Taiwan plans tougher driver's license tests amid high traffic incidents

Taoyuan, May 27 (CNA) Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) acknowledged Tuesday that Taiwan's traffic incident and casualty rates are "indeed higher" than in other countries, and announced plans to improve road safety by tightening written tests for driver's licenses.

"We must acknowledge that Taiwan's traffic incident and casualty rates are indeed higher than in other countries," Chen said at a news conference in Taoyuan on Tuesday morning.

"Taiwan's traffic conditions are quite different from those in other countries -- you do not see this many cars elsewhere, and certainly not as many motorcycles," said Chen, whose ministry has faced criticism after a fatal crash involving a 78-year-old driver in New Taipei's Sanxia District last Monday.

Chen said the driver's license testing process will be made more rigorous to better assess whether applicants truly understand the rules and are ready to drive safely.

"It's not that people are unwilling to follow the law -- more that many developed their driving habits at a time when road safety concepts weren't included in license training," Chen said.

He added that future applicants will need to demonstrate a solid understanding of traffic rules to pass.

The Highway Bureau, which oversees driving tests and issues licenses, plans to remove overly easy questions, eliminate true-or-false questions and expand multiple-choice questions from three to four options, Director-General Chen Wen-juei (陳文瑞) told reporters after the news conference.

He explained that making the entire test multiple-choice would better assess applicants' actual knowledge.

Currently, the written test includes 40 questions for car licenses and 50 for motorcycle licenses, with an equal mix of true-or-false and multiple-choice questions.

The new written test system is expected to take effect in 2026, with the exact start date to be announced later, Chen said.

According to Highway Bureau data, 597,370 people took the written tests for car or motorcycle licenses last year, and 475,009 passed.

Of the 711,443 people who registered for road tests last year -- only open to those who have passed the written test -- 499,606 passed.

Regarding older drivers, Chen announced the day after the New Taipei crash that stricter license renewal rules will apply, lowering the age threshold from 75 to 70. Free road safety courses will also be offered.

Currently, drivers aged 75 and older must complete a basic health check and cognitive screening every three years to renew their licenses. However, local road safety groups have criticized the cognitive test as too simplistic, with questions including "What's today's date?" and "How old are you?"