Over 70% of motorists admit to speeding
Survey reveals discrepancies between perception and behaviour
HONG KONG, June 28 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- According to a road safety survey conducted by AXA General Insurance Hong Kong Limited (AXA), the first of its kind, speeding is the main cause of dangerous driving amongst Hong Kong motorists. Findings indicate that close to 70% of drivers feel safe on Hong Kong's roads but 75% of drivers surveyed admit speeding at more than 10km/h above the limit. In addition, 68% admit to going through an amber light, 66% reveal they answer their mobile phones without using a hands free kit or send message while driving.
The top driver contributor to road traffic accidents is tailgating(1). The survey reveals that up to 75% of the respondents are concerned about tailgating; however, 52% of them admit to committing this offence, indicating inconsistencies between perception and behaviour.
Drivers rank speeding the least dangerous
The study asked respondents to evaluate the comparative threats of 12 most common dangerous driving behaviours. The survey reveals that Hong Kong drivers consider the three most dangerous driving behaviours to be driving after having more than the recommended alcohol intake for safe driving (84%); crossing the double white line to overtake the car ahead (81%); and failing to give way to oncoming vehicles while turning into and out of the main road (80%). Tailgating ranks fourth.
Not surprisingly, findings reveal that the actual three most frequently committed driving offences are deemed less dangerous by drivers. These are: exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 km/h (42%); going through an amber light (63%); and answering the phone without a hands free kit or send message while driving (67%).
Female drivers deemed safer
Although the awareness level of dangerous driving behaviours remains uniform across various age groups and genders, the cited frequency of male drivers engaging in dangerous driving is higher than their counterparts, even more so in speeding (male 78%, female 61%) and going through an amber light (male 70%, female 52%), indicating that female drivers are generally more cautious.
Law enforcement contributes to Hong Kong road safety
When asked about the influencers of safety behaviour, Driving Offence Points System clinches the top spotlight of the nine deterrents with 69% of respondents claiming it has the most influence. Stricter law enforcement on the roadways and installation of speed/safety cameras on the roads (both at 54%) come second and third.
On the contrary, greater awareness of personal safety and the safety of others are ranked close to the bottom (40% and 37% respectively), signalling that the driving attitude is not safety-oriented but passively by stricter law enforcement.
Respondents were asked to give their view on traffic offence penalties. 54% of those surveyed agree that the disciplinary actions should be more severe than they are now, while 15% feel that they should be loosened. One third think the laws are sufficient.
Billy Chan, CEO of AXA said, "This study gives us an insight into the habits and attitudes of drivers which further helps us to communicate and promote the message of road safety. As a leading motor insurer we hope to contribute in raising drivers awareness on the dangers of bad driving habits."
Kenneth Chan, Director of the Nielsen Company pointed out that, "Generally speaking, Hong Kong road users show a certain understanding of dangerous driving behaviours that lead to traffic accidents, but at the same time they admit to committing these offences. This reveals discrepancies between awareness and practice amongst drivers. Raising awareness could help to restore the alignment."
To help promoting the vision of "Zero accidents, Hong Kong's goal", AXA will present the survey to Road Safety Council for reference.
The above study is commissioned by AXA and conducted by The Nielsen Company during March and April 2010. The study interviewed 518 drivers on their perceptions on dangerous driving behaviours, actual dangerous driving behaviours and expectation on road safety improvement measures. More information on the AXA Road Safety Survey, as well as safety driving tips can be found at AXA's website: http://www.axa-insurance.com.hk .
(1) Base on the "Driver Contributory Factors by Severity of Accident" statistics reported by Transport Department
http://www.td.gov.hk/en/road_safety/road_traffic_accident_statistics/index.html
From year 2000 - 2006 table 3.7; from year 2007 - 2008 table 3.8
About AXA General Insurance Hong Kong Limited
AXA General Insurance Hong Kong Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the AXA Group. The company began its operations in Hong Kong more than 170 years ago, under different setups. It has been focusing on growth in Hong Kong by providing a comprehensive range of general and health insurance products and services, offering financial protection to individual customers as well as commercial clients. As one of the top international general insurers in Hong Kong, the company's annual turnover of 2009 amounted to HK$837 million.
About AXA Group
AXA Group is a worldwide leader in Financial Protection. AXA's operations are diverse geographically, with major operations in Europe, North America and the Asia/Pacific area. In Asia, AXA operates in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines, Korea, Japan, China and India. For full year 2009, IFRS revenues amounted to Euro 90.1 billion and IFRS underlying earnings to Euro 3.9 billion. AXA had Euro 1,014 billion in assets under management as of 31 December 2009.
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