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Opinion | Seat belt U-turn in Hong Kong another case of ill-fitting policy

Failures on 2 fronts led to Hong Kong’s seat belt U-turn, experts say

People generally don’t like change. But if you have ever had to take the worst seat on a bus – lower deck, last row, middle seat – then you would have probably put on the seat belt to avoid being catapulted down the aisle should the driver slam on the brakes. And if you’re on the upper deck and the only available seats are in the front row, then again, you would buckle up, to avoid going through the window in an accident.

A responsible person would wear a seat belt when sitting anywhere in the vehicle, right? Seat belts save lives, simple.

Except it’s not that simple. As ridiculous as the public backlash was against new rules requiring passengers on public and private buses to wear a seat belt where available – rules that only came into effect last week but are already being suspended – some of the whining isn’t unreasonable.
For one, people took issue with the improper fit of the seat belt on buses – too tight, too loose, the diagonal strap not lying as the Transport Department says it should: “midway across your shoulder, staying in contact with your chest up to about your collar bone”. Parents also voiced concerns over risks to child safety posed by the diagonal straps.

For parents with babies in a carrier, it gets “complicated”, as Lai Siu-chung, director of the KMB branch of the Motor Transport Workers General Union, put it. Parents would need to remove the baby carrier, fasten the seat belt, then hold their baby firmly in their arms – and reverse that process when alighting.

But Lai’s observation that “the reality is quite messy” applies to other commuters too. Yes, the reality is complicated and can get messy. That’s why the government should have done a better job of preparing for it.

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Hong Kong to suspend bus seat belt rules over ‘deficiencies’ in law

Hong Kong to suspend bus seat belt rules over ‘deficiencies’ in law

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