The following is issued on behalf of the Road Safety Council:
The Road Safety Council 51st Anniversary Eggstra Fun Carnival, organised by the Road Safety Council, was held today (December 1) at the Kai Tak Station Square, Kowloon City.
The opening ceremony was officiated by the Chairperson of the Road Safety Council and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) of the Hong Kong Police Force, Mr Joe Chow; the Chairperson of the Road Safety Research Committee and Deputy Commissioner for Transport (Planning and Technical Services), Mr Patrick Ho; and the Chairperson of the Road Safety Campaign Committee, Ms Karin Wong.
Mr Chow remarked that in the past year, the Council and various stakeholders had spared no effort to promote road safety, resulting in a sustained decrease in the number of fatal and serious traffic accidents. In the first 10 months this year, there were a total of 639 fatal and serious traffic accidents, marking a 34 per cent decrease from 967 during the same period last year. Notably, the number of fatalities among elderly pedestrians dropped from 35 last year to 20 so far this year, marking a 43 per cent year-on-year decline. These are the lowest figures recorded since 1954.
However, there has been a significant increase in fatalities from bicycle accidents during the same period, rising from five people last year to nine people to date this year. All incidents occurred on the road, with four individuals losing control while descending hills, and the remaining five involving collisions with other vehicles. Among them, six of the deceased were not wearing helmets. The Council will continue to enhance road safety efforts across all fronts.
Mr Chow also emphasised the Council's commitment to promoting road safety education for schoolchildren. This year, the Council organised the Eggcellence Road Safety AI Drawing Competition, aimed at cultivating young people's awareness of road safety and fostering innovative thinking from an early age.
He expressed heartfelt gratitude to all members of the Council, government departments and other stakeholders for their continuous efforts and contributions. Looking ahead, the Council will continue to collaborate with all road safety stakeholders to organise a variety of promotional activities, deepening the community's understanding of road safety across different age groups, with a vision of "Zero Accidents on the Road, Hong Kong's Goal".
At the opening ceremony, prizes for the Safety Professional Driver Awards 2024 and Eggcellence Road Safety AI Drawing Competition were presented. The event also featured a range of game booths under the theme of Mr Safegg, a bounce park, children's electric car experiences, virtual reality games, creative workshops and a photo-taking zone to disseminate road safety messages to the public in a lively manner.
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