Transport authorities in Hong Kong proposed tougher penalties measures against dangerous driving behaviors here Tuesday in a bid to curb fatal road accidents in the city.
Raising the jail term for dangerous driving causing death and the introduction of additional penalties for drink driving were among the tougher measures put forward by the Transport and Housing Bureau, which also planned to introduce a probationary driving-license scheme for novice private-car and light-goods- vehicle drivers.
The bureau submitted a paper to the Legislative Council Transport Panel here Tuesday, taking the first step to finalize the legislative proposals and plans to submit the amendment bill to the Legislative Council in the first quarter of 2008.
According to the bureau's proposals, the maximum jail term for a person convicted of the offense of causing death by dangerous driving will be raised from five years to 10 years while the convict would also be liable to a 50,000-HK-dollar (about 6,410 U.S. dollars) fine.
As drink driving is a serious offense, the bureau suggested a convicted person be disqualified from driving for not less than three months on a first conviction and be required to attend driving-improvement courses.
It also proposed to empower the Hong Kong Police to require a person who is driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle on a road to provide a breath specimen for a screening breath test without the need for any reasonable suspicion. The bureau expects this will be a strong deterrent against drink driving.
A mandatory driving-improvement-course scheme is also suggested for those who are repeat traffic offenders who have accumulated 10or more driving-offense points within two years; or those who have been convicted of dangerous driving, drink driving, driving 45 kphor more over the speed limit, motor racing and speed trials.
Source: Xinhua
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