and 10 ITs were conducted, resulting in a total of 38 drivers being arrested for drug driving offences. The power to require drivers to undergo ROFT will be exercised when a suitable device is brought into service.
Drink driving legislation is enforced by blood, breath and urine alcohol testing. In 2014, some 930 persons were arrested for drink driving offences and the number of traffic accidents involving drink driving decreased from 234 cases in 2013 to 221 in 2014. Since late 2013, the Police have brought a Mobile Breath Test Centre (MBTC) into service to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the breath tests. In order to further combat drink driving, the Police is procuring three MBTCs so that breath tests can be conducted anywhere in the territory.
In recent years, cycling has become more popular, especially following the success of Ms Sarah Lee Wai-sze in the 2012 London Olympic cycling event. Operations targeting cycling offences, especially those involving occupational cyclists, continued to raise awareness of cycling safety through education, publicity and enforcement. There were 23% fewer prosecutions against cyclists (10,448 cases) than in 2013.
Pedestrians continue to be the group most vulnerable to traffic accidents, accounting for 53% of fatalities in 2014. To address this, the Police continue to take stringent enforcement action against jaywalkers and other blatant pedestrian offenders. In 2014, there were 20,015 prosecutions against pedestrians, a decrease of 15% compared with 2013. Fatalities among elderly pedestrians decreased by 23% from 57 cases in 2013 to 44 in 2014. The elderly were victims in 70% of all pedestrian fatalities, a high proportion of the total. Alongside continued enforcement action, the Council pledges to enhance publicity about elderly pedestrian safety.
It is estimated that, globally, seat belts have saved the lives of millions of people who would have died in road collisions if not belted, making it overall the biggest life saver on the roads. The seat belt remains the single most effective safety feature in vehicles. Seatbelt offences are tackled by territory-wide operations. In 2014, the Police conducted operations targeting public light buses seatbelt offences with a total of 4 drivers and 579 passengers summonsed.
Last year, 79 out of the 99 fatal accidents (80%) involved public service vehicles and goods vehicles. Operations targeting 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 traffic accidents were mounted by Police at irregular intervals. In 2014, the Police conducted operations in which a total of 493 drivers or passengers were summonsed and 8,319 drivers issued with fixed penalty tickets.
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Road Safety Measures |
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Road Safety Funding |
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