Taiwan launches campaign to crack down on cars not yielding to pedestrians

台灣開始整治汽車不禮讓行人行動

Vehicles barred from coming within 3 meters of pedestrians at zebra crossings


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's new campaign to crack down on drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections went into effect on May 1.

A national campaign to clamp down on motorists who fail to stop or yield to pedestrians at intersections went into effect in May and includes four key elements. Among the regulations is a requirement that the distance between the front of a vehicle and pedestrians at a zebra crossing must be at least three meters.

In order to rid Taiwan of its notorious reputation as a "Pedestrian Hell," the National Police Agency (NPA) announced in a press release issued on April 30 that it would launch a campaign to enforce traffic regulations protecting pedestrians on May 1. The four key behaviors of focus in the new campaign are "failing to stop and yield to pedestrians at intersections," "failing to stop when required by markings and signals at intersections and signs at intersections without signals," "illegally parking on sidewalks and illegal temporary parking," and "abolishment of road barriers."

Due to the fact that there have been disputes over whether a vehicle failed to give way to a pedestrian based on the "angle of view" of a police officer at the scene, the NPA told CNA that under the new campaign, there will be three principles followed in enforcing the regulations. First, if there are no traffic police or crossing guards at the intersection, the "front overhang" of the vehicle is not permitted to come within one lane width or about three meters from pedestrians on the crosswalk.

Second, when there are authorized personnel overseeing the intersection such as volunteer police or school crossing guards and a driver fails to heed their commands and plow through the crossing, they can be reported for violating the law. Lastly, the principle is that violators must be stopped by police on the spot and their violations reported.

However, if it is impossible or inappropriate to stop the motorist on the spot because they fail to heed commands to stop or drive at a high rate of speed, officers can report these violators directly.

Effective on March 31, a new traffic law went into effect that raises the fine for small passenger vehicles and large commercial vehicles that do not yield to pedestrians on crosswalks or when executing turns to NT$3,600 (US$117). Previously, the fine for small passenger cars was NT$2,000 and for large commercial vehicles was NT$2,800.

The fine for scooter drivers who commit the same offenses remains at NT$1,200.

Even stiffer fines are on the way as the Legislative Yuan on April 14 gave final approval to hike the maximum fine for motorists who fail to give way to pedestrians to NT$6,000. If the infraction results in injuries or death, the fines will range between NT$7,200 and NT$36,000, and drivers could have their licenses revoked.