Hong Kong is an attention-grabbing metropolis in the case of driving. For essentially the most half, the numerous roads, highways, and byways are largely congested and concrete which means speeds are saved pretty constant. That mentioned, it’s not unusual to see folks placing the pedal to the steel so to talk and principally ignoring the posted velocity limits. On this article, we shed some gentle on dashing in Hong Kong, some supposed new guidelines, and whether or not dashing has an impression on what you pay for automotive insurance coverage.
Is dashing really an issue in Hong Kong?
To outsiders, Hong Kong is a reasonably compact metropolis, missing the lengthy open stretches of street seen in nations like Canada, the US, Australia, and even components of Europe. Anybody who has pushed on these roads in these nations is aware of that in lots of circumstances the posted velocity restrict is extra of a normal advice than a strict restrict. However is that this the case in Hong Kong?
Spend any time driving on the roads right here and it’s fairly clear that folks right here velocity simply as a lot as anyplace else it simply may not be as quick total as in different areas. In reality, in line with the Hong Kong Police, within the first three quarters of 2020, there have been 185,936 recorded circumstances of dashing (tickets issued).
Evaluate this to the subsequent commonest site visitors offence: Visitors sign offences which noticed 40,904 citations issued in the identical interval and it’s clear to see that dashing is by far the most important concern on Hong Kong’s roads.
How do the police ticket speeders?
With practically 4 instances extra tickets issued for dashing than every other sorts of site visitors points, you possibly can wager that the Hong Kong Police take dashing significantly and it is not unusual for drivers to see officers out with laser weapons, velocity cameras, and even radar weapons flagging drivers for going over the velocity restrict.
By legislation, any driver caught going over the velocity restrict will likely be ticketed based mostly on how briskly they had been going. Usually talking, speeders going:
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15 km/h or much less over the posted velocity restrict will likely be fined HKD 320.
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Between 16 km/h to 30 km/h greater than the velocity restrict are fined HKD 450 and can get three driving offence factors.
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Between 30 km/h and 45 km/h will likely be fined HKD 600 and obtain 5 driving offence factors.
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Greater than 45 km/h above the velocity restrict will likely be fined HKD 1,000, obtain 10 driving offence factors and be required to attend a driving enchancment course.
One factor it’s possible you’ll not know is that the police will normally be considerably lenient with speeders, particularly if they’re utilizing laser or radar velocity weapons which have been recognized to be not 100% correct in measuring the velocity you’re going. In nearly all circumstances, the police will subtract 3 km/h from the measured velocity and use the brand new velocity to find out your punishment.
For instance, when you had been caught going 66 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, your velocity could be lowered by 3 km/h to 63 km/h, and a fantastic of HKD 320 levied.
A brand new change to the principles?
Not too long ago, quite a lot of information experiences together with Whatsapp messages have been going round relating to a brand new “inner doc” from the Hong Kong police which famous that the deduction of three km/h was to be elevated to five km/h for speeds recorded utilizing laser weapons.
If that is true, it might imply extra leniency in the case of dashing and will have an effect on the general variety of speeders on the market. However, the rise of two km/h is pretty minimal, particularly at excessive speeds so we doubt that this can have a lot of an impression on severe offences.
After all, as we talked about above that is based mostly on an inner doc that’s not purported to be launched to the general public, thereby calling the authenticity of this supposed turn into query. Based on an article on this transformation in the Normal, “A police spokesman mentioned related pointers belong to inner operation particulars and are usually not purported to be made public. He didn’t say if the doc circulated on-line was real.”
As a result of this elevated leniency has not been confirmed by the police, our greatest recommendation could be to nicely, not velocity! If you’re caught, it might be a good suggestion to not anticipate the police to use the 5 km/h discount of your recorded velocity.
Does dashing impression your automotive insurance coverage premiums?
With the reasonably excessive variety of dashing citations issued in Hong Kong within the first three quarters of 2020, it’s value taking a look at whether or not getting a dashing ticket will have an effect on how a lot you pay on automotive insurance coverage or not.
The reply right here is each sure and no. In reality, it will depend on the punishment you might be issued for dashing, extra particularly, whether or not you might be issued with any demerit factors for dashing. Annually while you go to resume your motor insurance coverage, or while you apply for a brand new automotive insurance coverage plan, you might be required to state whether or not you’ve got obtained any driving offence/demerit factors inside the previous two years.
Proceed studying: Evaluate automotive insurance coverage in HK: What elements might have an effect on your auto insurance coverage premium
You probably have, you possibly can wager that your insurance coverage premium will improve or be greater than a driver with no demerit factors. How a lot greater will rely on the variety of factors issued and your total driving file.
However, when you obtained a dashing ticket and had been issued no demerit factors e.g., you had been going lower than 15/12 km/h over the velocity restrict, then you shouldn’t see your premium improve due to a dashing ticket.
One other factor to pay attention to right here is how insurers will react to dashing and accidents. Usually talking, nearly all motor insurance coverage insurance policies offered in Hong Kong will cowl accidents the place non-excessive velocity is a contributing issue. In different phrases, if you’re dashing and in an accident, so long as it’s not extreme or extremely harmful, your insurer ought to cowl any harm.
Our greatest recommendation right here could be to learn your coverage documentation carefully to make sure there isn’t a clause stating velocity and insurance coverage protection. If nothing is talked about you need to be lined.
One factor to look out for is harmful driving. In case your coverage excludes claims for accidents which are attributable to harmful driving this can normally embody extreme dashing e.g., going 110 km/h in a 35 km/h zone and entering into an accident.
This may normally be deemed by the police as harmful driving which may permit your insurer to reject any claims.
Past that, whereas you’ll typically be lined for accidents induced dashing, any demerit factors accrued because of dashing will lead to greater premiums so it’s best to attempt to follow the posted velocity limits as doable.
Proceed studying: Saving Ideas for Automobile House owners: Information to working a automotive in Hong Kong 2021
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