Driving home perils of China's roads

Two traffic accidents in Fujian and Yunnan have increased the tally of Hongkongers killed by four and injured by three.

Although the figures may be insignificant if viewed against nationwide statistics, they should still be looked at with increased concern.

With the country making it a policy priority to integrate Hong Kong with the mainland, will more people take advantage of the increasing trend to go sightseeing in the country by motor vehicles on their own?

It can be anticipated that more deaths and injuries will be reported as more Hongkongers head north.

It would make sense for the Hong Kong government to update its mechansim of assistance that currently relies on staff at its various economic and trade offices in some major mainland cities.

Every time an accident occurs, it is primarily for the local mainland authorities to handle. Staff at the nearest economic and trade office help to liaise to facilitate, for example, the return of bodies to the SAR or proper medical assistance for the injured.

The assistance role is rather flexible and the staff have to make judgments on the spot in light of what has happened.

This arrangement has been working well - so far so good.

But perhaps an obvious shortfall with the current practice is that the Hong Kong authorities usually do not take the initiative to announce those incidents to the media - and I would add that this is most undesirable.

In the latest accident in Fujian, four Hong Kong residents were killed after the car in which they were traveling crashed. The driver, also a Hongkonger, was reported to have sustained minor injuries.

In Yunnan, two Hongkongers were injured and two mainlanders died in a traffic accident.

It is regrettable that the government did not announce the incidents before they were asked about them by the media.

Indeed, they could have taken the initiative to make an announcement even though the families may have wished to keep the details private.

The wish of the families concerned should be respected but this should not prevent the government from making an announcement of serious incidents because they can easily do so without harming these families' right to privacy.

Driving in the mainland can be more complicated than many holiday drivers from the SAR may think.

First, it is important to be aware that motorists drive on the right-hand side of the road in the mainland, whereas we drive on the left in Hong Kong.

And the driving culture can also be different.

Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Kingsley Wong Kwok made a valid point that making public such information can help remind people to be more cautious when they plan to drive across the border or rent a car in the mainland to see the country's natural beauty.