Lots of money for paint 
Really nasty drunk driving incident down in Kaoshiung. Drunk driver overtook a tour bus on the right at high speed and drove into a car mechanic on the side of the road seriously injuring her and is reported as still being in critical condition. He fled and then soon after hit 2 elderly women on a scooter (65yr. old woman and 95yr. old passenger) and continued to flee. The elderly women received only minor injuries. When police finally caught the guy he still blew a 0.69, well over the limit.
This driver is known to police as he injured a police officer while driving drunk just a month before. Which means he’s also driving without a license. The guy is the son of a family that runs a local temple.
Before the crash happened the guy had already vandalized his wife’s family’s shop. He also apparently has a previous assault charge for assaulting 2 woman and leaving them with bruised eyes. He also has previous DUI charges including trying to flee a police checkpoint.
The car mechanic is 25yr. old single mother and works hard to support her family. Now she may be facing life changing injuries due to severe fractures in her lower body. Her legs are fractured and her pelvis is shattered.
The video without the skip/cut in the video is on the wowtchout youtube channel. Viewer discretion advised.
Is it near a school or hospital? Those areas get priority for improvements/changes.
If not then probably because they already have roadside parking there, so it’s easy to add curb extensions because the roadside parking will be turned into parking bays as well as improving overall visibility for drivers and pedestrians.
Could also be as simple as the local lizhang or councillor made a request for it as well.
Plenty of money to hand out driver’s licenses like candy to people who can’t even navigate a simple roundabout 
I think this is the same spot. Driver goes wrong way in the roundabout and almost hits the cammer…
Well…
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American in Taichung gets grabbed and a 20cm. knife pulled on him for taking a picture of a local driver illegally parking on the crosswalk. This happened right across the street from the district court. The local guy is going to sue the American for “public insult”. Police will have the local prosecuted for intimidation.
In the video of the American talking to the police he even says the guy even called his friends to come over. Also says to the police do you think I want him to know where I live…
So not sure if the police were trying to record his address down to give to the other guy or what.
Given the Taipei knife attacks recently we can surely expect this attempt to use a weapon to threaten someone very seriously, just like attempts to use motor vehicles to maim and kill other people has been taken so seriously after the driver in SanXia deliberately accelerated into a group of kids killing multiple people…
CoPilot translation of article:
Car Illegally Parked on Pedestrian Crossing – American Man Threatened with Weapon After Attempting to Report
In Taichung, a man illegally parked his car on a pedestrian crossing. When a foreigner attempted to take photos to file a report, the driver became enraged, pulled out a weapon about 20 centimeters long, and threatened him. The shocking incident was captured by bystanders, and police arrived on the scene to arrest the man.
The driver of the white car got out and began arguing loudly with an American man. Their quarrel escalated, voices rising, until the man in a short-sleeved shirt suddenly grabbed the foreigner by the collar. The foreigner raised his fist, seemingly ready to fight back, but the short-sleeved man then pulled a weapon—at least 20 centimeters long—from his pocket and made a motion as if to attack.
The incident occurred in front of the Taichung District Court. The short-sleeved man had parked illegally on the zebra crossing, obstructing pedestrians. The foreigner, seeing this injustice, took out his phone to report it. The driver noticed and got out of his car to confront him.
Taichung City Police West District Precinct Chief Tsai Ming-Sung stated: “Mr. Lin held a knife and pulled Mr. Huang by the collar, causing Mr. Huang to feel threatened and file a complaint for intimidation. Mr. Lin, in turn, claimed Mr. Huang used inappropriate language and filed a public insult complaint.” Nearby witnesses recorded the incident and called the police. Fortunately, it did not escalate into bloodshed. Both parties were taken to the police station for questioning, and the man who brandished the weapon has been referred for prosecution on intimidation charges.
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I’m here! Couldn’t resist to check it out.
It’s a shit show. If you want to have a good laugh, please come to watch the spectacle. Absolutely no one yields to vehicles already in the roundabout. Actually, it’s the other way around, vehicles in the circle actively yield to others. Many, and it is MANY, vehicles ignore the roundabout and drive in the wrong direction. Scooters riding straight from where I took that photo don’t even bother to move their necks to watch for incoming traffic. My guess is drivers don’t either.
At this point, I don’t even blame motorists, but the ones who build infrastructure purposely designed to fail. I mean, you need a national educational campaign in media, AND on the roads, if you expect this people to even grasp a 10% of any traffic rules.
Just saw a car inside the circle yielding to a scooter going in the wrong direction.
This can be a tourist destination.
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As a decorative piece, beautiful
I’m still of the opinion that roundabouts can’t work in Taiwan
Taiwanese operate best at uncontrolled intersections and allowing left-turners the right of way. And riding scooters like a NYC bike messenger in the 80s. Why these cruel jokes of conformity are played on them I don’t understand.
Can boost the number of international tourists. Open up a cafe with a 2nd/3rd floor view over the area.
As for some recommendations in Taichung…you can try the Dakeng roundabout if you’re in the area. Now it has a newly added crosswalk so people can walk up to the temple in the middle of the roundabout. Although I’d say it’s a lot more fun looking at the chaos from the outside then experiencing it first hand. I’ve already had a few close calls at this one. Nearby is a popular/“famous” taro ball dessert shop 東東芋圓 本店 so you can get something to go and come back here and enjoy the sights.
You can also go here, the Taichung North District Taiyuan Rd and Chongde Rd. intersection. The 3rd most fines in the city issued by the traffic cams are here. Two of the corners here have cafes with 2nd floor seating. At night you can sometimes see the cameras flashing quite a bit as they catch people running red lights.
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I have a soft spot for traffic islands. Ban left turns!
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This will be your well deserved legacy
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Timely enough another driver has hit the same pedestrian island I shared pictures of a few weeks ago.
[Source: Threads link]
Also regarding left turns, this spot has since been changed to have a left turn only phase, completely separating pedestrians from left turning traffic. In the first part clip they immediately pull over 7-8 riders who failed to wait for their green light. Some people interviewed by the news say they don’t know because there is no mention or announcement of the change…but I mean just look at the traffic light and it’s quite obvious.
Quite a few illegal left turns turned fatal as well.
Vehicle makes an illegal left turn and pulls out in front of a passing motorcyclist going straight and collides with him. The motorcyclist died.
Similar thing. Illegal left turn, scooter rider dead.
Truck driver making a left turn doesn’t yield to a scooter going straight. Kills both the rider and the passenger.
Another driver on drugs, ends up drifting over to the other side of the road and colliding with a vehicle parked on the side. Mother and child narrowly avoid getting hit, but mother is still hurt after the parked car was hit and pushed into a parked scooter which then hit her. Of course no sidewalks.
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Aren’t those only for surrounding schools? Like literally around the school and nowhere else?
Here a school that apparently doesn’t need a zebra crossing in front of what appears to be the main entrance.
As a bonus, a parent that thinks the school has too many kids.
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66yr. old pedestrian crossing on the crosswalk in Zhongli, Taoyuan was runover and killed by a left turning city UBus driver. Seems this happened in October last year but I don’t recall this one being in the news.
Google street view of the intersection. Compared to many intersections in Taiwan this one offers great visibility of both traffic and pedestrians.
If it has no left turn filter arrow makes it more complex. Taoyuan has very few left turn filter arrows and left turn lanes compared to say, Kaohsiung. I noticed it when I moved there.
Japanese genetics left two main traits: short tailed cats and kamikazes.
Update to the case with the 18yr. old nursing student run over and killed by a crane last June.
The 77yr. old crane operator that murdered the 18yr. old by running a red light failed to show up for the first 2 hearings. Only later did the victim’s mother find out that the crane operator already died last year in October.
CoPilot AI translation of article:
https://tw.news.yahoo.com/18歲女-停紅燈-遭吊車輾亡-母怒控-調解2度放鳥-121900270.html#st
18-year-old woman killed by crane truck while stopped at red light – Mother furious: mediation twice “no-show”
Outside Taipei MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station, in June last year (2025), a tragic accident occurred: a crane truck driver crashed into three scooters waiting in the turning area, killing an 18-year-old female rider under its wheels. The victim’s family accused the driver of failing to appear at the first two mediation hearings. Later, they discovered the driver had already passed away in October last year, and the family even had to go through the process of renouncing inheritance. On January 15, the third mediation hearing was held, with the truck company’s owner appearing for the first time, claiming the driver was merely “freelance,” trying to shirk responsibility.
The victim’s mother, Ms. Tsai, said angrily: “Is a human life really this simple, this casual? Is that how it is? No, it’s not like that!” Her voice was filled with grief and rage. The accident last June 21 in Taipei’s Da’an District took away her beloved daughter, her closest companion. The crane truck driver, surnamed Lai, struck three scooters in the waiting zone and dragged them forward, killing the young rider.
Reporter vs. crane truck driver (June 2025): “Did you really not know you hit someone and just kept driving?” Lai claimed he was fatigued. After questioning, he was released on bail of NT$150,000. Later, multiple violations were uncovered, and his cold attitude made the family even more outraged. Ms. Tsai recalled: “He said, ‘Cut down on funeral expenses, do fewer rituals. If you want to buy a columbarium, I can give you a discount.’”
Not only did the driver ignore the family after the crash, he also failed to attend two mediation hearings. Only afterward did they learn he had already died in October. At the third mediation hearing on January 15, the family sought compensation from the truck company. The owner and lawyer appeared for the first time, insisting the driver was just a freelancer, downplaying responsibility.
Reporter vs. truck company owner: “You think you have no responsibility, don’t you? Eight months and not a single phone call.” The owner and lawyer quickly left without a word. The driver’s family had already renounced inheritance, but legally the truck company should bear joint employer liability. The victim’s family criticized the company for being absent and silent all this time. Ms. Tsai said: “They just ghosted us, completely ghosted us. No thought of apology. They don’t care at all.”
Victim’s attorney Huang Zhonglin said: “The defendants asked the court to order the victims to file a civil lawsuit, but today they didn’t even propose any compensation amount.” The victim’s family condemned the company’s lack of sincerity, stressing that no amount of money could ever bring back their daughter’s youth and life.
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Some idiot illegally parks right next to the Alishan Forest Railway train crossing and the train has to come to a complete stop. He parked there so he could take pictures of the train. As it is a rail crossing heavier fines and penalties apply. The driver may have his driver license suspended for 1 year. The fine can range from NT$15k to 90k.
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They resurfaced the roads near me and added these new green sections at the side.
Aren’t these normally pedestrian walkways? Why would they add them when there’s already a wide sidewalk (some of them do continue around the round in sidewalk-less alleys)? Do they have some other purpose here?
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They’re pedestrian gutters. Because the KMT doesn’t believe you deserve proper pedestrian infrastructure if your presence inconveniences cars. And since they are level with the street, drivers will ignore them at the expense of your safety.
For the Kleptomaniac Triad, only peanuts are provided to the peasants if anything is provided at all.
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Yes normally, but in this case, you’ll see they’re built alongside regular sidewalks.
Yea. Same thing.