《TAIPEI TIMES》 Cabinet seeks stiffer fines for drivers

FAILURE TO YIELD: Under the amendments approved by the Cabinet, drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians would be fined up to NT$6,000, an increase from NT$3,600

By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

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The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act （道路交通管理處罰）, which would impose tougher penalties on speeding drivers and drivers who do not yield to pedestrians.

The proposed amendments, which would apply to drivers of motor vehicles as well as scooters, are not to take effect until they are reviewed and passed by the Legislative Yuan.

Nineteen articles in the act were amended and two articles were added, the ministry said in a presentation following the Cabinet meeting yesterday morning.

The amendments would require drivers to yield to pedestrians when approaching pedestrian crossings, as well as “other intersections where pedestrians can legally cross,” the ministry said.

Drivers who fail to yield would face fines of up to NT$6,000 — an increase from the current maximum of NT$3,600.

Drivers who do not yield to visually challenged people would be given two violation points, rather than one, the ministry said.

Drivers who fail to yield, and severely injure or kill a pedestrian, would face a fine of NT$36,000, have their license revoked, be banned from taking a driver’s license exam for three years and be required to take a defensive driving course, it said.

If a pedestrian is lightly injured, drivers would have their license suspended for one year, it added.

The amendments base how drivers are punished on the number of violation points they have accumulated. For example, drivers who accumulate 12 points in 12 months would have their license suspended for two months. Drivers who have their license suspended two times in two years would have their license revoked.

The amendments would allow drivers with six points on their driving record the option of deducting two if they take a four-hour defensive driving course paid for out of pocket.

However, drivers could only do so once per year, and the option would not be available to those who have accumulated 12 points and had their license revoked.

To enhance road safety, a serious speeding offense is defined as driving 40kph over the speed limit, rather than the current 60kph.

The amendments would authorize the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to establish regulations for “vintage cars,” such as whether vintage vehicles would require a special license plate, whether they would need to pass a safety inspection and whether they can only be operated on certain roadways.

The amendments would penalize drivers whose vehicles have lights — brake lights, turn signals, fog lights, among others — that are dirty or covered, affecting normal operation of the vehicle.

Drivers who fail to install horns in accordance with the regulations would also be fined.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES