‘Hell for pedestrians’: Anger, public mourning in Taiwan over series of fatal traffic collisions
Even with its world-class public transportation and crime-free streets, Taiwan has one of the highest pedestrian death rates among developed economies.
The accident in Taipei killed at least three people and injured 12 others. (Photo: AFP/Fire Department of New Taipei City)
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SINGAPORE: It was a little over two years ago when Eva Chou, a music teacher in her 30s, was nearly hit by a car while jogging around her neighbourhood in New Taipei City.
It was around 6am, Chou told CNA, adding that the streets had been empty and there was “no sense of danger”.
As she approached an intersection, she spotted a black car in the distance heading towards her.
Rather than slowing down, the driver “just kept going”, Chou said. “I was wearing a neon yellow vest and brightly coloured track shoes at the time so there was no way the driver could not see me,” she added.
The car hit Chou, causing her to fall backwards. She landed hard on the ground, grazing her hands, elbows and knees.
The driver, who Chou recalled looked like a middle-aged man, “angrily shouted through the window and drove off”. No one else was around at the time, Chou said.
“There are a million ways I wish I had responded, but I was in shock,” Chou said. “So I could only burst into tears.”
“But I picked myself up and went home. And have been questioning the state of humanity (in this city) since,” she said.
“LIVING HELL FOR PEDESTRIANS”
Taiwan, with a population of around 24 million, ranks highly on many global safety indexes. Its capital Taipei bills itself as being one of the safest cities in the world, with homicide rates decreasing for the past 30 years, according to government officials.
But even with its low crime rates and world-class public transportation system, Taiwan has one of the highest pedestrian death rates among developed economies, watchdogs and road safety groups say, with fatal traffic-related accidents recorded at increasingly alarming frequency.
In 2024, pedestrian fatality rates in Taiwan were significantly higher as compared to Japan and Singapore.
Statistics released in March by Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) revealed that nearly 400,000 traffic accidents were reported across the island last year, with 366 pedestrians dying as a result of traffic-related accidents.
In comparison, Japan saw 965 pedestrian deaths, according to official data.
In Singapore, the number of traffic accidents resulting in fatalities increased from 131 cases in 2023 to 139, according to Singapore Traffic Police, with elderly pedestrians "continuing to be a significant concern".
Of all Taiwanese cities, Taichung, the second most populous with a population of around 2.8 million, remains a “pedestrian hell”, MOTC officials said, adding that 55 pedestrian fatalities were recorded last year.
Taoyuan city, housing Taiwan’s international airport and surrounded by major highways, saw 47 pedestrian fatalities last year, followed by New Taipei City with 42, MOTC officials said.
Taiwan is “more or less” a “living hell for pedestrians”, said YC Wu, a spokesperson for Vision Zero Taiwan, a local advocacy group that held a two-hour “walking festival” near Taipei Main Station in February, calling on local motorists and government officials to pay greater attention to pedestrians.
Road safety in Taiwan “still has a lot of room for improvement”, Wu said. “It’s not just pedestrians. Many road users, including drivers and motorcyclists, also get injured due to poor road design.”
Citizens like Chou say vehicle collisions with pedestrians have become “disturbingly common”.
“Many Taiwanese drivers are extremely dangerous and are getting worse,” Chou said. “They do not respect red lights, speed humps or slowing down near school zones and crossings and it’s clear that the system has been failing to protect lives.”
She pointed to a horrific car collision near a local elementary school in Taipei’s Sanxia District earlier this week.
The driver, an elderly 78-year-old man identified as Yu by police, had run a red light and collided with three motorcycles and a bicycle before ploughing into pedestrians.
Three people were killed, including two 12-year-old girls, police said.
The following day, another deadly crash involving an elderly driver was reported - this time in Tainan city.
A 63-year-old cement truck driver, with a record of medical issues and dangerous driving, lost control of his vehicle and crashed into an elderly couple who had been walking on a sidewalk, local media reports said.
A 61-year-old man, surnamed Zhang, died from his injuries on the way to hospital while his 60-year-old wife, surnamed Wu, broke her shoulder and was seriously injured.
"The crash in Sanxia district this week once again highlights an ongoing problem," Dr Cheng Tsu-Jui, a professor at the National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, told CNA.
"(We have seen) the government pouring in resources to improve pedestrian safety. However, despite new regulations and road design improvements, pedestrian environments across Taiwan are still not perceived as safe or less stressful."
Experts and lawmakers have attributed factors like weak rule enforcement and lenient sentencing, the lack of mandatory medical and cognitive checks for elderly drivers above the age of 65 and poor urban planning and infrastructure that has failed to protect the lives and safety of pedestrians.
Politicians like New Power Party chairwoman Claire Wang highlighted ineffective current measures like lax rules for drivers to slow down in school zones and residential areas as well as the ineffective elderly driver licence renewal system, which started eight years ago in 2017.
Wang noted that over 100,000 traffic incidents involving senior drivers and riders aged 65 and above were reported last year, resulting in around 1,225 deaths and more than 73,000 injuries.
The figures were actually higher than before the implementation of the new licence renewal system, Wang said.
Road design guidelines in Taiwan have not been "substantially and meaningfully updated", said Dr Cheng, adding that "neither government officials nor consultancy companies had the most up-to-date knowledge".
He also noted a "bullying" environment on Taiwan's roads. "Our research shows that traffic bullying (is common)," he said. "The more powerful the mode of transport one operates, the higher the right of way they believe they deserve."
"Enforcement of traffic rules and the implementation of slow speed zones do not always follow through. At the end, everyone has to look after themselves on the road, possibly leading to more aggressive driving behaviour."
Commenting on Monday’s accident, Vision Zero Taiwan noted that the elderly driver had renewed his driving licence earlier in February.
“(While) the cause of today’s fatal incident remains under investigation, extensive scientific and statistical evidence shows that older drivers, on average, face a higher risk of involvement in collisions,” a statement read.
It added: “In a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian, the pedestrian almost always bears the brunt of the harm.”
“Those most at risk deserve the highest level of priority on our roads. Protecting vulnerable road users is a duty shared by all drivers. Those operating the most dangerous vehicles have the greatest responsibility to minimise the risk they pose to others.”
In light of Monday’s tragedy, MOTC announced that it would lower age restrictions for licence renewals from 75 to 70 - as part of increased efforts to address the rise in safety issues involving elderly drivers and motorists.
It also announced plans in March to raise the maximum penalties for injuring or killing pedestrians. Fines for causing minor injuries will be raised to NT$18,000 (US$600) from NT$7,200. Penalties for causing serious injuries or death will be raised to NT$36,000, with additional fines of NT$36,000.
Police and road safety personnel will also be dispatched in the coming months to conduct random road inspections nationwide, MOTC said.
Speaking to local reporters, Taiwanese transport minister Chen Shih Kai said that it was a “national disgrace” for people to be hit or killed on crosswalks.
Chen also addressed concerns this week in a press conference in Taipei on Wednesday.
“We are aware that the public is concerned about safety issues caused by elderly drivers,” Chen said, adding that senior drivers would now have to also participate in a hazard perception and road traffic safety education programme aside from passing cognitive tests and physical exams.
“But official data shows that drivers aged 18 to 24 are still the most likely to cause traffic accidents,” Chen added.
“ACTUAL LIVES, NOT JUST NUMBERS”
There has been an outpouring of public sympathy and support following Monday’s accident.
Crowds of mourners have been paying tribute to the victims near the crash site in New Taipei City, leaving letters and offerings like flowers, sweets and toys to commemorate the children’s lives.
Videos shared on X and Facebook also showed people conducting prayers.
Vision Zero Taiwan has also organised public mourning sessions, encouraging people to wear white.
“We will remember in silence those who have lost their lives, those who have lost their loved ones, and stand together for a safer pedestrian environment in Taiwan,” the group said in a Facebook post on Thursday, adding: “May no person ever again be deprived of a peaceful, ordinary life by a traffic collision.”
“These are actual lives, they aren’t just numbers,” wrote Facebook user Freddy Kang in a comment that drew more than 500 likes. “It points to wider failures about a system that fails to prevent repeat offenders from getting back behind the wheel.”
