'Drivers not familiar with new Tsuen Wan Road exit'

A motorists' group on Thursday said the occurrence of traffic accidents for three consecutive days on Tsuen Wan Road in Kwai Tsing district was due mainly to drivers not being familiar with arrangements for a new exit.

The exit leads to a new southbound single-lane vehicular bridge which was commissioned on Sunday.

Motorists coming from Tuen Mun Highway and heading for Lai Chi Kok, Mong Kok and Kwun Tong need to be on the right lane of Tsuen Wan Road to make the exit, whereas those travelling to Tsim Sha Tsui, the western part of Hong Kong Island and Lantau have to keep left.

Ringo Lee, honorary life president of the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association, told an RTHK programme that Tsuen Wan Road has been in use for a long time, and drivers may not be aware of the new arrangements.

"It is only until these few days that drivers see an exit. There's a gantry sign a bit ahead of that, but it is easy to miss the sign when motorists are driving at a high speed," he said.

"Drivers have to decide which lane they should choose, but the car speed decreases whenever drivers are in doubt.

"They may originally be driving at 80 kilometres an hour on Tuen Mun Highway and around 70 kilometres an hour when they reach the new exit. So when the car ahead suddenly reduces speed and the vehicle behind fails to notice, then they collide with each other, and other vehicles keep on going at 70 kilometres per hour, this causes pile-up accidents."

Lee also said he doesn't believe road design was an issue.

The Transport and Highways departments have installed additional temporary traffic signs to help prevent accidents, adding that more would be put up on Tsuen Wan Road approaching the exit.

Lee said the government should also consider setting up more signs on Tuen Mun Highway, so drivers would be alerted earlier.

Edited by Edmond Fong ...