Sadly, 2 weeks ago I was knocked off my scooter by a school kid who turned her electronic scooter directly into the side of me. Very light impact but she called her parents who arrived on scene. The mother then called the cops. No got hurt, no damage to either scooters. I also called my wife who left work early to meet me at the scene of the accident. When the cops were about to keave after getting all necessary statements etc etc, the cop said to my wife that he’ll definitely check his systems for a drivers licence registered to me when he returns to his station. My wife replied that he will not show up as its an international driving permit and not one issued by Taiwan.
Ive always made sure that every year I renewed my international driving permit from the UK to be able to drive in Taiwan.
I was also unaware that NOW UK and Taiwan have a license exchange since 2022, when I arrived in Taiwan this wasn’t available, only for USA license holders.
The cop that took my details at the scene did not ask to see my international driving permit. He saw my ARC but had originally asked for my passport.
1 week later cop telephoned my wife and told her that he cannot find a license to me in his system and he now wants to see my international driving permit.
We went down to our local substation to meet the cop. He and my wife chatted and I sat there like a lemon. He copied my IDP and its relevant chinese page. Apparently this copy will go into the accident file and be sent off to a yunlin county office?
I can honestly say that I was unaware that we have to register IDP or apply for a Taiwan’s driver’s license if staying over 1 year.
He was not interested in copying my full UK drivers license despite being told that the IDP is useless on its own and only valid when produced with the original country’s drivers license. He was also informed that the IDP is just a translation of my license, nothing more and nothing less.
Ive been checking the internet here in Taiwan about IDP and I have no idea since when but seemingly we have to register IDP or exchange original country’s license or take Taiwan driving test.
Its all very crazy and now I fear of a fine as this is the cops main objective!!!
School kid no insurance, no license and rides an electronic scooter. Thats crazy too.
Yes, you have to register your IDP after some time in Taiwan.
Even if they will find that you drove without ‘proper license’, it will have no effect on the accident resolution. There might be a fine from police.
Police will later give you their non binding opinion on who is at fault by how much (usually a party is not 100% at fault). Then there will be mediation meetings where you and the other party try to agree on compensation.
Since there are no damages, you and the other party can agree to sign a declaration that both parties will not pursue any compensation.
If you can not agree, than it will go to court and a judge will decide.
That is normal and only this year a regulation was introduced that requires number plates and insurance on small electric scooter’s. Currently there is still a transition period for vehicles that were bought before it took effect.
From my understanding, whether your IDP is valid for driving in Taiwan depends on how long you have been in Taiwan (since last exiting) and whether you got your IDP stamped at the MVO - see this thread:
By the way - this is not only a thing in Taiwan. The UK apparently also prevents people from using an IDP indefinitely:
If your driving licence is a non-EU licence, it will be valid for 12 months from when you enter the UK. After this period, you will need to apply for a UK provisional licence, and you will be required to take and pass the UK theory test and the UK practical driving test.
This is pretty standard, he should also have breathalysed you!
He could have fined you already if that was his objective. Due to the kids mother calling the cops there is a lot of stupid paper work that needs to be filled.
If you entered Taiwan from anywhere in the last 30days then your IDP is valid without stamp.
I suggest just going and doing the scooter test, it’s pretty simple.
Indeed he breathalyzed me as well as the young girl. I’ve been in Taiwan since 2005, was also hit from behind by a drunk driver while driving our car, $8,500ntd worth of damage, driver had no license or insurance and was drunk. At no point did the cops ask to see my license and I was also breathalyzed. Strangely the cops took the other driver to one side and began giving him water to drink before breathalyzing him. My wife and I were shocked to see this.
funny enough it turned out that my wife knew the kid and her parents as they own an run our local village breakfast shop!! I recall the parents faces too but not their daughter.
One is allowed to ask for water to wash out the mouth before taking the breathalyzer test.
If he just drank recently that can skew the breathalyzer test to show higher values than are in his blood.
Dumb too if their plan was to help him pass, time is pretty much the only thing that they could give him that would make a significant difference.
I decided not to go that route as I have a “heavy motorcycle” license on the same card as my “small motorcycle” and car license and they would not swap the “heavy motorcycle” part so I’d lose use of it. The whole changing back to my own country license was far too unclear and open to issues. The car and bike tests here are so easy it’s pretty much less hassle to do them or just continue with IDP’s.
My UK license also covers me to ride very large motorcycles in the UK as I passed my motorcycle test in 1980 and my car license in 1980 too.
I’m not sure about wishing to go for the Taiwan scooter test as I’ve heard some centers are known to be biased towards westerners.
Since living in Taiwan from March 2005 I’ve never been stopped by the Police for a routine traffic stop or for something I did wrong, I have rode my scooter professionally and have tried never to drawn attention to myself. I used to ride my scooter from Erlun to Chiayi daily and then leave from Chiayi around 21.45pm after my classes had finished heading back home to Erlun.
Living here in the rural area I have had to turn a blind eye to things I’ve seen, my next door neighbors are farmers and their eldest daughter often rides a 125 scooter around without a helmet and she is 14 going on 15!! Her parents encourage it for goodness sake.
Yeah, but it’s either that or getting a new license by taking the tests in Taiwan if you want to drive legally…
Personally, I’ve exchanged mine (Germans also have to surrender their German license - what a stupid rule…) - under the assumption that I can always change back. Haven’t put this assumption to a test yet, though…