Reversing warning device required for goods vehicles on April 1

Starting from tomorrow (April 1), the day the Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulation 2000 takes effect, all goods vehicles will be required to be fitted with an automatic device capable of giving audible and sufficient warning when they are reversing or are about to reverse.

Reminding drivers affected about the new requirement, the Transport Department spokesman said that the emitted sound should be intermittent and uniform, and any other sound that might serve to confuse road users should not be emitted.

"It is stipulated clearly in the Regulation 38 of the above Road Traffic Regulation that the emitted sound should not be confused with other specified sound such as the sound emitted from a light signal prescribed by Regulation 33 of the Road Traffic (Traffic Control) Regulations," added the spokesman.

Although other types of vehicles are not required to be installed with such devices, their emitted sound should also comply with Regulation 38 if they have such facilities with them already.

According to government statistics, more than 500 accidents, 16 of them fatal, were caused by reversing goods vehicles in the past three years (1997-1999). Most of them occurred because the large body size or large goods laden of goods vehicles had served to block the vision of drivers when they were reversing their vehicles.

Apart from Regulation 38, the amended Regulation 37 which aims at a better control of the Visual Display Unit in all motor vehicles will also take effect tomorrow.

Only Visual Display Units that are designed to display the following information are allowed to be installed in or on a motor vehicle:

	information about the current state of the vehicle or its equipment;
	the current closed-circuit view of any part of the vehicle or the area surrounding the vehicle;
	information about the current location of the vehicle; or
	any other information which is only for the purpose of navigating the vehicle.

Display Units which enables drivers to gain access to the following information or images may NOT be installed at a point forward of the driver's seat:

	any broadcast within the meaning of section 2 of the Television Ordinance (Cap. 52); or
	any stored visual images except for the purpose of navigating the vehicle.

End/Friday, March 31, 2000