The state of pedestrian safety is a “national disgrace” Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said yesterday.
To reduce the number of pedestrians being hurt or killed while on crosswalks, the ministry would amend laws to increase the maximum penalty to NT$36,000 for drivers whose contraventions lead to serious injuries or death.
The ministry would consider three ways to increase pedestrian safety: Extending the distance between vehicles and pedestrians at intersections, improving lighting at intersections and regulating vehicles’ tinted windows to improve visibility at night, Chen said.
Photo: CNA
“I am also scared when my children cross the road,” Chen said.
Although Japan and Taiwan have the same regulations on how far before an intersection vehicles must stop, driving habits in Taiwan are not as good, Chen said, adding that pedestrians remain concerned.
The ministry would amend regulations by June this year to increase the distance between vehicle stop lines and pedestrian crossings to a minimum of 2m to 3m, while the law currently stipulates at least 1m, but some roads have as little as 30cm to 50cm of separation, Chen said.
Using white lights for intersections can reduce accidents by 67 percent, Chen said, so the Highway Bureau would conduct a trial at 12 or 13 intersections, with positive results leading to a quicker rollout of the change.
Rather than drivers yielding to pedestrians out of politeness, it must be mandatory, he said.
Under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), contraventions that do not result in accidents are subject to fines of between NT$1,200 and NT$6,000, along with a mandatory road safety lecture and three license demerit points.
The penalty increases to between NT$2,400 and NT$7,200 if a driver fails to give priority to a visually impaired pedestrian, and up to between NT$7,200 and NT$36,000 along with a mandatory road safety course and a license suspension if the contravention results in an accident.
The new amendment proposes that the fine for causing minor injuries increase to NT$18,000, and severe injuries or death increase to NT$36,000, while also increasing the period of license suspension to one to two years for causing a minor injury, and four to five years for causing a serious injury.
With regard to tinted windows, Chen said that “while privacy is important, human lives are even more important.”
New guidelines on tinted windows would specify minimum visibility standards, Chen said, adding that the ministry would first provide guidance to manufacturers then consumers about the new standards.
It took Japan 50 years to transition from a car-centric society to a pedestrian-centered one, Chen said, adding that Taiwan has only recently started this transition.
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