Taiwan weighing separate, tougher penalties for drug driving

Taipei, May 7 (CNA) Taiwan's government is considering treating drug-impaired driving as a distinct offense separate from drunk driving, potentially leading to harsher penalties, amid growing concern over a recent spate of serious traffic accidents involving drivers under the influence of narcotics, the transportation minister said Wednesday.

Officials from the transportation and interior ministries are scheduled to meet next Monday to discuss possible law amendments, including tougher penalties and joint liability provisions for drug-impaired driving, Transportation and Communications Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said during a legislative committee hearing.

Chen said that while drug use itself is already a criminal offense in Taiwan, driving a vehicle under the influence of narcotics -- especially when it results in injury or death -- should carry tougher penalties than drunk driving.

"I think the criminal liability should be different from that for drunk driving," Chen said, in response to questions on the issue raised by opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲) and Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔).

The two legislators expressed concern over a string of recent drug-related traffic accidents, including a drug-driving crash on May 4 that resulted in two deaths and two injuries.

Wan said that the criminal and administrative penalties for drug-impaired driving are mostly the same as those for drunk driving, despite the fact that alcohol consumption is legal while drug use is a criminal offense in Taiwan.

"If someone takes drugs and then drives and injures others, that is an aggravated offense," Wan said, calling for the two categories to be "decoupled" under the law and for stricter penalties to be imposed specifically for drug-impaired driving.

She also noted that the National Police Agency has expressed support for amending the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act to introduce joint liability penalties aimed at strengthening passenger oversight responsibilities.

Meanwhile, Yang said drug-impaired driving was "more frightening" than drunk driving, and she urged the government to move quickly to impose tougher criminal penalties to better protect public safety.

In response, Chen said the MOTC and MOI will discuss the possibility of legally separating drug-impaired driving and drunk driving and will also consider raising the related administrative and criminal penalties.