Protest, memorial held for girl who died crossing road in southern Taiwan

在南台灣，為死於過馬路的女孩舉行抗議和追悼會

People call for traffic safety, end to Taiwan's pedestrian hell


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Residents of Tainan held a joint protest and memorial at an intersection in the city’s North District on Sunday (May 14), where a 3-year-old girl died tragically last week on Monday (May 8), after being struck by an SUV while crossing the road with her mother.

For 10 minutes on Sunday morning, from 9:50 a.m. to 10 a.m., residents convened at the intersection and walked the perimeter using all four crosswalks, reported UDN. People carried signs and laid flowers on the sidewalk and median where the girl and her mother were struck last week.

The event was organized as a “flash mob” held in five of Taiwan’s largest cities to draw attention to Taiwan’s dangerous roads and driver safety. In Tainan, over 100 people dressed in black clothing appeared on Sunday morning, many holding carnations to mourn the innocent lives lost at crosswalks due to the unsafe habits of many motorists.

Over the past week, numerous flowers and children’s toys have accumulated on the concrete median barrier near the site of the accident, as a sign of compassion and out of hope that the young girl’s spirit will rest in peace. On Saturday (May 13) evening, a group from a local temple visited the intersection and held a ritual in hopes that the girl’s spirit would not be trapped in the earthly realm, reported EDC.

Posters for the event on Sunday morning encouraged people to carry umbrellas to symbolize the protection of pedestrians. They also urged people to wrap bandages or cloth around their arms to signify awareness and concern for the thousands of lives lost to traffic accidents each year in Taiwan, reported CT Want.

In 2022, traffic injuries and fatalities reached a new high in Taiwan with over 500,000 reported, which included 3,085 deaths.

Some participants called on the government to implement stronger penalties for breaking traffic rules. However, many people also emphasized that this is a society-wide problem and everyone must take responsibility for their individual actions to improve the situation. Signs held by the protestors included messages like “I’m not looking at my phone, please don’t hit me,” and “Drivers yielding to pedestrians are really cool.” Others shared a message of “To the souls lost at intersections, we haven’t forgotten you.”