ROAD SAFETY/Taiwan sees 15.5% rise in pedestrian deaths in first quarter of 2024

Taipei, June 1 (CNA) The number of pedestrians killed in traffic-related accidents during the first quarter of this year was 15.5 percent higher than the same period in 2023, according to data released Friday by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC).

From January to March, Taiwan reported 97,436 traffic-related accidents, down by 5,554, or 5.4 percent, from the same period last year, the MOTC said at a press conference.

However, the traffic accidents also resulted in 772 deaths, of which 119 involved pedestrians, a 15.5 percent rise compared to the first quarter of 2023.

The MOTC said 69 percent of the 119 deaths involved pedestrians being hit by a vehicle, of which 73.1 percent were elderly people.

Most of the fatal accidents, it said, took place between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m., and between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

According to the MOTC, the main causes were drivers failing to give way to pedestrians at road intersections or pedestrians crossing the street outside marked crossings.

The number of pedestrian fatalities at road intersections decreased last year when Taiwan began enhancing the enforcement of its traffic laws, it said, however noting that some motorists are yet to develop the habit of yielding, and over time, accidents have increased again.

Commenting on the data, Tsai Shu-pin (蔡書彬), deputy chief of the MOTC's Department of Railways, Highways and Road Safety, said local governments have been told to strengthen their efforts to improve Taiwan's traffic safety.

This includes raising public awareness about respecting traffic rules among drivers and pedestrians, and requiring police officers to step up law enforcement, Tsai said.

Local governments have been told to stop using flashing signals at intersections early in the morning, he said, adding they should instead use a traffic light system with red, amber and green signals.

According to the MOTC, despite the rise in pedestrian deaths during the first quarter, the 772 deaths due to traffic-related accidents was a 4.8 percent reduction compared to the same period last year, while the number of injured also declined by 5.6 percent to 130,364.