February 27, 2011

Hong Kong has a huge brigade of commercial vehicle drivers ferrying passengers and goods across the city. To grab these road warriors' attention and drive home the messages that safe driving and good health are crucial to accident prevention, the Transport Department called on popular cartoonist CC Lee.
 
CC, best known for his drawings of legendary Chinese martial arts heroes, designed a poster campaign based on two characters who are polar opposites. A fit young man named On is a model driver with a positive attitude. The more senior and overweight “Uncle Chuen” is an experienced driver, but sometimes drives while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
 
Though there is a deep contrast between the two, CC notes that in real life, drivers tend to behave a bit like both of them. In daily commutes, a driver may obey the rules and show respect to other road users. But after having a few drinks or taking drugs, they put their own and other lives at risk when they get behind the wheel.
 
In CC’s comic drawings, On and Uncle Chuen’s antics remind drivers what can happen when they change lanes inappropriately, drive too fast, or talk on a mobile phone when driving. They also emphasise the importance of drivers’ health.
 
“When drivers,- especially professional drivers- are driving, the lives of passengers and pedestrians are in their hands. It is just like operating a huge movable machine on the road. Every driver should carefully consider their physical and mental conditions before sitting in the driver’s seat,” the cartoonist said.