Officials urged to launch campaigns to promote road safety in Hong Kong

As a traffic engineering professional who has worked in the private sector and for government agencies, I pay particular attention to matters relating to road safety.

Not long after arriving in Hong Kong from overseas two years ago, I noticed the near reckless attitude most motorists have towards pedestrians.

Pedestrians are vulnerable road users, and yet in Hong Kong they are treated by motorists like dogs and chickens in a third-world country. They have to run to avoid oncoming vehicles. Often, these motorists are pushy and have an attitude of "run away or I'll run you over" towards pedestrians. I read a report in a local paper which revealed that the majority, or 73 per cent, of victims killed in pedestrian accidents in Hong Kong were aged 60 or over.

Elderly people tend to be less agile. They either misjudge the speed and distance of moving vehicles, or are simply not quick enough to avoid a fast-moving vehicle.

I would suggest that children would be in the category just behind the elderly for high road traffic accident rates. They too have difficulty judging distance and the speed of moving vehicles.

Reckless, rude, arrogant, ruthless and bullies - these are the words that I hear people using to describe bad motorists in this city.