When I was last living there in 99 , Taiwan had about 10 deaths per day (Taipei city about one a day) for scoot/moto riders. Wonder if the stats are worse now or better or much the same.
taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ … 2003616141
4 died from speeding, late at night. Taking chances, not thinking of what ifs.
The two 17 year old girls on the back didn’t even have their fate in their own hands.
Total number of fucks given = zero
Any place where you can get government stats? My chinese isn’t good enough to randomly sift through the local web sites, but it would be interesting to put some big data together.
Apparently, as nobody wants to look for latest stats as compared to 99 stats. When it was about 360 deaths islandwide that year IIRC from moto/scoot accidents.
I read recently a report that stated that Taiwan is the country with a biggest mortality rate between scooter/motorcycle drivers, far above the second one (happens to be France).
I’m not saying that it’s not true, but that surprises me greatly. And the reason is that Taiwan has more scooter drivers per habitant than most likely any other country in the World, and additionally, speeds are low and most of the accidents have little to no consequences.
Yes, there are many accidents. Yes, many are mortal. But the vast majority are not. And virtually everybody rides a scooter here, so it shouldn’t be the country with greater mortality rate, INHO.
Just found some stats from 2009.
I think the article Blaquesmith was referring is the one I have just posted below. It does state that of all the developed countries, Taiwan has the highest traffic related fatalities and that for every 100 incidents, 60 were scooter accidents, higher than France’s 23 per 100. The latter part of the article states that the reason for this is the number of scooters in Taiwan, approx 14million or nearly 1 for every adult.
in previous years (before 2007), Taiwan had 2573 deaths due to traffic related accidents of which 1646 were scooter related. In 2008, 2224 people died in traffic accidents of which 1357 were scooter related.
As a comparison I looked up the UK road accident stats. In years 2000 to 2007, there were an average of 3292 deaths in the whole of UK of which 604 were motorcycle related. In 2008 there were 2538 deaths of which 493 were motorcycle related.
Considering that the UK population is 3 times the Taiwan population, the number of people dying on Taiwan’s roads seems unnecessarily high.
交通事故死亡率 台灣第一？
每100件有60件因為機車事故 次高的法國是23件
美國在台協會（ＡＩＴ）台北辦事處處長司徒文以「吃美牛比在台騎機車安全」的比喻引發爭論，但在台灣機車死亡率的確高得嚇人。交通部統計發現，在世界主要先進國家道路交通事故，台灣的死亡率高居第一，每十萬人中，就有十七點五人是死於道路交通事故，其中六成都是因為機車事故，同樣名列第一。
交通部道安會組長劉韻珠昨天在一場「自行車騎乘安全與事故防治對策」論壇提出報告指出，相較美日法德韓等先進國家，台灣道路交通安全事故死亡率最高，死亡件數中，每一百件有六十件因機車事故，比次高的法國的廿三件高出一點六倍。
若以人數來看，比率更驚人。以前年為例，全台二五七三人死於車禍，其中有一六四六人是機車事故，比率高達六成四，去年二二二四人死於車禍，其中一三五七人是騎機車，比率也超過六成一。
為什麼機車事故死亡率如此高？公路總局統計，到九月底為止，台灣共有一四四○萬輛摩托車，若扣除未成年人口，幾乎平均一人就有一輛摩托車，放眼世界，很難找到如此高的人車比；高持有率，再加上台灣車道是混合車流，甚至常見機車騎士利用快車道超車，加上很多人沒有扣好安全帽扣環的習慣，都是關鍵。
防制機車死亡事故，道安會認為「分流最重要」。道安會指出，台北縣板橋環河路曾有「機車死亡道路」之稱，每年奪走數十條機車騎士人命；道安會與北縣府合作，在九十五年底在環河路設置「機慢車優先道」，將汽機車分流，機車死亡人數從當年廿四人，降低為去年的十一人，去年再減為兩人，成效顯著。
【2009-10-29/聯合報/A1版/要聞】
Hmm come to think of it. I think the 10 per day islandwide, I remember in 99 was total deaths from accidents, not just from scoot/moto accidents. But scoot/moto took up a big part.
It is makes sense that a high percentage of accidents involve two wheels, because most of the people use them. It also make sense that there are lots of scooter accidents because again they are used a lot. Still I agree that there are too many accidents that could be prevented by following basic logic, but I don’t think that Taiwan has a specially rate of casualties by scooter user. I tend to believe the contrary, actually.
I have no doubt that if you put the same amount of scooters in Toronto, Canada, the death rate would be many times that of Taiwan simply because no one there ever looks when turning, much to the chagrin of pedestrians and bicyclists.
At least Taiwanese typically have some amount of an awareness of whats going on around them, Canadian drivers are oblivious to all but them.
[quote=“dan2006”]
At least Taiwanese typically have some amount of an awareness of whats going on around them, Canadian drivers are oblivious to all but them.[/quote]
Really? U said “AWARENESS”!!!
I suggest you to try at least once to drive a scooter or a car in Taipei.
you probably will update your comment
There is a whole thread about how " taiwanese are oblivious about their surroundings"
You should have a look at it
I think you have mistaken Taiwan for another country. Drivers here have the same awareness as a brick.
The other day I had to pull my daughter’s stroller backwards because an arsehole decided to jump a red light with a huge SUV and he would have hit both of us if I hadn’t been watching. On my street, I’ve been hit many times by scooters passing at less than 30 cm (one foot) away from me. They basically hit me with the side mirrors of the bike/scooter, and they don’t even bother to stop and say “sorry”.
If they are aware, then they are a bunch of jerks. If they are not aware, they should totally use all those cameras on the streets and fine the hell out of those reckless drivers.
Another stat…
In 2014,in Taiwan, an average of 3.5 students were killed every week in scooter accidents. (I would wager that this figure applies to many other years too).
I don’t have the numbers for injuries/deaths just for scooters/moto, but for all motorised vehicle injuries/death, the average over the last 5 years in Taiwan is approximately 33,000 such cases.
There is a push by the government to move the population off scooters and onto public transport. Apparently in Taipei, there has been stricter enforcement of where scooters can park, and also subjecting scooters to parking fees, while public transport has been greatly improved.
Frankly I don’t believe the government gives a hoot. The fact that the number of registered motorcycle users in 2014 at 14 million (according to the MOEA) is the same as almost a decade ago is quite telling.
Maybe it’s the scooter industry cozying up with the government or maybe it’s a cultural thing and it’s too sensitive an issue for the government to do anything about.
I just don’t understand why parents aren’t more vocal about it.
33000 divided by five, divided by 365 = 18/day over five years. That is certainly more then the 10/day i remember in 1999 through death by motorvehicle.
For a place as small as Taiwan , 18 a day is a LOT.
Last week my friends Mom died in a scooter crash in Thailand (they are Thai)
Taiwan is so civilized compared to Thailand where driving the wrong way on the sidewalk is “normal”
I just do not see that Taiwan could ever be the worst,
be careful out here
It wasn’t clear but my last post, regarding motorised vehicle injuries/deaths, is meant to be read as
“the average over the last 5 years in Taiwan is approximately 33,000 such cases PER YEAR.”
Yes PER YEAR and not the sum of the previous 5 years.
That makes for an average of 90 injuries/deaths per day related to motorised vehicles. Just anecdotally, I see an accident at least once every 2 weeks and about 3 out of 4 is scooter related.
I know the health care system is very cheap here so you would expect more people to visit their local doctor/hospital in the event of a accident, which may skewer the results to the high side.
I have again included the UK as a comparison only because it is the country I grew up in. The UK has the NHS which was free for patients in my era. I am not sure of the costs now.
國民幸福指數在地指標－1023事故傷害死亡率
定義：每10萬人口中事故傷害死亡人數。
機動車交通事故------------ Pop of Taiwan -------Taiwan abs injury/death figure-------UK Traffic related serious injury/death
2006年 20.3 -------------------- 22,876,527 -------------------- 46,439 -------------------- 8,960 --------------------
2007年 17.5 -------------------- 22,958,360 -------------------- 40,177 -------------------- 8,614 --------------------
2008年 15.9 -------------------- 23,037,031 -------------------- 36,629 -------------------- 8,192 --------------------
2009年 15.0 -------------------- 23,119,772 -------------------- 34,680 -------------------- 7,611 --------------------
2010年 15.2 -------------------- 23,162,123 -------------------- 35,206 -------------------- 7,183 --------------------
2011年 15.0 -------------------- 23,224,912 -------------------- 34,837 -------------------- 7,078 --------------------
2012年 14.1 -------------------- 23,315,822 -------------------- 32,875 -------------------- 7,044 --------------------
2013年 13.4 -------------------- 23,373,517 -------------------- 31,321 -------------------- 6,623 --------------------
資料來源：衛生福利部「死因統計」。
附註：①自2008年起死因分類為ICD-10。
In my opinion, we shouldn’t mix injuiries and deaths in the same statistic. They’re things way too different. Injuries include bruishing and what not, while deaths are… just that: deaths.
As I said I’m sure there are lots of accidents (with injuries like a broken nail), but the vast majority of them do not have casualties, because of speed and because of the type of accidents that are common on the streets here.
yep… agreed… looking at deaths is the cleanest way to compare.
and if you take the number of deaths and divide by the registered number of scooters/motos in Taiwan you do get a number that is much lower than similar figures for France and the UK.
But I would still feel safer riding in the latter countries. I guess the reason why is because per sqm, the stats go against Taiwan again.
@Jesus and other riders
I don’t ride in Taiwan (hopefully one day I shall be able to convince my wife) but what are your views. Regarding motorcycles (not scooters) do you feel safer riding in Taiwan as opposed to your home country. Outside of the city are the risks comparable? Is it actually safer in the city due to the lower speeds?