【Kaohsiung News】In order to protect pedestrians’ road rights and safety, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) has amended the partial articles of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act, and a number of new traffic rules will come into effect on June 30. A maximum fine of NT$6,000 will be imposed on vehicles that fail to yield to pedestrians, and the enforcement standard for such vehicles is maintained at a distance of three meters. In addition, 13 offenses that can be reported by the general public have been added, including illegal parking on sidewalks and failure to yield to pedestrians. For driving recklessly, fines of up to NT$36,000 will be imposed. The Transportation Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government reminds drivers to observe the traffic laws to avoid receiving fines for violations.
The maximum fine for failing to yield to pedestrians has been increased from NT$3,600 to NT$6,000. This increase applies to vehicles that fail to yield to pedestrians. If this results in injuries or death, the penalties will be doubled and the license will be suspended or revoked. The applicability of failure to yield to pedestrians will be expanded to include intersections where pedestrians are permitted to cross even if there are no marked pedestrian crossings. The existing 3-meter vehicle-to-pedestrian interval is maintained as the enforcement standard for failing to yield to pedestrians, and a fine of NT$6,000 will be imposed if the distance falls short of three meters.
Due to six violations, including failing to yield to pedestrians, refusing spot-checks, inspections and fleeing, as well as littering on public roads, in addition to paying fines, offenders must also attend road safety lectures.
The period of cumulative point recording has been extended from six to twelve months. If a driver accumulates 12 points within a year, their license will be suspended for two months. Drivers can attend the seminar at their own expense in order to receive point deductions, but only two points can be deducted annually. For cases directly reported by speed detectors, etc., if the notified person fails to designate the primary driver or assign responsibility to another, the violation will be recorded as a vehicle violation and the fine will be doubled. In addition, the cumulative period for failing to attribute responsibility and instead recording the violation in the vehicle violation record will be extended.
The maximum fine for operating a motorcycle or passenger vehicle without a license will increase from NT$12,000 to NT$24,000. If a violation occurs within five years, the maximum fine will be imposed. If serious injury or death is caused, the vehicle shall be confiscated; for revoked driver’s license due to drunk driving and driving without a license, an additional fine of NT$12,000 will be imposed for motorbikes and small passenger cars, and an additional fine of NT$40,000 will be imposed for large vehicles; for vehicle owners who allow an unlicensed driver to operate their vehicle, a heavier fine will be imposed, and the driver’s license will be suspended.
According to the new regulations, if the unlicensed driver is a minor older than 14, his legal representative or guardian must be notified of the violation. The fine for driving without a license and failing to follow instructions or refusing to pull over for an inspection has been increased from NT$15,000 to NT$45,000; if the driver’s license is revoked in the event that serious injury or death is caused, the period of ineligibility to obtain a driver’s license has been extended to 4 years, with the exception of not being allowed to take the driving test for a driver’s license for life.
The maximum fine for serious speeding has been reduced from 60 to 40 kilometers per hour. The maximum fine for reckless driving has increased from NT$24,000 to NT$36,000. The maximum fine for reckless driving has also increased from NT$24,000 to NT$36,000. Dangerous driving behaviors, which now include making a U-turn, backing and reversing, as well as driving in the opposite direction on the freeway, shall be criminally liable, and the penalty may be increased by 50%.
The new rule reinstates and includes items that can be reported by the general public, such as illegal parking on sidewalks, not slowing down when approaching pedestrian crossings without traffic control signals installed, not yielding to traveling vehicles and pedestrians before starting to drive, not paying attention to pedestrians, or not slowing down before turns, not switching on the reversing light before reversing, and not paying attention to vehicles obstructing the roadway. In addition, driving behind fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, engineering emergency vehicles, toxic chemical substance disasters and accidents behind accident response vehicles, as well as illegal parking at public place entrances or fire hydrants, as well as other violations, may fall under the purview of public reporting.