Road safety groups slam gov't over Sanxia crash; plan Sunday protest

Taipei, May 22 (CNA) Several road safety groups on Thursday criticized the government for its slow progress in reforming Taiwan's driver licensing system, announcing plans for a protest march in Taipei on Sunday following a fatal crash in New Taipei's Sanxia District.

"The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) is fully responsible for the driver licensing system, yet it has failed to make any serious or proactive reforms for over three decades," said Nolan Wang (王晉謙), chairperson of the Next-gen Transportation Union, at a news conference outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.

Wang emphasized that his group is not advocating for a ban on elderly drivers -- the driver involved in Monday's crash that killed three and injured a dozen was a 78-year-old man -- but is calling for reform of the licensing system for older drivers.

Currently, drivers aged 75 and over must undergo a basic health check and cognitive screening every three years to renew their licenses.

According to the MOTC, the 78-year-old driver, who remained in intensive care as of Thursday, had renewed his license in February.

Wang criticized the cognitive test as overly simplistic, citing questions like "What's today's date?", "How old are you?", and "Who is your husband or wife?"

"If such simple questions are enough to qualify someone aged 75 or above to renew their license, then the system is clearly outdated," Wang said.

Wang also dismissed a recent proposal by Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) to lower the license renewal age from 75 to 70 as "useless."

Wang said that "what truly needs to be done" is a proper evaluation system to determine whether senior drivers are still capable of driving safely, both during the day and at night.

He added that road safety groups have long urged the MOTC to implement comprehensive retraining programs for all drivers, not just seniors, through driving schools or local motor vehicle offices.

"Many countries already have such systems to reassess driving skills and ensure that those who received their licenses years ago stay up to date on road safety and traffic rules," he said.

Vision Zero Taiwan, another advocacy group, held a separate news conference outside the Executive Yuan later Thursday, and submitted a petition urging the government to help Taiwan shed its reputation as a "living hell for pedestrians."

A Vision Zero Taiwan representative surnamed Lee (李) echoed Wang's concerns, calling for a retraining system that can identify high-risk drivers and "remove unfit drivers from the road."

The Next-gen Transportation Union and the Taiwan Vision Zero Alliance will co-host a march on Sunday, starting at 10 a.m. outside the Legislative Yuan and ending with a rally at the MOTC.

Vision Zero Taiwan will also hold a memorial at 11 a.m. in a park near the site of the fatal crash.