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Traffic Police are embarking on two initiatives to reduce the number of traffic accidents and raise the public awareness of road safety on Hong Kong Island.

They are the Traffic Accident Blacksite Ownership Scheme launched earlier this month and an enforcement operation against motorists and pedestrians violating traffic regulations to be conducted along Hennessy Road starting tomorrow (February 26).

The operation, code-named "foxfire", will focus on the four junctions along Hennessy Road, where the accident rates are relatively high.

There were a total of 81 traffic accidents on Hennessy Road last year and those occurring at the four worst junctions with Queen's Road East, Fenwick Street, Fleming Road and Percival Street accounted for five, 10, 11 and 13 cases respectively.

The major contributory factors of the accidents are failure to comply with light-controlled crossings and jaywalking by pedestrians, and changing lanes carelessly by motorists.

The enforcement action is tentatively to last until March 3, subject to review on whether there is a need to continue.

As to the Traffic Accident Blacksite Ownership Scheme, individual blacksite was assigned to a traffic sergeant who has to closely monitor its situation and work out measures, such as education, enforcement or road re-engineering, to reduce the number of traffic accidents there.

The eight most problematic locations selected for the scheme, where 10 or more traffic accidents occurred in the last 12 months, are as follow:

* Junction of Ap Lei Chau Bridge and Ap Lei Chau Drive in Aberdeen;

* Junction of Centre Street and Des Voeux Road West in Western;

* Junction of Connaught Road West and Des Voeux Road West in Western;

* Junction of Morrison Hill Road and Sports Road in Happy Valley;

* Junction of Hennessy Road and Percival Street in Causeway Bay;

* Junction of Gloucester Road and Marsh Road in Wan Chai;

* Junction of King's Road and Shu Kuk Street in North Point;

* Junction of King's Road and Tong Shui Road in North Point.

The scheme is on a six-month trial and the progress will be reviewed on a monthly basis.

Police Report No. 2

Issued by PPRB

End/1040 hrs, Sunday, February 25, 2001 (CC/AI)

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