The Chairman of the Road Safety Council and Deputy Commissioner (Operations) Tang King-shing has called on the community to exercise continuous caution against traffic accidents and to maintain road safety efforts.

The road accident fatality rates in 2004 dropped to a 45-year low of 160 and the number of fatal road accidents in the first three quarters of 2005 stood at 100, which is 20 per cent lower than the corresponding period last year.

"But we must not be complacent; we must continue to strive for zero road accidents," said Mr Tang at the Road Safety Campaign Launch Ceremony on November 5.

Mr Tang said that this year's road safety programme would continue with the theme of "Smart Driving" to promote greater awareness of road safety and reduce traffic accidents. The programme included educational videos on video walls, Road Safety Proficiency Badge Scheme for Youths, "100 Days Zero Accidents Campaign" and a series of activities on observing traffic light signals.

Joint efforts will be made with transport operators and community bodies, including District Councils, to drive home road safety messages.

To launch this year's publicity programme, a television special appealing to cyclists, pedestrians, professional drivers and passengers to follow road safety rules and introducing this year's campaign activities will be broadcast on TVB-Jade at 11.05pm on December 20.

The Road Safety Council aims at promoting a safe and efficient road system in Hong Kong, minimising traffic accidents and ensuring the safety of road users.

Blitz against non-wearing of PLB seat belts

Meanwhile, the Force has reminded passengers to wear seat belts while travelling on public light buses (PLBs).

As part of the on-going efforts to encourage passengers to protect themselves from injury, the Force stepped up enforcement measures against PLB passengers who failed to observe the statutory requirement of wearing seat belts, with a special 24-hour territory-wide operation starting at 8 am on November 16 and ending at 8 am the next day.

At the end of the operation, a total of 231 verbal warnings and 455 summonses were issued to PLB passengers.

The law states that PLBs registered on or after August 1, 2004 are required to be fitted with seat belts and PLB passengers must wear seat belts if they are installed on their seats.

The Force stresses that it is passengers' responsibility to ensure that they are securely fastened to their seats by means of a seat belt, and anyone found not wearing a seat belt when it is available on a public light bus is liable to a maximum fine of $5,000 and three months' imprisonment.

The Force has all along been according a high priority to the reduction of deaths and injuries arising from traffic accidents and this has been included in the Commissioner's Operational Targets.

The Force will continue to actively adopt a three-pronged approach of education, publicity and enforcement to tackle the problem, with a view to enhancing road safety for all road users.

Copies of a publicity leaflet are distributed to remind PLB passengers to wear seat belts