LCQ7: Reducing traffic accidents involving bicycles
***************************************************
Question:
It has been reported that traffic accidents and road disputes involving bicycles occurred persistently in recent years. There are views that improvement is needed in areas such as the regulation and law enforcement of use of roads by bicycles, as well as the safety awareness of cyclists. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of incidents and traffic accidents involving bicycles in the past three years, as well as the casualties involved, together with a breakdown by month, district of occurrence, cyclists and other road users involved, and severity of casualties in accidents;
(2) of the number of prosecutions instituted against non-compliant use of roads by bicycles in the past three years, and among such cases, the number of those in which prosecutions were instituted due to contravention of section 45 (Reckless cycling) and section 46 (Careless cycling) of the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374), together with a breakdown by month and district of occurrence;
(3) whether the Government has, targeting cycling hotspots (such as Shek O Road and Sha Tau Kok Road), utilised technology (such as evidence collection through video recording by drones implemented by the Police in recent years) to assist in strengthening law enforcement against contravention of traffic regulations; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) as the authorities have indicated in reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the Estimates of Expenditure 2025-2026 that the Government is considering legislative amendments to make wearing helmets mandatory for cyclists, and it will introduce the proposed legislative amendments into the Legislative Council as soon as possible, of the current progress of the authorities' legislative amendment exercise; and
(5) as there are views that grey areas exist in the provisions of the existing Road Traffic Ordinance that regulate the use of roads by cyclists (for example, sections 45 and 46), such as the difficulty in defining terms like "reckless" or "uses carelessly", thereby leading to enforcement difficulties, whether the Government will consider (i) amending the relevant ordinance to define unlawful acts of cyclists on roads more clearly, and (ii) further prescribing by law the rights and obligations of cyclists in relation to road use (such as the overtaking distance, setting of dedicated lanes, protective measures when riding alongside large vehicles), and reviewing whether the rules relating to cyclists in the Road Users' Code should have legal effect, so as to create a safe road environment; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Transport Department (TD) and the Hong Kong Police Force (Police) have been monitoring and analysing the statistics and situation of cycling accidents, implementing appropriate enhancement measures, and rolling out publicity and public education activities.
The reply to the questions raised by Dr the Hon Johnny Ng is as follows:
(1) Based on the TD's records, the numbers of traffic accidents and casualties involving bicycles by district of occurrence in the past three years are tabulated at Annex 1.
(2) The Police formulates the overall traffic policing strategy through continuous publicity and education, coupled with a "result-oriented" enforcement approach, with a view to enhancing road safety, reducing the number of persons killed and seriously injured in traffic accidents as well as changing the irresponsible behaviour of road users.
Regarding law enforcement against cycling offences, the Police have been taking enforcement actions pursuant to the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374) (the Ordinance) and its subsidiary legislation. The figures on enforcement actions taken by the Police against reckless cycling under section 45 and careless cycling under section 46 of the Ordinance over the past three years are set out at Annex 2.
(3) The Police will continue to closely monitor the trends and causes of traffic accidents and take targeted enforcement actions. In the light of actual circumstances, the Police will review their enforcement approaches from time to time and deploy manpower as appropriate to maximise enforcement effectiveness. In addition, the Police will closely monitor technological developments and actual operational needs to continuously review the scope and priorities for using various traffic enforcement technologies.
(4) Studies indicate that helmets can provide effective protection for cyclists and reduce their chances of sustaining head injuries in traffic accidents. Furthermore, information shows that nearly 60 per cent of cyclists killed or seriously injured in local traffic accidents in the past five years were not wearing helmets. The Government is carefully considering regulations to enhance safety protection for cyclists, and will listen to the views of the stakeholders with a view to forging consensus and proposing legislative amendments in a timely manner.
While the Government is studying the above issue, the TD will continue to work closely with the Police and the Road Safety Council to enhance cyclists' understanding of the relevant laws and rules through multiple channels, including Announcements of Public Interest on television, radio broadcasts, the Cycling Information Centre website, and other promotional publications, encouraging them to use personal protective gear and respect other road users.
(5) The Police has all along been taking enforcement actions against breaches of sections 45 and 46 of the Ordinance (see Annex 2 for the figures for past three years). Where necessary, the Police will seek legal advice from the Department of Justice on individual cases. As a matter of fact, in addition to following the relevant provisions of the Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation, cyclists shall also observe the Road Users' Code (RUC) to safeguard the safety of themselves and other road users. Among the ten chapters in the RUC, one of them is "For Cyclists", which provides the public with information on road safety, legal requirements and offences in relation to cycling, and encourages them to use personal protective gear. In cases of suspected violations involving cyclists, the compliance with the RUC would be taken into account by the court when deciding the liability of a road user and whether he/she was in contravention of the relevant laws, and to what extent it was his/her fault. The TD will update the information in the RUC in a timely manner so that all road users, including cyclists, understand road safety matters that require their attention.
The Government will closely monitor the issue of cycling safety and continue its efforts on publicity and education to encourage cyclists to pay attention to and comply with the relevant laws and regulations, thereby promoting public awareness of cycling safety and reducing traffic accidents. The Police will continue to take enforcement actions against cycling violations.
Ends/Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:55
Issued at HKT 11:55
NNNN