Experienced Traffic officers for long claimed that relatively simple and inexpensive solutions existed which could reduce the number of accidents at blacksites but, until February 2001, their suggestions often got lost or watered down, even amended, in the bureaucratic journey through the inter-departmental liaison with TD and Highways Department (HyD).

In February 2001, it was decided that the Traffic Accident Reduction Co-ordination Committee (TARCC), chaired by Hong Kong Island Senior Superintendent (Traffic) and attended by Force representatives from Road Safety Office, Road Management Office and District Operations Office and by representatives of the TD and HyD, would be made the focus of efforts to reduce accident blacksites. At that time there were 16 accident blacksites and 12 potential blacksites on Hong Kong Island. By the end of February 2003, there were only five blacksites and 10 potential blacksites listed. Now, the number of blacksites rarely goes beyond a half-dozen or so before appropriate action removes them from the list.

OffBeat spoke with Hong Kong Island Senior Superintendent (Traffic), Mr Noel Howcroft, and Enforcement & Control Division (E&CDIV) Sub-unit 2 Commander, Senior Inspector Mr Michael Ho Kam-yee, to find out just how that remarkable reduction in traffic accident blacksites had been achieved.

"Co-ordinated teamwork by Traffic and District Police and the TARCC meetings with our colleagues in TD and HyD, at which our Blacksite Owners present their analyses and recommendations for resolving the problems," said Mr Howcroft.

"A senior and experienced Sergeant from E&CDIV is assigned to each traffic blacksite identified from TD monthly statistics," explained Mr Ho. "The Sergeant is responsible for (a) analysing each accident at 'his' blacksite and identifying the causes or contributory causes (causations) of each one; (b) designing and co-ordinating enforcement action using regional and district resources to address causations; (c) ensuring educational activities at blacksites to amend poor discipline; and (d) presenting to the quarterly TARCC meetings appropriate re-engineering proposals for junctions with inherent design flaws."

Simple Solutions

"Sometimes, all it needs to solve a problem is a little paint on the road surface," said Gloucester Road/Marsh Road Blacksite Owner Sergeant Mr Chow Cheuk-yi. "Of course, I first looked at the analysis of seven accidents at this junction, three of which involved pedestrians. I found that the main problems were jaywalking, driver inattention, users' intentions being misinterpreted, and bad lighting under the Marsh Road Flyover. I organised some education and enforcement action at the appropriate times of the day and many warnings were issued to careless drivers and pedestrians. In fact we also issued several fixed penalty tickets for illegal setting down of passengers and summonses for jaywalking.

"I worked out how some hatched areas and 'look left' 'look right' signs would direct traffic and pedestrians along separate paths. Afterwards, I maintained liaison with the District Traffic Teams to ensure that creeping indiscipline does not erode the effects of the minor road works involved," concluded Mr Chow.

E&CDIV's Sergeant Mr Tam Ting-kai was made 'owner' of another flyover-associated blacksite: Hennessy Road/Canal Road West. "There had been 10 accidents there, six of them involving pedestrians," said Mr Tam. "After analysing the accident reports, and spending some time observing traffic and pedestrian flows there, I identified the problems. It became clear to me that drivers travelling westwards under the Canal Road flyover in the left-hand lane were presented with several problems. They had to deal first with poor visibility (inadequate lighting under the wide flyover), then with the obstruction of traffic lights on the left, by a parking restriction sign, and traffic lights on the right by a row of nose-to-tail buses in the right lane. Added to that was the totally undisciplined crossing of the road by pedestrians using the tram stop in the centre of Hennessey Road. I organised some education at the site and some follow-up enforcement action.

"At the TARCC meeting, I recommended (1) pedestrian barrier directing tram passengers to the light-controlled crossings, (2) enhanced street lighting under the flyover, (3) re-sighting of the parking restriction or traffic lights to avoid obstruction of the latter to drivers in the left lane." Mr Tam concluded with some good news and some bad news: "Although a barrier was installed to redirect pedestrians using the tram stop, and the number of accidents have been greatly reduced, I am rather disappointed that there has been no enhancement of lighting under the flyover and the sign obstructing driver views of the traffic lights is still in place."

Cost Effective

E&CDIV Sergeant, Mr Chow Tak-fat, is the 'owner' of a former notorious blacksite at the junction of Morrison Hill Road and Sports Road. There are virtually no accidents at this junction any more thank to Mr Chow's efforts. Analysis of a long string of accidents at this junction, reinforced by personal monitoring of traffic flows soon revealed the problem areas. There was inadequate lighting under the flyover and stop signs were being ignored. Education and enforcement involved 47 operations and a total of 60 man-hours effort. Some 60 fixed penalty tickets were issued to wayward motorists. Mr Chow's solution was signboard and road markings giving an earlier warning of the stop signs, enhanced lighting, and lane restrictions (hatch markings) to re-direct traffic from certain lanes.

Mr Chow was then assigned to the Chai Wan Road and Tai Tam Road junction. This blacksite involved a long curving Tai Tam Road ending at a T-junction with Chai Wan Road. Mr Chow recommended the abolition of a right turn extension beyond the traffic lights on Chai Wan Road and the erection of warning signs (boards and road markings) on the Tai Tam Road approach to the junction. "It did the trick," said Mr Chow, "with the total investment of 45 man-hours deployed on 42 operations.

"The Blacksite Ownership Scheme," Mr Howcroft emphasised, "is a truly cost-effective solution to a long-standing problem. Details of the 'Owners' are posted in district and divisional offices so that every member of the Region knows who is responsible for the site and knows that any suggestions or observations he would like considered will be welcomed. In addition, the formal TARCC meetings allow our officers to talk directly to those who are involved in devising and implementing road safety solutions."

Blacksite Owner Sergeant Mr Chow Tak-fat: keeping his eye on things

Blacksite Owner Sergeant Mr Chow Cheuk-yi: simple road markings solved the problem