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Equipped with highly visible reflective tape and functional designs, vehicles of the Hong Kong Police Force took third place in the 1998 10th International Police Vehicle Design Competition organised by the Law and Order Magazine, a police journal published in the United States (US). The annual competition saw international entries from over 400 police forces from the US, the United Kingdom, Canada and elsewhere.

"The Diamond Grade tape, made by 3M, is the best material of its kind in the world for use on police vehicles because it reflects light so well that people can clearly see the vehicles hundreds of metres away," said Transport Division Superintendent Stuart Jones. "That is a strong point because it facilitates the work of police officers and also ensures their safety as well as that of members of the public."

Requiring minimum maintenance, the tape's tough composition makes it hard to scratch and is resistant to Hong Kong's extremely humid climate. Its durability virtually guarantees it to last the life of a police vehicle - usually six to seven years.

Diamond Grade tape is popular with police forces the world over and is commonly used in Europe and North America. The Hong Kong Police Force started introducing the material to all its new vehicles in 1997. The tape is also used on the road signs of Hong Kong by the Highways Department.

Safety is a primary concern of Mr Jones and his officers in the Transport Division. "Accidents are a personal tragedy for the people involved, their families and friends. Accidents are also very costly in terms of the huge drain on community resources such as hospitalisation, sick leave and legal bills," he said.

Over the past few years, the Transport Division has concentrated on upgrading the safety of the entire police fleet with a number of improvements that include the vehicles themselves. From early 1997 the Ford Transit was introduced to the fleet of large vans (the standard patrol vehicles). Of the 570 large vans in service, over 350 are now Ford Transits, which are used by the Police Tactical Unit, Emergency Units, Traffic and the Districts.

Police vehicles' special safety features include three-point seat belts and head restraints; flashing lights with no moving parts and a high/low switch; front-mounted sirens; reversing sensor; and special compartments for firearms, bullet resistant vests and other equipment. All come with air-conditioning, power steering and four-wheel anti-lock braking.

The powerful Honda CBX750P motorcycles, nearly 500 of which are now used in the Force, have also been fitted with a number of new features to improve safety for their riders, including an additional blue light at the rear, bigger and more highly reflective markings, and front flashing lights fixed higher on the fairing to enable better visibility by car drivers. Similar treatment has been given to the smaller motorcycles with the addition of flashing lights, sirens and quality markings.

Meanwhile, the Transport Division has been testing better light bulbs for Force vehicles and actively looking at better sirens and run-flat tyres - to be put on trial this year.

Said Mr Jones: "Our officers continue to monitor ongoing world-wide research into improving vehicle safety and, whenever possible, we will incorporate the safety innovations of manufacturers into the specifications for our new vehicles. But even the safest features are of little use without a driver who is ever conscious of safety."

Police Report No.2

Issued by PPRB

End/1455 hrs, Wednesday January 13, 1999 (PP)

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