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The following is issued on behalf of the Road Safety Council:
The Chairman of the Road Safety Council and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Tsang Wai-hung, said today (November 7) that the road accident death toll in 2009 had dropped to its lowest level since 1958.
Speaking at the"2010 Road Safety Annual Launching Ceremony cum Award Presentation for Road Safety Message Design Competition", Mr Tsang said that based on the figures and findings of the traffic accidents last year, the Road Safety Council had decided to focus its publicity, education and promotion on three road safety themes: anti-drink driving and anti-drug driving, elderly pedestrian safety, and cycling safety.
He added that the Road Safety Council had, for the first time, launched an online "Road Safety Message Design Competition" and introduced the "Road Safety Guard", a modern and heroic road safety ambassador, to recruit more youngsters to join hands to promote road safety.
Since its launch in July this year, over 600,000 people have visited the competition website. The Road Safety Council has so far received more than 500 entries of videos and posters on the three road safety themes.
Mr Tsang also called upon the public to bring the road safety messages to their families, friends and all road users, and to join together to help achieve the Road Safety Vision: "Zero Accidents on the Road, Hong Kong's Goal".
Deputy Commissioner for Transport, Mr Ching Kam-cheong, and Chairman of the Road Safety Campaign Committee, Mr Lawrence Yu also officiated at the ceremony.
Ends/Sunday, November 7, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:15
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