CRACKDOWN ON DANGEROUS DRIVING

Tougher penalties against dangerous driving have to be introduced to protect lives of road-users, according to transport officials.

Speaking at the Legco transport panel meeting yesterday, Commissioner for Transport Robert Footman said the existing penalties against careless and reckless driving causing death, last revised in 1982, were too lenient.

The maximum fines for the two offences are $4,000 and $25,000 respectively. The Government proposed to increase them to $5,000 and $50,000.

The Government plans to replace the reckless driving charge with dangerous driving to make it easier to secure convictions.

It also proposes that licences of drivers convicted of causing death will be immediately disqualified.

Meanwhile, a one-year grace period will be given for drivers of commercial vehicles to instal hands-free devices for using mobile phones while driving.