Curious if anyone knows/understands the methods or policies for giving out speeding tickets on the expressways (Hwy 1 or 3)? I drive 2-3 days a week from Taichung to Taoyuan and see a lot of speeding (which sometime includes myself). In 2 years I have never received a ticket sometimes driving 10-20 over and cars are often flying past me. They have the gray boxes, police cars with no people in them, police cars with the policeman in them and a radar gun point out the door, and believe the new ETCs can detect speed (but I do not know, guessing).
Theorically they can not fine you if other vehicles appear on the picture. However, I have received one or two fines with a picture I’m sure was cropped.
Motherfuckers.
I received one in the Qijin tunnel in Kaohsiung that was definately cropped, as I have never seen a camera be able to take a picture so tightly with nothing in the foreground or background.
I went to the traffic administration and filed an appeal, I asked for a complete copy of the picture as I stated I would like to ensure there were no other vehicles in the picture, and was sent 3 weeks later a copy of the specs of the camera showing that it was tested and in compliance, and my appeal was dismissed.
I have appealed 2 tickets and lost both. It did give an option to contest it further but I assume the appeal would be binned just like the first appeal.
It appears they do not have court dates like in the west to contest a ticket.
I see a lot of highway cops sitting on the side but it appears they are not really in the business of catching anyone since they leave their flashing lights on that can be seen from a long way away giving people a chance to slow down.
I would assume that the cameras likely have a 10-15km tolerance built in for speeding, otherwise it would be catching everyone. A lot of the grey boxes are old speed cameras that either don’t work or were taken out and just the box remains. However some are active so I wouldn’t test that theory.
the ETC can theoretically capture average speed but they are not currently using it in this way.
Also curious about the new ETC, I see people slowing down so assume they also can detect speed (again, do not really know). Maybe to clarify, I see a lot of speeding and assume if they were handing out a lot of tickets they would not be. I am sure the cop with the radar gun is giving them out, but wondering about the gray boxes and the ETC? As far as the police cars with the lights and nobody inside, or just sitting there without the lights and nobody inside, still not sure what that is all about.
From what I was told, the government said they will not use it for speed detection. They could easily though, by simply checking your time in and out of the freeway.
The grey boxes are speed cameras, of which a lot are old and not in service. You take your chances speeding by those. There is a large yellow sign with characters advising drivers a speed camera is coming up.
Do you have an android smart phone? Download the app Speedcamera. It will list all the speed cameras by GPS while you are driving. Also get a radar detector.
Yes I have an android smart phone, but pretty much have memorized where they are by now. Thanks will try the app. Also thinking about buying a detector.
I have more or less memorized many… and then you are caught in another place, or you just forget one because you were thinking of other things. I’m indeed waiting for another ticket from last Sunday :S
A GPS app with radars is something useful that you’ll be happy to have 
Same here, I pretty much memorized all locations in Kaohsiung City, but I just came back from a weekend trip to Kending on scooter so hopefully I didn’t pass any unknown ones :fume:
Yeah those are just Taiwanese people slowing down for things that they shouldn’t be slowing down for, just like when they slow down for entering a freeway. 
I’m just having a laugh.
From experience, I can attest that the speed cameras let you go up to 10km over the limit without taking a picture, but to be safe, obviously you shouldn’t test that. I routinely slow down to 5km over the limit when I see a camera and I’ve never gotten a ticket for such low speeds.
I’ve had two or three freeway speeding tickets and at least three speeding tickets on regular roads here in Taiwan. Never paid much attention to whether the images were cropped or not, as I had no doubt about my guilt. As far as I can remember, the fines were all between 2000 and 6000. I think my worst was doing 130 or something in a 90 zone on freeway #5 around Yilan.
I’ve seen cops pull people over on the freeway. From what I’ve seen, they are more professional than your average Taiwanese patrolman. They actually pull over dumbasses who are engaged in dangerous behavior, such as cutting across zebra lines at onramps and offramps to avoid queues or unsafe loading of trucks.
Been awhile but my 3 times I was stopped on the TW freeways for speeding I managed to talk myself out of them
Couldn’t talk myself out of a few pics taken by a camera.
One time my car was behind a PIG truck (no, not the Police, real PIGS) and the water being thrown off was not swimming pool water. I sped up to get ahead of the truck and of course, Murphy’s Law, I was pulled over by a cop. Explained the situ, he took a look at my car covered in PIg Water and let me go.
Another time, 3am ish. I was last in line with 3 fast cars in front. I was doing maybe 120kph. The cars in front were faster. But the cops pulled me over. I protested. Saying that it’s unfair to pull me over because I was the slowest of the bunch. He asked me if the cars in front were friends of mine. I said “no” (and they were not) and he let me go. But only after the 2 or 3 cars he pulled over after me got their tickets and were shown off. He kept me waiting in suspense but said that he was planning to let me go but wanted the others gone before doing so.
So all in all, I’ve been lucky. The third time I forgot what it was but I managed to get off.
I take it there is no demerit point system in Taiwan? Can one lose their lisence for speeding? What is the biggest possible fine?
No demerit point system, and your insurance doesn’t even go up 
I’ve heard of people having their cars seized for excessive speeding though. A while ago a woman was busted doing 180 in her unimpressive Merc clk kompressor and as far as I recall, the vehicle was seized.
Speeding 60k over the speed limit will get the plates confiscated for 90 days. There are no points, as far as I know, nor any link between tickets and insurance rates.
I find setting the cruise control at 9km above the speed limit avoids setting off the cameras. YMMV
The weird thing is that when I was studying for the driving (riding ) license here, I did read some questions regarding points and points deductions. But I’m sure that if that points system were actually used, I couldn’t ride anymore here.
Some of the ETCs can give speeding tickets, I believe. I was following a guy who seemed to know where all the cameras were and some of them he slowed down for other ones he did not. I watched a guy go under one over the limit and I saw a distinct flash. I’m pretty sure he got a ticket. it could have been a toll related ticket. I don’t see how they could get a radar reading from that angle
If you saw a blue flash thats just the ETC taking a video for the toll. It does that for all vehicles.
As far as I am aware ETC is not using the toll cameras for speed.
I got pulled over for speeding on the freeway a couple weeks ago driving on the 3 from Taipei to Taichung. It was a BMW highway patrol, sitting with a speed gun. She grabbed a red stick/flag to signal me to stop. She said if I was doing less than 20 kph over the limit, she would let me go. But since I was doing 23 kph over, the gun was linked and already had it on record. I had just paid my outstanding tickets from cameras (2 on the scooter and 1 in the car). The car was a freeway one for 3500NT. Price went up, used to be around 1800.
You need to buy a radar detector… then you can see them miles away.
And the excuse she gave that the radar is linked is Bs because if a cop is shooting radar and there is 10 cars bunched together, the radar might show 123 km but they can not be certain who so cops always have discretion.
She likely needed the daily quota. Im also curious how shw could run out so quickly to flag a driver since you were doing 123/hr.