The new Hong Kong regulation requiring public and private vehicle passengers to buckle up was proposed after ‘painful’ lessons from a 2018 deadly bus accident, the city’s chief executive said on Tuesday.
John Lee Ka-chiu made the remarks over residents’ concern as the amended law – which came into effect from Sunday – may cause inconvenience and involve a change of habits.
The amended rule on mandatory seatbelt wearing followed a recommendation among a series of other measures proposed by an independent review committee on the 2018 bus accident at Tai Po Road, which claimed 19 people’s lives and left 66 injured, in order to prevent similar large-scale accidents, Lee told reporters ahead of the Executive Council meeting.
“The recommendation was made based on research, discussion, and also 'sad and sorrowful' experience learned.”
Reiterating that similar regulations have been implemented in a number of countries and places, such as the Chinese mainland, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Australia, the CE emphasized that some places enforced the requirements for more than 10 and 20 years.
Citing research studies, he pointed out that the minor change of habit “can reduce the chance of serious injuries by 70 percent and death by 40 percent in head-on collisions”.
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Wearing seat belts will prevent passengers from being thrown out of vehicles and decrease the chance of a second collision inside the cars, he added.
The Transport and Logistics Bureau will continue to promote public education so that they understand that the law is intended to protect personal safety in the event of a traffic accident, said the CE.
The bureau will also require public transport operators to properly manage the cleanliness, functionality, and regulatory compliance of seat belt installations, he added.
At the same press conference, Lee also pointed out that the government needed to be careful while considering the public opinions on the rehousing arrangement for Tai Po fire victims, with a view to helping residents make the well-informed decision.
