This is good too
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What a mess.
Guy
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So … they’re trying to kill us, right?
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Baby steps
I was in Kending this week and can confirm the Govt. have painted the sidewalks green and as usual, most of the shops and businesses have already encroached onto the green tarmac.
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“Taiwan is a collectivist culture. They always think about the benefit of the community as a whole before focusing on the needs of each individual”
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Taxi in Taichung stops for pedestrians on the crosswalk (uncontrolled intersection) and police officer comes over and takes a picture to start writing a ticket. Police officer then tells the driver to just go and that the pedestrians are waiting for him go. So just drive and get a ticket or stop and get a ticket. Meanwhile the police officer misses all the other vehicles failing to yield to the pedestrians.
Saw another longer clip of this somewhere but haven’t been able to find it again. Taxi did a U-turn before and was coming down this road and stopped because he saw the pedestrians standing on the crosswalk from what I remember so just doing what he was supposed to do.
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Taichung driver without a license (license was revoked due to previous drunk driving charge) hits and kills a pedestrian on a crosswalk. The driver was given a 6 month sentence…which can be commuted to a fine.
ChatGPT translation:
Drunk driving resulted in a suspended license… Taichung man drove without a license, hit and killed a pedestrian, sentenced to 2 years probation.
A man named Xie from Taichung had his driver’s license suspended due to drunk driving. Despite this, he continued to drive without a license. While driving through a turn in Beitun District, he failed to yield to pedestrians and hit Mr. Wu, who was walking on the crosswalk. Mr. Wu sustained severe head injuries and died at the scene. The court found that Xie ignored the law but considered his voluntary confession and settlement with the victim’s family. He was sentenced to 6 months in prison, with a 2-year probation period. He has the option to appeal.
According to the investigation, Xie had his license suspended due to drunk driving and was not allowed to drive until August 28, 2025. However, on the afternoon of August 29, 2024, he drove without a license. When he was driving on the intersection of Junfu 18th Road and Junrong 2nd Street in Beitun District, he failed to yield to pedestrians and did not slow down as he turned. At that time, Mr. Wu was walking on the crosswalk and was hit by Xie’s car, causing serious head injuries and brain hemorrhage. Despite emergency treatment, Mr. Wu died due to central nervous system failure. Xie stayed at the scene and confessed to the police.
During the trial at Taichung District Court, Xie admitted his actions and evidence, including traffic investigation reports and surveillance footage, confirmed his involvement.
The court considered Xie’s previous license suspension for drunk driving and his violation of traffic laws while his license was suspended. Xie failed to yield at the crosswalk where there were no obstructions to his vision, which resulted in the death of Mr. Wu. The court decided to increase his sentence under the Road Traffic Management Punishment Act but reduced his punishment due to his confession, cooperation, and settlement with the victim’s family.
The court ruled that Xie’s violation of traffic regulations led to the death of a pedestrian, an irreversible consequence, and took into account his post-offense attitude. He was sentenced to 6 months in prison, with the possibility of paying a fine instead, and given 2 years of probation.
3 Likes
Garbage legal system here! Completely unserious about this kind of malicious behavior.
Guy
2 Likes
Unreal
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Lol what a big joke the legal system here is
2 Likes
So no criminal charge for unlicensed driving?
He got in trouble for not having a license, but because he was sorry and paid blood money it’s okay.
I can’t help but wonder if the guy who got on the Taichung MRT and started attacking people with a knife would’ve gotten less of a sentence for deciding to just go out and actually kill someone with a car and just say sorry.
Meanwhile 6 people waiting at a bus stop were hit by a driver.
At least they seem to have a sidewalk. A pedestrian in Taichung near the train station has to walk in the middle of the road as the qilou is blocked off and there are illegally parked cars everywhere. The pedestrian ended up getting hit by a mirror of a bus passing by.
Taichung’s Mayor, Mama Lu presided over a ceremony to celebrate the road and sidewalk project being completed over on Taichung’s JinHua N. Road. The same road I’ve often complained about given how much money and time they put into it just for the sidewalks to all be occupied by cars, trucks, and motorcycles.
News video from yesterday. I just love how she talks about the road being too big and making the sidewalk 3m wide which by Taichung’s own stupid rule means motorcycles can park on the sidewalk, which effectively means you get the same amount of space as before or even less. I would just love for our Mayor, or any other officials from the Transportation (especially the Parking Division that made this stupid rule) or Construction Dept. to come and push their elderly in a wheelchair through here.
Picture from a friend who passed by today:
and a picture from last week or so
Don’t worry, they have an 85% satisfaction about the project!
Also over on JinHua N. Road on the corner of Chongde Rd. is this. A motorcycle shop puts its motorcycles there and often have cars parked on the sidewalk. There’s clearly a no parking on sidewalk sign. So a person made a complaint to the city and the response from the police was there’s no “no parking” sign on the sidewalk so they won’t do anything.
Street view:
Ironically the same 2nd precinct that responded to the above often illegally parks their vehicles on the sidewalk in front of their station even though they have many police parking spots open. They used to put out a cone in that spot to tell people not to park there because it’s a sidewalk, presumably after complaints by people online.
Small complain about the turbo-roundabout in Taichung. I suggested they remove the STOP markings at all the exits of the roundabout (also complained about the traffic lights) and the response I got was quite interesting.
該路口依道路線型及國人駕駛習慣設置相關標誌標線號誌，尚符合規定。
ChatGPT Translation:
The intersection is equipped with relevant signs, markings, and signals according to the road alignment and driving habits of the public, and it complies with regulations.
A roundabout or turbo roundabout is not that hard to make…but Taichung is hell bent on making it as slow as possible.
Found the longer clip.
Another driver drives into a pedestrian island.
4 Likes
Wow, looks like the MOTC is finally going to start regulating tinted windows!!!
Almost 2 years after then head of MOTC Wang GuoCai said he was going to work on pushing forward a proposal to regulate them. Looks to be going off of what some other countries do and going with a 70% light transmittance regulation for front windshield and 35% on the front side windows on vehicles, no regulations for rear windshield or rear side windows.
MOTC held a meeting to announce this. Also announced that Taichung still ranks 1st in being the worst for pedestrian safety, with an additional 8 fatalities from Jan. to Nov. of last year compared to the same time period in 2023.
Article:
ChatGPT Translation:
The Ministry of Transportation has established regulations for car window tint transparency! Front windshield at 70%, no regulations for rear seats
Pedestrian and road traffic safety have received increased attention in recent years, and the transparency of car window tinting has been criticized for being too low, causing poor visibility for drivers and leading to accidents or pedestrian injuries. Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai announced today (7th) that the Ministry of Transportation will review and establish guidelines for the transparency of window tints. Based on current international regulations and domestic survey results, the transparency of the front windshield will be set at around 70%, and there will be no regulations for the glass behind the B-pillar.
The Ministry of Transportation held a press conference today on pedestrian safety. Minister Chen explained the traffic deaths and pedestrian fatalities in various cities from January to November of last year. Taichung City still ranks first in the country for pedestrian deaths, with an increase of 8 pedestrian fatalities compared to the same period last year.
The transparency of car window tinting has long been considered one of the main causes of accidents and pedestrian injuries, and there are currently no regulations in Taiwan. Many car owners choose window tints with low transparency, with lower percentages indicating even less light transmission. Low-transparency tints can block the intense summer sun and keep the car cooler, but they also cause poor visibility for the driver, making accidents more likely at night and increasing the risk of hitting pedestrians.
Many car owners in Taiwan opt for ultra-low transparency tints, most of which are below 40%. The Ministry of Transportation today announced the collection of regulations from various countries and domestic survey results. The transparency of the front windshield will be set at over 70%, and the side windows will be required to have at least 35% transparency. As for the rear seats, there will be no regulations, considering privacy concerns. The minimum standard for most vehicles in this regard will not be regulated.
The Ministry of Transportation stated that the goal for this year is to communicate with relevant parties such as car manufacturers, dealerships, and tint manufacturers, and to propose safety guidelines for window tint transparency. This initiative will start in March and is expected to be completed within three to six months. After that, testing equipment will be purchased to provide data for car owners’ reference.
Reference image from article with regards to B-pillar that is mentioned:
Another article which also discusses some other stuff announced in the press conference such as improving intersection lighting and stuff for pedestrian safety.
TLDR version: Window tinting regulations, improved lighting at intersections, and revising the stop line to crosswalk distance from the current 1 to 3 meters to 2 to 3 meters. Also with all 799 of designated dangerous intersections from last year having had improvements more goals and improvements are to be made this year.
ChatGPT translation:
Reviewing Car Window Tinting, Increasing Intersection Lighting: The Ministry of Transportation’s 3 Major Initiatives for Pedestrian Safety This Year
To reverse Taiwan’s pedestrian safety issues, Minister of Transportation Chen Shih-kai announced today that the Ministry will advance pedestrian safety policies step by step starting this year. Three major policies have been outlined, including adjusting the distance from the stop line to the pedestrian crossing line at intersections, increasing lighting at pedestrian crossings, and reviewing the transparency of car window tints. Regarding car window tint transparency, the Ministry plans to hold a meeting with related organizations in March, create safety guidelines for visible light transmission of car windows and windshields, and purchase equipment to provide testing data for car owners’ reference.
Chen Shih-kai stated that from January to November of last year, the overall traffic accident trend had decreased, and fatalities had dropped. Deaths from motorcycles, elderly drivers, drunk driving, and pedestrians were all reduced compared to the previous year. However, the death toll for children and adolescents was concerning, especially the issue of unlicensed teenage drivers, which requires more effort. He also noted that the Ministry of Transportation has shifted its overall policy focus from vehicle-centered to people-centered transportation, marking a critical period over the next 2 to 3 years. Annual goals will be set, and last year, 799 intersections were improved, with larger improvements expected this year.
Chen outlined three key policies for this year. The first is to adjust the distance from the stop line to the pedestrian crossing line at intersections. Currently, Taiwan’s regulations set the distance between the stop line and the pedestrian crossing at 1 to 3 meters, which is the shortest among global standards and is the same as in Japan. However, as large vehicles become more common, a 1-meter distance creates a sense of pressure for pedestrians. This will be adjusted to 2 to 3 meters in the future.
The second policy is to improve lighting at pedestrian crossings, with priority given to provincial roads. Traditionally, ordinary roads used yellow lights, but in the future, intersections will use white lights with increased brightness. The third policy is to establish regulations for car window tints, which is not yet present in Taiwan. In the past, it was believed that overly dark tints might obstruct the driver’s view. Therefore, the Ministry will study this issue, including for front windshields and driver-side windows, though any restrictions will need public consensus.
Director of the Road Administration and Road Safety Department, Huang Yun-gui, noted that many counties and cities had not complied with the regulations on the distance from the stop line to the pedestrian crossing line. In the future, a random inspection team will be formed to check these locations, and if improvements are not made, local governments will be required to make adjustments.
Director of the Highway Bureau, Chen Wen-rui, indicated that this year, the Ministry will review intersections where pedestrian accidents have occurred in the past three years and improve the lighting at 400 intersections. Additionally, by April 1, 7 to 10 intersections will have their lighting changed from yellow to white for trial observation. If there are no adverse effects, the improvements will be expanded.
In Taiwan, most cars have window tints on their windshields and side windows, but regulations are currently only in place for taxis (including multi-purpose taxis), with transparency tests done by visual inspection. Chen Wen-rui noted that based on regulations from other countries, the minimum visible light transmission standards for vehicles are as follows: for the front windshield, 70%; for the front side windows, 35%. As for the rear side windows and rear windshield, no regulations will be set due to privacy concerns.
Chen Wen-rui further explained that based on surveys of stakeholders and the public, there are still differing opinions regarding whether legislation should apply retroactively and whether it is directly related to safety. This year, the Ministry will communicate with vehicle manufacturers, dealers, tint manufacturers, and sellers, encouraging them to disclose window tint transparency data when selling products for consumers’ reference. It is also suggested that industry players develop tints that offer good heat insulation, high transparency, and high cost performance.
For new cars, the Ministry will provide safety guideline brochures on visible light transmission for car windows and windshields to car dealers and tint sellers, aiming for source management and promotion. For vehicles already in use, safety guideline brochures will first be provided for reference. Once testing equipment is purchased and training is completed, testing data will be offered to car owners during regular vehicle inspections.
Regarding the timeline for implementation, Chen Wen-rui stated that in March, the Ministry plans to hold a meeting with various stakeholders, government agencies, and interest groups to create the safety guidelines for visible light transmission of car windows and windshields, and purchase testing equipment. The process is expected to take 3 to 6 months to complete, after which testing data will be provided for car owners’ reference.
A major point that I think will be a bit overlooked is the change in regulations regarding the stop line distance from crosswalks. Currently the regulations state it should 1-3 meters.
Some roads that 1 meter is really putting a lot of trust in people on the road and when I’ve made suggestions the Taichung Transportation Dept. has blown me off about it since it’s already 1 meter and follows regulations.
Although it’s nice that they still dispatch personnel to check and for ones that are shorter than 1 meter they have actually made improvements.
Even in their own press conference the MOTC says that MANY cities and counties fail to comply with the existing regulation of 1 to 3 meters distance anyways…so an inspection team will be created to perform inspections.
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And then we’ll see about enforcement…
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A very lax regulation. 35% is too dark. It shows pedestrian safety is not a concern. In Europe it’s 75 or 70% for both windshield and front side windows.
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70% better than nothing but, 35% front side windows?!!
With 35% transparency trying to distinguish car headlamps from the side-view mirrors during the night is akin to searching for constellations in the middle of the city at night.
But I guess nobody uses the side-view mirrors when nighttime driving in Taiwan anyway.
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They use the camera attached to the side mirror. Pretty soon everyone will just be looking at the console to drive.
Literally murdered someone on top of not having a license and he can buy his way out of any real consequences
Looking at the video playing on the console maybe…