So I have been riding a scooter in Taiwan for about a year and not had any accidents (thank God!), every single day I travel to and from work I will always encounter the daily routine of near misses or close calls due to peoples ignorance of basic safety traffic rules. For some reason I just realised that one day my luck is going to run and I will get seriously hurt regardless of how safe I drive and how many times I look out for dangers. This is a sad and depressing fact, but everyone I know who drives a scooter round here has at least one horror story to tell. This is going to happen to me. Isn’t it?? 
I have been riding a scooter since I was 18. It’s almost 10 years since then and I had only one accident. However, it was a terrible one. I was lucky I was still alive. I will say be carful as much as you can or just get a car. What I really worry about is,not me hitting others but someone hits me while I am waiting for the red light. :fume:
13 years on a scooter in Taiwan and only a couple of bumps and scrapes to report. I ride fast, and reckless my wife tells me, though I know I’m in control. Been all over the island many times. I never give serious consideration to the idea that I might have an accident. My wife did buy a 10 million NT insurance package for me though.
Can you use public transport?
Unfortunately I can’t so it’s essential that I use the scooter. However I get the feeling stop riding a scooter completely is also being a bit silly, we have to sometimes accept the fact that every little thing we do everyday there is always (a small) element of risk of something bad happening to us however we get on with our lives like normal. I think I’m just slowly accepting that I will get scratch or bump sooner or later and that it something I can’t avoid. I’m just hoping it ain’t going to be too painful or major.
Bugger. I’m getting old. I keep hitting the recommend button instead of quote.
Anyway, statistically, you’ll probably survive. Taiwanese people are forever having “accidents” (ie., deliberate acts of stupidity) but you can choose to be a statistical outlier by driving with care, and in anticipation of the things that commonly happen (eg., running red lights). Let’s assume that one in twenty people will be involved in a scooter accident at some time in their life, on the basis that the UK figure is about 1:100. However, 80% of those could have been easily avoidable, and you will be attempting to avoid them (presumably). So let’s say your odds are now 1:50. You can then take comfort in the fact that traffic accidents in general are non-fatal. In cars, on average, it’s about 1:80 worldwide; that is, 79 out of 80 accidents are non-fatal injuries. On a bike, it would probably 10 times worse, except for the fact that Taiwanese traffic moves so slowly, which makes death a lot less likely if you’re wearing a proper helmet (which you will be, right?). So your odds of dying are perhaps one in a few thousand.
Your odds of getting hurt … well, yeah - you could try taking taxis. I hate driving because I’m usually gripped by a sudden urge to rampage through the idiocy with a chainsaw.
It is not IF, but when. Just keep in mind, Evil Knievel would never been famous if he never wrecked. Now just how tough are you? Ready for some road rash?
Keep her away from your brakes, I’d say. 
Back on topic - I’ve been driving motorcycles here for 21 years, about 1/3 of that time helmetless. (That was when most of my wipeouts occurred, too!) Never had more than scrapes, and haven’t even had any of those in over ten years. I drive pretty safely now, though. It’s funny how fatherhood will do that to you. 
Keep her away from your brakes, I’d say.
Back on topic - I’ve been driving motorcycles here for 21 years, about 1/3 of that time helmetless. (That was when most of my wipeouts occurred, too!) Never had more than scrapes, and haven’t even had any of those in over ten years. I drive pretty safely now, though. It’s funny how fatherhood will do that to you. [/quote]
or is it just old age?
Maybe I’m making a mountain out of molehill then?? But everyday I have so many near misses I just think to myself what would have happened if I wasn’t so lucky, and let’s be honest when driving in this country you need a strong element of luck.
I have the same view as the OP. Go to the emergency room any night, and most of the people coming in are in scooter accidents.
My view is that unless you are in very extreme circumstances, riding a scooter simply isn’t worth the risk.
[quote=“Tomas”]I have the same view as the OP. Go to the emergency room any night, and most of the people coming in are in scooter accidents.
My view is that unless you are in very extreme circumstances, riding a scooter simply isn’t worth the risk.[/quote]
I agree. Haven’t ridden one in over a decade except for on the islands. I would gladly take a 40 minute commute by bus and MRT over a 10 minute scooter ride.
I know far too many people with fucked up legs and backs because of scooter accidents. Yeah you aren’t dead, but for me a life where I couldn’t hike and bike wouldn’t be worth that much.
Yeah I gave it up about 20 years ago. Damn thing died and I never got another one 
been riding for over 10 years…and I LIVE on my scooter. Haven’t had a single accident.(touch wood) Get a really good helmet and if you want, protective gear like the big bike riders have. I think people in Taiwan drive pretty well…for the amount of bikes and cars out there, you should be seeing bodies everywhere.
well, ok, maybe I had a little accident. Was stupid enough to ride my scooter past Roxy 99 and was waiting at the red light (in front of the 7-11) when the car behind me didn’t turn right when the arrow turned green for his lane. So the guy behind him went around him and hit me in the back.
I was riding a bike for the first few years, then got sideswiped by a car looking to overtake the car in front and hadn’t seen me. Skidded down the road for a while, bike on my leg and a parked car looming up in front of my face, head down and took the hit on my helmet which Im pretty sure would have killed me if I wasn’t wearing one. Luckily no broken bones or permanent damage but a fair bit of road rash.
Did make me think about my responsibilities and how my being injured would not just effect me but everyone around me, and bought a car. It’s more expensive, parking is a hassle, driving in Taipei is a pain, especially rush hour. Then again, don’t need to worry about the rain, using the highways to get away is easy, and even in Taipei there are plenty of roads that get you where you want to go faster than you could on a scooter, picking up shopping just goes in the back.
Yeah I own 2 scooters and 2 bikes and have only been a little hurt once in over 7 years. Most of my good friends have been here longer than I have and none of them have been involved in serious accidents. If you ride normal and obey the traffic laws than you should be fine…but you never know!!!
rode 13,000 KM in Taipei and surroundings. Only accident was when this drunk guy suddenly opened the door to his parked car and i ran into the door. Wasnt hurt though.
But honestly avoid being on scoots or moto in taiwan if at all possible.
Go burn some ghost money and incense … you’ll be protected 
Swivel neck, keeping proper distance, and angles of approach are everything on a scooter.
A sixth sense does not hurt at all either.
Been in two accidents where I gained altitude and airspeed, but the landings were a little on the hard side. As well as the lack of necessity for a visit to hospital, both turned out to be nice little earners.
It’s dangerous out there, and as Finley rightly points out with all his statistics as usual 
your chance of not becoming a statistic statistically decreases if you make a proactive attempt to look out for idiocy. Running through the scenarios in your head as you are going along and doing a bit of pre-planning will, and no doubt probably has, saved your life or prevented you from having serious injury.