Taiwan traffic fatalities down 15% from 2023 in first half of 2026

Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) Taiwan recorded 1,333 traffic fatalities within 30 days of crashes in the first half of 2026, down 15 percent from the same period in 2023, the baseline year established under the Road Traffic Safety Basic Act, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) said Thursday.

The ministry released nationwide road safety data for the first half of 2026 on Thursday.

The ministry said the figure represented 236 fewer deaths than in the first six months of 2023.

The figure was also down 3.3 percent from the first half of 2025, when 1,379 people died within 30 days of traffic crashes.

Among key indicators, deaths involving children and adolescents fell 59.6 percent (28 fewer deaths), while fatalities in drunk-driving crashes declined 58.8 percent (77 fewer deaths) and motorcycle-related deaths dropped 21.4 percent (214 fewer deaths), with all three categories recording their largest declines in recent years.

The ministry said all three indicators recorded their largest declines in recent years

Deaths among seniors fell 4.8 percent, while pedestrian fatalities declined 9.2 percent over the same period, according to the ministry.

However, the ministry recorded 125 senior pedestrian deaths, up 5.9 percent from 2023, while cyclist fatalities rose to 131, an increase of 27.2 percent.

Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said the decline showed the government's road safety measures are working.

He attributed the improvement to stricter enforcement against drunk driving, tougher penalties, greater public awareness of the need to yield to pedestrians, road improvements by local governments, and continued efforts to improve road infrastructure and traffic regulations.

Chen said the government is not satisfied with the progress made and will continue to strive to reduce annual traffic deaths by 7 percent.

Taiwan has recorded fewer than 3,000 traffic deaths annually for two consecutive years in 2024 and 2025. Chen said that he hopes the country can permanently remain below that threshold.

He added that this year's Road Safety Month campaign will focus on motorcycle safety, as motorcyclists account for more than two-thirds of annual traffic fatalities.

Passed by the Legislative Yuan in December 2023, the Road Traffic Safety Basic Act established a legal framework for improving road safety and sets a long-term goal of eliminating traffic fatalities by 2050.