ROAD SAFETY/Cabinet proposes easing minor traffic offense punishments, sparking backlash

Taipei, March 8 (CNA) The Cabinet on Thursday greenlit amendments to a traffic penalty act that would effectively ease punishments on "minor" traffic violations, sparking backlash from road safety activists who called the move "incomprehensible."

Under the revised rules, members of the public will no longer be able to report 10 "minor" traffic violations from an original list of 59, Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said.

Some of these violations include talking on a handheld phone while riding a scooter, reversing a large vehicle without a guide at the rear and reversing a vehicle without paying attention to pedestrians.

They also include parking within 5 meters of fire truck entrances and exits, parking in front of fire hydrants, illegally parking in designated spaces for the disabled, and smoking or lighting cigarettes while driving.

According to the amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act, these 10 "minor" violations with fines of up to NT$1,200 or less can no longer be reported by the public, with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) citing the heavy burden placed on police by skyrocketing reports of traffic violations for the reversal.

In response, a local road safety group, the Taiwan Vision Zero Alliance, issued a statement Thursday, saying talking on a phone while riding a scooter and reversing vehicles without paying attention to pedestrians are all "extremely dangerous behaviors that endanger road safety."

"It is incomprehensible that the Executive Yuan could pass regulations prohibiting the public from reporting such violations," it said.

The alliance went on to note other violations that would be excluded from being reported include illegal parking in areas such as sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, intersections, bus stops, and in front of fire hydrants.

Excluding these violations from being reported "not only violates the rights of vulnerable road users, it is unfair to law-abiding drivers and indirectly condones violations," the group said, adding that accidents in these areas can result in serious injuries or fatalities.

The amendments also roll back several changes to the penalty points system introduced in June 2023.

Should the proposals come into force, drivers who commit traffic offenses will no longer receive penalty points on their license if the offenses were reported by members of the public or captured by traffic enforcement cameras, according to the MOTC.

Drivers will still receive penalty points if they are apprehended by police.

The revisions were proposed after some professional drivers complained that their right to work was severely impacted. One's driver's license is suspended for two months if they get issued 12 penalty points in a year, the MOTC said.

As the new rules have already improved road safety - traffic deaths dropped from 3,064 in 2022 to 3,023 last year - the MOTC said it decided to relax punishments for certain offenses.

In addition, drivers who attend traffic safety lectures at their own expense will be able to deduct two penalty points twice per year, up from once a year, which is equivalent to four penalty points, according to the MOTC.

Citing the premier, Cabinet spokesman Lin Tze-luen (林子倫) said Thursday that the proposed amendments were made according to Article 92 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act, which details how regulations regarding warnings for minor violations shall be determined.

The draft amendments will be sent to the Legislature for review.