I saw online someone shared a Yahoo Japan article about the Japanese pedestrian’s death in Kaoshiung. It has more than 250 comments on it.
Some of the top comments (ChatGPT translation) are:
Taiwan is a popular tourist destination due to its proximity to Japan, but the number of traffic accidents is much higher than in Japan. The number of fatalities due to traffic accidents is about five times higher per capita in Taiwan than in Japan. Every year, Japanese tourists and international students are involved in accidents.
The main causes are traffic conditions that prioritize cars and drivers. Even at intersections and crosswalks, vehicles often speed through, rushing ahead without concern for pedestrians. Other dangerous behaviors, such as ignoring traffic signals, speeding, sudden starts, sudden stops, and failing to stop at stop signs, are common and accepted.
In Taiwan, the traffic rules that are standard in Japan do not apply. Pedestrians must always be vigilant due to the hazardous traffic conditions.
Over 20 years ago, when I first visited Taiwan, I was surprised by how many cars there were that drove aggressively, despite most people being gentle. The guide told us, “Be careful of the cars. If you’re involved in an accident, you’ll just be at a loss.” I was told that compensation after an accident is much lower compared to Japan. I wonder if things have improved a little since then? It’s truly unfortunate when lives are lost. One really has to be cautious around cars.
I don’t want to say this, but Japanese people shouldn’t take the environment in Japan for granted. There is no country that is as overly protective of pedestrians as Japan. In many places abroad, drivers prioritize their vehicles. If you assume, like in Japan, that cars will stop for you, you might get run over. In Japan, pedestrians casually walk across crosswalks while looking at their smartphones. That kind of behavior is only allowed in Japan. Crossing the street abroad can be a matter of life and death.
Compared to Japan, driving in Taiwan feels much more aggressive. There are many instances of fast driving, and motorcycles often weave through traffic, speeding close to cars and pedestrians. Unlike Japan, where pedestrians have priority, it’s important to recognize that in many places outside Japan, cars have the right of way.
However, this time it was an accident on the sidewalk. Of course, you should always be cautious even on the sidewalk, but this kind of accident is hard to avoid even if you’re careful. It’s truly unfortunate that something like this happened during what should have been a fun family trip. It’s just heartbreaking.
I love Taiwan and visit once or twice a year, but the driving can be rough and scary. The first time I went to Taiwan, I took a taxi from Jiufen back to Taipei. Even while driving on the highway, the driver was looking at his smartphone and tablet, which was quite frightening. (But the driver was a nice person and spoke a little Japanese, which was kind.) Since then, I try to avoid taking taxis in Taiwan whenever possible, and even when the traffic light is green, I always make sure to check my surroundings.
A few years ago, I visited Taiwan, and crossing the street was really scary. Even when the pedestrian light was green, there was no such thing as “pedestrian priority.” Cars would rush through even if pedestrians were already on the crosswalk, so I always hurried across, fearing I might get hit. In foreign countries, not only do you need to be cautious about safety, but you also have to be careful about traffic accidents.
In Keelung in just a couple of weeks the exact same spot has two separate instances of pedestrians legally crossing being hit by cars.
Hualian politician tries to pull the I’m a politician card to a police officer who is giving him a ticket for illegal parking on a red line on the corner. The man loses it and starts yelling at the officer. Well, now that he’s caused such an embarrassing scene his actions are being reviewed by the Taiwan’s People Party (TPP) and requesting a punishment be doled out.
The man even took the police report form and walked over across the street, leading the officer to tell the man that such actions could be considered disrupting a police officer’s duties as it is an official document. The politician demanded the officer to record the incident and tell him clearly what law he has broken. The man even said I have never seen an officer like you! I will call the station chief! The police said that their officer did nothing wrong and stood by the officer’s actions.
, perhaps they should just walk outside.
