“The violations topped drunk driving as the main cause of fatal accidents for the second year running, despite the issuance of 19,538 citations last year…The police issued a total of 19,538 citations for failure to yield violations last year, but that failed to stem unruly driving…”
"A total of 258 category A1 accidents — where the injured party died within 24 hours of the accident — were related to drivers and motorists’ failure to yield right-of-way last year, with 260 deaths and 107 injuries, Fang said.
Category A2 accidents — non-fatal traffic accidents — in association with failure to yield violation peaked at 63,507 cases, with 86,765 people injured, he said."
Oh really? Seems to me the number of citations should be more than number of accidents in order to “stem unruly driving.” Your chances of being involved in an accident are higher than being fined for failure to yield. For all of Taiwan 53 citations per day for failure to yield? You could fine 53 people per hour at one intersection. In a previous post I noted at one intersection in Neihu near my home that at least 5 vehicles ran the red lights every two minutes. That means in 24 hours 3600 vehicles ran the red lights.
I heard vehicles running red lights are more apparently down south. I see this shit every day in tpe. Some days while driving, I just want to gun it when it’s green while cars are running red lights and then see what happens. They’ll probably find me at fault for not driving safe.
People running the red a second or two after it turns red doesn’t bother me since I am so used to waiting a few seconds after the light turns green to let all the red light runners through, it is now second nature and I don’t bat an eyelash when an amah or agong comes barreling through the light. I might have even done it myself in the past, I’m not so sure anymore. That’s what the scooter horn was made for, honking at people that you are going through a red light and watch out.
You take your life in your hands if you think that green means go without looking. Just wait a few seconds and it will be safe to go.
My exception to this is fools who come roaring up to a red light that has been red for a long time and barreling through at a high rate of speed without even looking, usually a nappy haired scooter boy with orange hair and no helmet or an old man who has a death wish. I’m almost looking forward to seeing a gravel truck smoke one of these idiots one of these days.
My pet peeve is the idiots who turn right from a sideroad and intentionally refuse to look left for oncoming traffic for fear that looking means they are responsible to merge safely, so not looking means it is the oncoming traffic responsibility to watch out for them. Those idiots i despise. The proverbial ostrich neck in the sand. Wouldn’t be surprised to see the same gravel truck smoke one of them too one day.
Using my experience at the T intersection near my home only 2% will 讓 unless they absolutely cannot find a way to force their way through. How many times have the cars/motorbikes pulled in front of me making a left turn as I travel straight through the intersection? Or even squeeze into the small space on my right side instead of stopping to let me pass in front of them? Countless. When one car/motorbike does note my honking to warn them (to the fact that I am not required to stop on the straight road) and actually stops and waits at the intersection my wife and I are amazed and comment to each other. We praise their road sense and safety concerns for themselves and others. :bravo: (that lack of helmets for all four people on the scooter notwithstanding)
Of course, a stop sign might be appropriate at that intersection for those turning onto the road but I think we all know the result…wasting the money to put up the sign.
Sorry have been on the road a lot in last few days so road rage needs an outlet. Thank you for your patience.
I was just thinking about this as I witnessed two instances in which scooter drivers -with passengers- brushed with death as they skimmed by the hairs of a bald frog, playing chicken with big intercity buses -you know, the ones that go to Tainan or the airport. I mean, the bus has the right of way, it is going straight… and the scooter decides to start up/rev it up and turn right , missing -or rather, being missed - by the bus -or rather, its tires, as it would end under rather than pasted on the windshield- by millimeters. It is painful to watch and worse to imagine what if… I mean, the bus driver does not even have time to honk, let alone brake under those circumstances. Why, for heaven’s sake, do you want to meet your Maker so soon?! I mean, it is as logical to look both ways when crossing, why can’t they wait for the light?! Oh, they will see the light all right, a long tunnel of it.
Not to mention the usual daredevils like last weekend the ones riding scooters against the traffic flow on a one way highway… with the expected consequence.
[quote=“Icon”]I was just thinking about this as I witnessed two instances in which scooter drivers -with passengers- brushed with death as they skimmed by the hairs of a bald frog, playing chicken with big intercity buses -you know, the ones that go to Tainan or the airport. I mean, the bus has the right of way, it is going straight… and the scooter decides to start up/rev it up and turn right , missing -or rather, being missed - by the bus -or rather, its tires, as it would end under rather than pasted on the windshield- by millimeters. It is painful to watch and worse to imagine what if… I mean, the bus driver does not even have time to honk, let alone brake under those circumstances. Why, for heaven’s sake, do you want to meet your Maker so soon?! I mean, it is as logical to look both ways when crossing, why can’t they wait for the light?! Oh, they will see the light all right, a long tunnel of it.
Not to mention the usual daredevils like last weekend the ones riding scooters against the traffic flow on a one way highway… with the expected consequence.[/quote]
As someone who scooters and drives regularly here in Taipei. I can attest that almost all my possible accidents (on a scooter) are people not yielding at intersections and not using their blinker/rear view mirror when changing lanes.
It pisses me off beyond belief, but I’ve already accepted that this is just how it is. The most I’ll do is give em the horn or flash them my high beams. The horn is more likely than the high beams because it’s easier to press . They’ll think “What did I do wrong?” and I’ll go on living my happy life knowing that I’m not an asshole driver.
This one time I actually got cut off by a Luxgen SUV that took a right turn SUUUUPER fast without even noticing whether I was there or not. Of course, I knew I was going to get cut off so I reduced speed already, but still gave them high beams for a good 5 seconds when I came up behind them. Through their back window, I noticed that they were checking their rear cam on their dash to see who did it. Seriously? Freakin’ pay attention to the road.
[quote=“ranlee”]
It pisses me off beyond belief, but I’ve already accepted that this is just how it is. The most I’ll do is give em the horn or flash them my high beams. The horn is more likely than the high beams because it’s easier to press . They’ll think “What did I do wrong?” and I’ll go on living my happy life knowing that I’m not an asshole driver.
This one time I actually got cut off by a Luxgen SUV that took a right turn SUUUUPER fast without even noticing whether I was there or not. Of course, I knew I was going to get cut off so I reduced speed already, but still gave them high beams for a good 5 seconds when I came up behind them. Through their back window, I noticed that they were checking their rear cam on their dash to see who did it. Seriously? Freakin’ pay attention to the road.[/quote]
I thought in Taiwan, honking the horn just meant “pay attention, I am in your area, adjust your driving so I can pass”. I don’t think honking the horn in Taiwan has the western meaning of “F**k you ***hole.”
[quote=“dan2006”]People running the red a second or two after it turns red doesn’t bother me since I am so used to waiting a few seconds after the light turns green to let all the red light runners through, it is now second nature and I don’t bat an eyelash when an amah or agong comes barreling through the light. I might have even done it myself in the past, I’m not so sure anymore. That’s what the scooter horn was made for, honking at people that you are going through a red light and watch out.
You take your life in your hands if you think that green means go without looking. Just wait a few seconds and it will be safe to go.
My exception to this is fools who come roaring up to a red light that has been red for a long time and barreling through at a high rate of speed without even looking, usually a nappy haired scooter boy with orange hair and no helmet or an old man who has a death wish. I’m almost looking forward to seeing a gravel truck smoke one of these idiots one of these days.
My pet peeve is the idiots who turn right from a sideroad and intentionally refuse to look left for oncoming traffic for fear that looking means they are responsible to merge safely, so not looking means it is the oncoming traffic responsibility to watch out for them. Those idiots i despise. The proverbial ostrich neck in the sand. Wouldn’t be surprised to see the same gravel truck smoke one of them too one day.[/quote]
What you mentioned above about idiots making a right/merging without looking to the left has quickly been added to the top of my driving peeves in taiwan. A lot of the times I floor it and it forces them to stop 1/2 way into merging. Then I stop my car, roll down my windows and give them the bird. Pretty sure there are a few dash cams with my bird.
[quote=“nonredneck”]
I thought in Taiwan, honking the horn just meant “pay attention, I am in your area, adjust your driving so I can pass”. I don’t think honking the horn in Taiwan has the western meaning of “F**k you ***hole.”[/quote]
Agreed, the horn here is used mostly for that reason, but I think when the horn exceeds a half second interval or anything more than a quick double horn, it pretty much means f you. I’m pressing down on it for at least 3-5 seconds. It may not sound like a lot, but it’s pretty long if you compare it with the quick beeps you usually hear.
My guess is that many of the deaths talked about in this article are the result of this very thing. But I don’t think it has anything to do with playing chicken, but just complete obliviousness to the dangers of merging onto a main road from a side road
without first looking left . It boggles the mind.
[quote=“marasan”] complete obliviousness to the dangers of merging onto a main road from a side road
without first looking left . It boggles the mind.[/quote]
I see people doing that so often
The most shocking instance happened last week, I was on the #2 in Yilan at 5.30, which means a lot of traffic. It was green for me (and for the dozens of cars), and yet from a small side road an old man riding a motorbike tried to cross the road ignoring his red traffic light and only checking his RIGHT, which resulted in him almost hitting me and a quick series of &^&%##)$(.
A scooter courier failed to yield to me on the pavement today so he connected with my umbrella.
Then he came back to have another go, from behind, I was wise to his tactics though , he looked at my umbrella and me again and decided against it and sped off.
That’s what the scooter horn was made for, honking at people that you are going through a red light and watch out.
. They’ll think “What did I do wrong?” and I’ll go on living my happy life knowing that I’m not an asshole driver.
