Road Safety Council 49th Anniversary Mr Safegg Road Safety Carnival successfully held

The following is issued on behalf of the Road Safety Council:

     The Road Safety Council 49th Anniversary Mr Safegg Road Safety Carnival organised by the Road Safety Council was successfully held today (November 13) at the Grand Plaza of the Hong Kong Science Park.

     The opening ceremony was officiated by the Director of Operations of the Hong Kong Police Force, Mr Johnson Chan; the Chairperson of the Road Safety Research Committee and Deputy Commissioner for Transport (Planning and Technical Services), Mr Tony Yau; and the Chief Superintendent (Traffic) of the Hong Kong Police Force, Mr Crusade Yau.

     Mr Chan remarked that the Council has newly introduced a concise and catchy road safety theme, "Keep Your Cool on the Road – Stay Alert, Stay Alive", to promote road safety to all road users. In the first three quarters of 2022, the number of fatal and serious traffic accidents decreased by around 51 per cent to 766 cases when compared to the figure for the same period last year. In particular, the number of cycling accidents dropped significantly by around 75 per cent when compared to the amount in the same period last year. Nevertheless, most pedestrians who were injured or died in traffic accidents were elderly. In the first three quarters of 2022, 25 of the 36 pedestrians who passed away in traffic accidents were aged 65 or above, counting for about 70 per cent of the fatal cases. Hence, persistently motivating the elderly to engage in road safety educational activities is important. The Council will continue to organise various online and offline publicity campaigns to promote elderly pedestrian safety.

     Mr Chan also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the members of the Council, government departments and relevant stakeholders for their contributions and support. He appealed to the public, including drivers, riders and pedestrians, to bear in mind at all times the new road safety theme "Keep Your Cool on the Road – Stay Alert, Stay Alive" to realise the vision of "Zero Accidents on the Road, Hong Kong's Goal".

     At the opening ceremony, awards of the Mr Safegg Skin Design Competition were also presented to the winners, and nearly 100 outstanding artworks of the competition were displayed at the Grand Plaza. In addition, a mini road safety town was set up to promote the attitude of "Stay Alert, Stay Alive" to children through simulation of driving. There were also a series of game booths under the theme of Mr Safegg, virtual reality games and creative workshops to disseminate road safety messages to the public in a lively manner.