How should Hongkongers prepare for road trips? Experts weigh in after Japan accidents

Automobile association chief and insurance expert urge residents to plan ahead and take precautions after two recent accidents in Japan A Hong Kong woman was killed in a car accident in Hokkaido on Monday. Photo: Handout Hong Kong travellers should be mindful of driving fatigue, unfamiliar road signs and their insurance coverage when going on road trips overseas, experts have warned after two traffic accidents involving city residents in Japan within a week. Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, honorary life president of the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association, said on Wednesday that various factors could affect drivers’ concentration and energy when navigating foreign roads. He explained that car trips between places in a relatively small city such as Hong Kong might take only about an hour, but journeys between airports, hotels and attractions overseas could take much longer. “Drivers might be distracted [by the unfamiliar roads and GPS] and get tired without realising it,” Lee said. “These could be the likely causes of traffic accidents overseas involving Hongkongers.” On Monday, a 53-year-old Hong Kong woman died and five others were injured in a head-on car crash in Hokkaido prefecture. She was in the front passenger seat of a rental car, with her 52-year-old husband driving and their two teenage daughters sitting in the back. The car crossed into the opposite lane on National Route 38 in Furano and collided with another vehicle carrying two Japanese nationals at around 3.30pm local time. The couple, a man and a woman in their twenties, were injured, along with the husband and his two daughters. The accident occurred on a route connecting the cities of Takikawa, Akabira and Furano, which are popular with tourists. Ringo Lee, honorary life president of the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association, has urged Hong Kong travellers to be more aware of regulations and signs when driving overseas. Photo: Felix Wong On July 16, five Chinese tourists, including an off-duty police officer from Hong Kong, were injured when their rental car was hit by a train on the JR Furano line at a crossing. The group comprised two men and three women, ranging in age from their teens to their fifties. They were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Lee advised Hong Kong drivers in Japan to familiarise themselves with local traffic signs, including the stop sign, which means a vehicle “must come to a complete stop, apply the handbrake and check carefully before proceeding”. It was not necessary to learn every road sign, Lee said, but it was important to pay attention to critical ones, including those for one-way roads, winding roads and toll charges for different highways or tunnels. “It would be best if your friend sitting next to you while you’re driving also has a licence. He or she could help remind you in case you miss anything on the road,” he added. Unhandled type: inline-plus-widget {"type":"inline-plus-widget"} Lee also stressed the importance of planning, including knowing where service areas were located to take breaks during long journeys, confirming addresses or postcodes and checking whether weather were conducive to driving. It was also critical to pay attention to level crossings, where railway tracks intersected with roads, he stressed. If trapped at a level crossing, drivers and passengers should leave their vehicle for safety, he added. Selina Lau, chief executive of the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers, says travellers should ensure their travel insurance policies cover rental vehicle deductibles. Photo: Jonathan Wong Selina Lau Pui-ling, chief executive of the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers, said travellers planning road trips should ensure their travel insurance policies covered rental vehicle deductibles – the amount customers might have to pay themselves for damage before the rental company’s insurer reimburses the remainder. “Many of the travel insurance policies from Hong Kong cover road trip vehicle hiring deductibles,” Lau said, stressing that such protection was now common. “It’s crucial that you give a copy of the policy to a friend or family member – someone you can trust – whether they’re travelling with you or not, so they can help contact the insurer and make a claim when needed.” Lau also reminded drivers to first ensure their own safety in the event of an accident, then take photos of the damage and call police so they had strong supporting evidence for insurance claims.