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Police will continue to enhance road safety through the three-pronged approach of enforcement, education and publicity.
The remarks were made by Acting Director of Operations, Mr Cheung Tak-keung, today (July 30) at a press conference to review the crime situation in Hong Kong in the first half of 2014.
Reviewing general road safety in Hong Kong, Mr Cheung said the number of traffic accidents in the first six months of 2014 was 7,553, representing a decrease of 253 when compared with the same period of last year. The number of fatal traffic accidents also decreased by six to 42.
Overall traffic enforcement actions totalled 800,754 in the first half of 2014, representing an increase of two per cent as compared with 787,635 in the same period of last year. Enforcement was targeted at offences including speeding, dangerous driving, careless driving, failing to comply with traffic signals, drink driving, drug driving, cycling offences and pedestrian offences.
As a result of the introduction of the Random Breath Test on February 9, 2009, the number of drink driving-related traffic accidents has dropped significantly from 680 in 2008 to 234 in 2013. Drivers arrested for drink driving in the first six months of this year had increased from 442 to 467 as compared with the same period of last year. Pre-screening tests increased from 79,049 to 89,485, up 13 per cent when compared with the same period of last year.
As of June 30, 2014, 18 drug drivers were arrested as compared with 17 in the corresponding period of last year. Only one drug driver was arrested in a traffic accident as compared to three in the same period in 2013.
In the first half of 2014, there were 1,184 cycling related accidents, representing a decrease of five per cent when compared with 1,242 in the same period last year. The number of fatality involving cycling accident had also decreased by one to four.
To address concerns over cycling safety, Police have taken stringent enforcement action against all cycling offences. A total of 5,597 verbal warnings and 5,470 summonses had been issued against cycling offences in the first half of 2014.
There were 17 elderly pedestrians killed in traffic accidents, down five persons when compared with the same period last year. Police will strengthen education of the elderly pedestrians on road safety and take stringent enforcement action against pedestrian offences at accident blacksites to help reduce the accident rate.
Regarding crimes committed by Mainland visitors (MVs), Mr Cheung said from January to June in 2014, there were around 21.69 million MV arrivals, a rise of about 3.01 million over the same period of last year. Among them, 725 were arrested for committing criminal offences, an increase of 88 when compared with the same period of last year. The main offences committed by MVs were shop theft, miscellaneous thefts, deception and using a false instrument.
Between January and June this year, 2,266 MVs were arrested for involvement in prostitution, representing an increase of 786 or 53 per cent when compared with the same period of last year. A total of 633 illegal Mainland workers were also arrested in the past six months, a decrease of 336 over the same period of last year.
"Police and other law enforcement agencies will continue adopting the three-level approach including effective screening at all immigration control points and enhancing joint enforcement action to tackle the problem of Mainland visitors committing crime in Hong Kong," Mr Cheung said.
Ends/Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Issued at HKT 18:03
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