What explains the scourge of unlicensed drivers. Is it the cost and time of the driving school and difficulty of the test, or just not caring?
And if you’re not licensed then you’re not insured.
Lack of enforcement and low fines.
Oh, think twice
'Cause it’s another day
For you and me in paradise
Oh, think twice
It’s just another day for you
You and me in paradise
So much corruption in the counties…big money flying around. While there are mitigating factors that the children crossed on a red light , he should probably have served some time as he was given a five years sentence right !
For older people illiteracy ? Being shit drivers and having poor eye sight ? Having a medical condition ? Having their licence disqualified due to drink driving ?
The recent change in the law says your vehicle will be impounded if driven by an unlicensed driver and involved in a crash, something like that. It should make some people think twice.
As of January 31, 2026, Taiwan has implemented stricter penalties for unlicensed driving to enhance road safety, with fines up to NT$60,000, immediate vehicle impoundment, and mandatory safety classes. Penalties are higher for repeat offenders and can be tripled for subsequent violations.
Key Penalties for Unlicensed Driving (as of Jan 2026)
Automobiles: Fines range from NT$36,000 to NT$60,000.
Motorcycles (Scooters): Fines range from NT$18,000 to NT$36,000.
Immediate Action: Police will impound the vehicle immediately.
Mandatory Education: Violators must pay for and attend an “Unlicensed Driving Violation Class”.
Repeat Offenders: If violations occur three times or more, an additional fine of NT$12,000 for motorcycles/cars or NT$24,000 for large vehicles is applied.
Owner Liability
If a vehicle owner allows an unlicensed person to drive their vehicle, the owner will face heavy fines and may have their license plates suspended for up to 12 months
Just have to be caught unlicensed. Even passing through a check point or if you get asked for ID and you are found to be unlicensed the vehicle will be impounded, same as if caught drunk driving.
The large number of unlicensed driving/riding is probably a mix of quite a few various factors, extreme laziness, lack of care, and the previous relatively lax fines. The relatively recent change to having the vehicle always being immediately confiscated will probably be more effective. Another big problem is people being caught multiple times. Now being caught repeatedly no longer has a maximum upper fine limit, so the fines will keep on increasing every time you’re caught. The problem though is…it’s just a fine. Also combined with the lax enforcement by police regarding traffic violations like illegal parking and what not how likely are you to be stopped anyways…
Here’s another bad incident involving another repeat drunk POS uploaded on Wowtchout the other day. An unlicensed and drunk rider blows through a red light really late and slams into multiple people. According to the description it was his 3rd time drunk riding.
One of the victim’s uploaded the footage. Here’s the translated description that Wowtchout has on the video:
I am really angry and need to vent… Last April, I was hit by a drunk driver who had no license and ran a red light… My scooter is unusable, and I still have some lingering injuries… Fortunately, I am safe, but the bike is totaled… To put it simply, someone ran a red light and crashed into three vehicles… The other party is fully responsible… It’s been dragged out, and my sister and I are still in a lawsuit. I just saw a simple judgment… only three months! They can even pay a fine instead! I am so furious… This is the third time the other party has driven drunk… Why is the sentence so light? Do we have to wait for someone to die before they get serious consequences? We’ve tried to negotiate a settlement 4-5 times… each time, it’s me who doesn’t have money… They clearly don’t want to settle… Their attitude even made the mediator angry! I really can’t understand and am very upset… Why do we keep letting these people off? This was provided by a kind sister. Although it’s a bit far I was the first one thrown out.
Safe bus stop design. Buses coming off the elevated road have only about 100m or less to cut across 4 lanes to stop at a bus stop…
Taipei city is going to have a dedicated bus lane here to fix the problem. City plans to start work on it before the end of June.
Anyways here’s another person completely ignoring the ambulance right behind them and not moving out of the way. Congrats on the NT$6k-30k fine and license plate suspension.
and for good measure two idiots slamming into people in front of them slowing down for an ambulance.
I don’t know what to say…this is absolutely ridiculous. This kind of driving should get you dumped at sea and be forced to swim back to Taiwan. Unbelieviable. Cross double yellow, accelerate to turn right from the oncoming traffic lane and hit someone and just drive away.
Another blind driver hits a pedestrian when making a left turn. Elderly woman knocked to the ground.
Taxi driver nearly plows into pedestrian on the crosswalk. Pretty damn close.
More stupid people. Someone has a dashcam on their helmet, they must be one of those reporting devils, let me assault them. Village idiots right here. One yelling out loud about a whistle blower while another one uses a pipe or a rod to attack you. The victim is just a food delivery rider..
The idiot still thinks you can get money for reporting traffic violations…even though it’s been what, nearly two decades since that’s been a thing. This happened over two days. First time was the idiot being an ass for no reason. Second day the food delivery rider happened to come across the guy again who went after him with his friend or some other guy who was mad about getting fined for traffic violation.
Why is the bus driver allowing passengers to alight outside a bus stop?
Also, those big one way avenues are dangerous because traffic comes from unexpected directions. Although I’m not sure that person looked either way.
Viewers discretion is advised.
There probably isn’t one to begin with. 
Another piece of garbage at the wheel. Has drugs in his system and police want him to pull over after seeing him run a red light. Instead the driver flees and while fleeing slams into a 75yr. old woman on a scooter and runs over her, killing her. Eventually police catch him.
Something about pedestrian islands…some people just love to hit them. Driver suddenly crosses over into oncoming traffic waiting to turn (behind the turn lane’s stop line) and hits one person and then slams into the pedestrian island and traffic light pole on the concrete divider. The person who was hit was knocked into the passing truck. Somehow she only got some scrapes on her arms and legs, but otherwise was fine.
2 dead 1 injured in a single vehicle accident on the freeway. Possibly hydroplaned and lost control? Do they actually teach anything about that during the car licensing process nowadays? For the motorcycle license I don’t recall hearing a single thing about riding in rainy weather or adverse conditions at all during the 2 hour “safety lecture/class”.
Gravel truck not driving to the conditions and loses control. Slams into 6 vehicles, injuring one person on a scooter. The injured person has chest and leg fractures. When the driver was asked by news if it was a brake failure he said no, hydroplaned/lost traction.
Guy rents a Lamborghini…well he ends up drunk driving and when pulled over by police he refuses a breathalyzer. So additional fines for refusal to comply with a breathalyzer and of course still charged for drunk driving. Oh and no license to suspend because it’s already been suspended before!
You have to understand, Taiwanese drivers are incredibly skilled, just not “nice” in a polite “western” sense
And apparently they hate pedestrian islands, hence using those high level driving skills to keep hitting them!
Or how the moss on roads or the white paint they use makes the roads even more dangerous
As a cyclist: wow the paint-filled intersections–and there are more than a few of them–make me nervous on rainy days. “I want to stop but I can’t see anywhere with traction!”
Oh yes…how many times when I complain to Taiwanese about driving habits here have I heard from them “But Taiwanese driving skill is so high”? Being able to parallel park in a small space using 40 turns of the wheel does not qualify as a high level of driving skill.
Maybe it’s me, or maybe it’s the European me, but I’ve always thought Taiwanese are terrible at parking. I don’t understand all this praise. Have you ever tried to park in a neighborhood designed 400 years ago during peak car centric 20th century?
I thought this was the thread about Asians driving skills, where many are praising Taiwanese for their parking skills. So yeah, refer to that thread to better understand my previous comment.
It used to be even worse.
From 2014 news. At the time these were the BPN standards for the road markings. Japan at 65 and Taiwan at 45, with China sitting between 45-70 (I suppose depends on area and or road type?)
Around 2018 Taichung upgraded some their lines to be the higher 65 BPN, like Japan. In the one year since there was a reduction of 201 motorcycles/scooters crashing by themselves. The downside was increased cost, reported as twice as much at the time. Even with increased costs you still get savings elsewhere due to the reduction in accidents and injured/dead people.
The original minimum BPN standard of just 45 was only bumped up to a minimum of 50 in 2021, although some cities/counties may require projects to meet the higher 65 BPN rating.
道路標線下雨天容易導致機車騎士打滑？
1.本市所劃設之交通標線（熱處理聚酯標線）其抗滑係數均達50BPN以上，符合交通部110年9月頒修「交通工程規範」相關規定。
2.為提昇道路行車安全，自104年起增訂抗滑係數65BPN標線施工規範，持續採取道路標線減量及提高標線防滑係數，如將行人穿越道線間隔由40公分調整為間隔80公分、道路銑鋪時改以65BPN標線進行復舊；同時請各道路施工單位配合，共同提升道路標線防滑能力，維護機車騎士行車安全。
[Source: Taipei Traffic Engineering Office]
Still though a lot of people are, unsurprisingly, frustrated about the slippery road markings/lines.
Left: Japan white line
Right: Taiwan white line
https://www.ettoday.net/news/20150511/504713.htm
Not a great source but I tried asking Gemini AI for a short summary of differences between the markings in Taiwan and Japan and this is what it gave me.
The difference you’re noticing comes down to two main factors: the materials used for the markings and the pavement management standards of each country.
1. Material Thickness (Thermoplastic vs. Paint)
In Taiwan, most road markings are made of Thermoplastic. This material is heated and applied to the road, creating a thick layer (often 2mm to 5mm).
- Why they stick up: Over time, as the surrounding asphalt wears down or “sinks” due to heavy traffic and heat, these hard plastic-like lines remain at their original height, creating a noticeable lip or “step.”
- The “Slippery” Issue: Thermoplastic has a lower BPN (British Pendulum Number), which measures skid resistance. When it rains, these thick plastic lines become extremely slick compared to the porous asphalt around them.
In Japan, while they also use thermoplastic, they frequently use thinner applications or Cold Plastic and specialized anti-skid paints that incorporate more glass beads and aggregates to keep the surface rough.
2. Pavement Leveling and “Milling”
The “flatness” in Japan is largely due to their strict milling and paving (刨鋪) standards.
- Japan: When roads are resurfaced, the entire top layer is milled down to a precise depth before new asphalt is laid. This ensures the road and the markings are essentially flush.
- Taiwan: In many areas, “patchwork” paving is common. Instead of milling the whole road, new layers are sometimes laid over old ones, or markings are painted over multiple old layers of thermoplastic, causing them to stack up like a “speed bump.”
3. Drainage and Heat
- Heat Deformation: Taiwan’s tropical climate causes asphalt to soften. Heavy vehicles (buses and trucks) push the soft asphalt down, but they don’t compress the hard thermoplastic lines. This “rutting” makes the lines appear to “stick up” even more.
- Drainage: Japan uses a higher percentage of Porous Asphalt ¶. This allows water to drain through the road surface rather than sitting on top of the markings.
Comparison Summary
Feature Taiwan (Common) Japan (Standard) Marking Height 2mm – 5mm (can stack higher) Usually < 2mm or flush Skid Resistance Historically lower (45-50 BPN) High (65+ BPN common) Maintenance Frequent “patching” Systematic full-width milling Surface Feel High vibration / “Step” feel Smooth transition In recent years, some cities in Taiwan (like Taipei and Taichung) have begun adopting “high-friction” markings that are thinner and rougher, but the legacy of thick, raised thermoplastic lines remains on the vast majority of roads.
Thanks for that. I don’t think I’d heard of the BPN measure before. That does track my sense that the lines aren’t as slippery as they used to be: which is good, but they remain unpredictable.