10 years' jail, breath tests part of road safety plan
The maximum penalty for dangerous driving resulting in death would increase from five years to 10 and police would be able to carry out random breath tests under a government proposal to the Legislative Council to tackle drink-driving.
The proposal comes after a spate of cases in which drink-drivers have caused serious casualties.
'We will tend to support the government's new move, and I can see some citizen are showing somewhat similar degree of support,' Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong legislator Cheung Hok-ming said.
Under the proposal, drivers convicted for the first time of drink-driving will have their licence suspended for at least three months. They will also lose 10 demerit points from their licence and will have to take a driving-improvement course. Refusal to take the course will incur a fine of up to HK$5,000, up from the present HK$3,000, and may result in rejection of an application for resumption of licence.
Police, who at present can only breath-test drivers involved in a traffic incident, will be able to randomly test drivers on the road.
Mr Cheung said the issue was one of public interest that all residents should consider and the DAB would be promoting discussion.
'The penalty (for dangerous driving causing death) has not been reviewed for 10 years, despite the fact that the courts have handed down usually heavy sentences for drivers in the latest two high-profile cases,' Mr Cheung said.
On November 3, the Court of Appeal increased to the maximum five years' jail the sentences for two minibus drivers whose race through North Point in October 2004 ended in an accident that killed two passengers.
The proposal, issued by the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau, will go before the transport panel on December 15.
