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An idea first investigated more than a decade ago as a way of saving lives on Hong Kong's roads could finally be adopted.
The first safety audit of a proposed new road in the city will be carried out by the government.
The decision comes as the United Nations World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Accident Victims is observed today.
If the pilot scheme is a success, safety audits - common practice in much of the developed world - could be adopted for all new roads in Hong Kong.
The first audit will be carried out on the proposed Central-Kowloon route running via Yau Ma Tei to Kai Tak. Engineers and road safety activists hailed the initiative. Julian Kwong Tse-hin, chairman of Community for Road Safety, said many roads in Hong Kong were poorly designed and some had metal barriers which could not withstand a collision, leading to more serious crashes.
Vincent Chan Man-hong, of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, said he did not believe Hong Kong's roads were particularly unsafe, but added:  'With road safety audits, the chance of having traffic accidents can be further reduced.'  
The audits cover the layout of the road, bends, gradients, barriers, road signs and even drainage and are carried out by an independent team. 
The Transport Department employed consultants to start studying the possibilities of introducing road safety audits for Hong Kong as early as 2000. 
A department spokesman could not say why it had taken so long to adopt the system.
In July 2003, a truck crashed into double-decker bus and pushed it through the parapet of Ting Kau Bridge on Tuen Mun Road, killing 21 people and injuring 20. 
Despite calls from the public to establish a safety audit system, a panel set up to examine the cause of the accident recommended only a comprehensive safety review of Tuen Mun Road. 
Yesterday alone, at least 47 traffic accidents happened across the city that caused injuries, according to the government's Information Services Department.
The actual number could be larger, as not all accidents are reported.
Inside Shing Mun Tunnel, which connects Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin, a vehicle caught fire as it was travelling towards Tsuen Wan. Its male driver had to escape from the burning car. 
In Tsuen Wan, a double-decker bus hit a bunch of bamboo poles on the pavement, with the flying wood injuring a female passer-by. 
A taxi lost control in Shanghai Street, Mong Kok, and mounted the pavement, injuring a pedestrian. The 70-year-old driver apparently felt unwell and was hospitalised. 
Road safety consultant Kwong, of Community for Road Safety, said Hong Kong lagged behind other countries on road safety. 
The audit system is currently operated in Britain,  the United States, Singapore and Australia. Kwong said that while sections of a road may comply with international standards, the audits would help build a picture of the overall safety of the route.
'We hope this will not turn into merely a procedure that requires people to write many reports and fill in forms. We hope there will be quality road safety audits in Hong Kong.'
According to police figures there have been 12,586 traffic accidents in Hong Kong in the first 10 months of this year, up 198 year-on-year. 
In the same period 102 people died in traffic accidents, seven more than last year.
Kwong added: 'The situation clearly demonstrates the inadequacy of the current approach and the need for a far more aggressive road safety strategy.' 
Chan said Hong Kong had about 100 to 150 traffic engineers and it would not be difficult to train them to become qualified auditors.



We're finally taking the road to a safer city