The government is launching a road improvement project to better protect pedestrians after deaths from road accidents reached the highest in a decade, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said on Friday.
Taiwan reported 375,632 road accidents that resulted in 3,085 deaths and 498,887 injuries per 30 days last year, a 4 percent increase from a year earlier, a ministry spokesperson told a news conference.
The average number of people killed last year in road accidents per 30 days exceeded 200 in Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, New Taipei City and Taoyuan, and Changhua and Pingtung counties, they said.
Photo: Taipei Times file photo.
Deaths from road accidents involving motorbikes increased 8.1 percent, and deaths of elderly people from road accidents increased 12 percent from a year earlier, although deaths related to drunk driving decreased by 12.9 percent, they said.
The ministry is planning a slew of engineering projects to improve traffic safety, focusing on the ease and speed of implementation, Wang said, adding that roads need to urgently shed the reputation of being a “living hell” for pedestrians.
Leveling the ground in pedestrian arcades, reducing the space allocated to vehicles at intersections, widening crosswalks and installing pedestrian safety islands are among proposals that can be quickly carried out by local governments, he said.
The ministry has prepared a list of improvements that revolve around separating pedestrian and vehicle traffic, reducing conflict between pedestrians and drivers, increasing parking spaces and only allowing parking on one side of the street, the Institute of Transportation said.
Separation of pedestrians and traffic, and reducing vehicle-pedestrian conflict are the guiding principles of the road improvement plan, Wang said, citing studies by the Institute of Transportation.
Main roads would benefit from curb cuts, parking bans within 10m of crosswalks, level surfaces in arcades and increased space for pedestrians, Wang said.
The plan stipulates that intersections should utilize extended curbs, remove 3m to 5m between crossways and road corners, and walkway lighting should be improved, he said.
Smaller lanes can designate sidewalks with lines on which parking is not allowed, and parking can be restricted to only one side of the street when appropriate, he said.
Vehicles and pedestrians should be allocated a window of time for exclusive use of the road, and the time designated for each should be clearly indicated, Wang said, adding that yielding to pedestrians would be enforced.
The ministry is working with bus companies to ensure driver compliance with rules, he said, adding that NT$5 billion (US$164.5 million) of ministry funding has been allocated this year to boost student safety on roads near 446 schools, while local governments would receive NT$9.8 billion from a “far vision infrastructure plan” to improve accessibility, he said.
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