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Following is a question by the Hon Albert Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, in the Legislative Council today (May 6):
Question:
Recently, some members of the public have relayed to me that the rear seats of some van-type light goods vehicles (LGVs) are not fitted with seat belts, and in the past few years, a number of passengers in such seats were seriously injured or killed in traffic accidents. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the numbers of traffic accidents involving van-type LGVs in each of the past five years, and the respective numbers of rear seat passengers injured and killed in these accidents because such seats were not fitted with seat belts;
(2) whether it knows the current number of van-type LGVs the rear seats of which are not fitted with seat belts;
(3) whether measures are in place to ensure that all the rear seats of van-type LGVs are fitted with seat belts to protect passenger safety; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4) whether the authorities will consider enacting legislation to require all the rear seats of van-type LGVs to be fitted with seat belts; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
My reply to the various parts of the Hon Albert Chan's question is as follows:
(1) The number of traffic accidents involving van-type light goods vehicles (LGVs) and the number of casualties of rear seat passengers of van-type LGVs in the past five years are at Annex.
(2) As there is no provision under the existing legislation requiring van-type LGVs to be fitted with seat belts on the rear seats, the Transport Department (TD) has not kept any record on whether rear seats of van-type LGVs have been fitted with seat belts.
(3) and (4) The TD has been closely monitoring the safety of passengers of all types of vehicles. As a sub-category of LGVs, van-type LGVs are mainly used for carrying goods rather than passengers. At present, there is no unified practice in overseas jurisdictions with regard to the fitting of seat belts on the rear seats of LGVs. For example, the United Kingdom and Singapore do not require the rear seats of LGVs to be fitted with seat belts. The TD will continue to keep in view overseas practices as well as traffic accident figures involving van-type LGVs and their contributory factors, and will conduct reviews and take follow-up actions having regard to the circumstances. The TD will also continue to communicate with the LGV trade and encourage them to procure LGVs with seat belts fitted on rear seats.
Ends/Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Issued at HKT 14:16
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