lol, moving backwards? Roundabouts are way more efficient at traffic flow management than lighted intersections. It’s a self-regulating system that depends only on current conditions. Lights mean cars need to stop even when not needed.
Roundabouts work well when there isn’t much traffic, but don’t work when there is. How would a car waiting to get into a busy roundabout ever be able to get in, if there is no gap in the traffic due to the lack of red lights?
Eventually roundabouts get dismantled and upgraded to signals if the intersection becomes high-traffic. This is universal practice pretty much everywhere in the world.
If you look at old photos of Taiwan in the 60’s and 70’s, most intersections that are now signal-controlled were controlled by roundabouts because there wasn’t much traffic back then.
Can you post pictures of them? Do they have visible yield signs at the entrance? The rule is to yield to traffic already inside the roundabout and drive on the inner lanes until your exit (except lorries and buses, which can use the outer lane all around). Because incoming traffic has to yield, it also helps decrease speeds. Educating drivers on the rules and clear sign posting should be what it takes. If they can get Taiwanese ppl to stand in line at the marks on the floor when waiting for a train, why can’t they get them to follow plain traffic rules?
Because the MRT is seen as a national treasure so Taiwanese will work to keep it protected and orderly, like you will never ever see anyone try to trash the MRT stations or do disgusting thing like pee on the platform like most Western systems. In fact the floor of MRT trains are so clean you could practically eat off of it. I don’t think you can say this about the West.
I’m not sure I have any good pictures of the roundabout at the New Taipei industrial park. I do not see any yield sign or anything and nobody really yields, which is why I hate those roundabouts. Plus both of them just have shrubs and stuff blocking the entering street making crossing them extremely dangerous. In fact I have to advance slowly and peek around the corner to make sure I’m not going to become road kill.
The campaign will also focus on fining motorists who fail to stop first at non-signalized intersections by following instructions provided by road traffic signs, markings and signals, before moving forward again.
Wait… What? Does this mean they’ll actually enforce stop signs? Or even crazier still, yield signs?? I’m just going to place my bets now that this does absolutely nothing… I’m calling bullshit on all of it. Just cops writing tickets for a week then back to being busy with all the nothing they’re usually doing.
As for peds, just yesterday on the scooter I stopped for a guy crossing the road on a crosswalk, one nowhere close to any stoplights. Although I came to a stop slowly and other vehicles were 30+ meters behind me, they all just blew past me and the pedestrian. One person even honked at me, like I’m the asshole. I had to give up and gun it out of there otherwise I could have been injured or killed. I should know better… this is Taiwan, fuck the pedestrians.
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I didn’t see any busy roundabouts in this video. The clips were all filmed in suburban UK towns.
These intersections are no busier than a normal medium-sized intersection in the US controlled by 4-way stop signs.
Why is that? Is the government too poor to hire more officers? As far as I know it’s quite hard to become a police officer in Taiwan as you have to first apply (via a test as usual) to a police university and you go from there.
I believe so. You must realize that in a country where most people pay 5% on their income taxes, it’s hard for government to become very large.
Especially when spending is prioritized on military equipment and fighter jets.
Taiwan’s budget has always been rather balanced and they got a ton of money. Why were they able to give out the 6000nt cash otherwise?
That Taiwan can even function to this extent on such low taxes is amazing.
Because there was a surplus this year, and this year only. You can’t expand the budget of the police force based only on one year’s surplus, because there is no trend yet.
If there is consistently a surplus every year for a few years, then you can start considering expanding their budget.
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Than that’s a problem of bad design. Roundabouts have rules, but they should be reinforced with clear signage. I’ve driven on 4 and 5 lane roundabout all over Europe in perfect safety and convenience, no problems getting in or out. Looks to me more a matter of proper driver education and road design than anything else, really.
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Inflation has artificially increased tax revenues via sales tax (VAT in Europe). The $6000 is meant to correct that and return needed cash to tax-payers’ pockets. Happening in Europe as well.
I don’t think that fines will work in the long run. People will pay it and won’t change their behavior. Unless the government puts it money into strict enforcement and suspends licenses to cause a major inconvenience nothing will change. They probably should focus on education as well.
of course you can, instead of giving back a lump sum of 2 billion USD to all citizens you tell the police force they now get 200 millions a year over the course of the next 10 years to implement whatever programs they have. the actual amount in TW is almost double of my example , meaning you can also split it and support fire fighters, or social workers, or elementary school teachers, the list is long.
this “handout” has more to do with elections than any “trends”.
You misunderstood! It’s only for a day, god help the motoring public if the rules had to be adhered to for a whole week!
And then what? Fire all those new hires after the extra money dries up in 10 years?
It wouldn’t be so bad if they didnt have the lights timed randomly. In big cities in the US they can use sensors to facilitate traffic flow. Here they practically encourage people to run red lights by making drivers wait 99+ seconds at a red light, then changing the next one to red just before or after the long light turns green
If you think the average driver here understands right of way, is able to stay within lane lines when turning, and is willing to yield, I guess you don’t drive in the south much
We have roundabouts in K-town, they are hilarious
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Ok, good design and following the rules. You definitely don’t drive here. Have you been to Taiwan?
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