$151 million paid to traffic accident victims

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) paid out $151.3 million from the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance (TAVA) Fund in the 2002/03 financial year to help traffic accident victims or their dependants.

The total amount of assistance paid has increased by 6.5 per cent as compared to $142 million in the previous year.

According to the 2002/2003 TAVA Fund annual report, 8,079 applications were received during the period, compared with 7,660 in the previous year, an increase of 5.5%.

Police figures showed that there was a decrease of 1.2% in the number of traffic casualties from 20,511 in 2001/2002 to 20,271 in the year reported. However, the rate of application for TAVA increased from 37.3% to 39.9%.

"The increase in application rate indicates that more people are aware of their right to apply for assistance in the event of traffic accidents," a department spokesman said today (May 5).

The highest award of the year amounting to $127, 065 was granted to the surviving dependants of a fatal case.

The department processed 105 serious traffic accident cases during the year.

The accident resulting in the largest number of victims occurred on January 23, 2003, at Tuen Mun Road where three vehicles collided. Out of 85 victims, 30 were found eligible for TAVA.

"In major traffic accidents, staff from the TAVA Section would take the initiatives to contact victims or their dependants immediately to help them apply at an early date," the spokesman said.

The spokesman explained that the TAVA scheme was designed to provide speedy financial assistance to victims or their dependants on a non-means-tested basis.

Applications for assistance, either in person or by post, should be made within six months of the traffic accident which must have been reported to the Police.

Application forms can be obtained from the Accident Investigation Units of Regional Police Headquarters, district offices of the Home Affairs Department and SWD''''s TAVA Section at Room 3020, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen''''s Road East, Wan Chai.

In addition, forms can also be downloaded from the SWD homepage at http://www.info.gov.hk/swd/. Enquiries can be made on telephone 2834 7472.

Ends

Wednesday, May 5, 2004