TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The death toll from traffic accidents in Taiwan is rising, and a scholar stated in a speech on Tuesday (Dec. 13) that Taiwan is only working from a surface understanding of traffic accidents and has not explored the root causes.
Chang Chin-lin (張金琳), a professor at the University of Maryland's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering delivered the keynote speech at a seminar organized by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) titled "Road Traffic Safety Technology Development and Policy Vision." Chang's presentation focused on how to establish a "safe and friendly traffic environment and culture" from the perspective of system architecture and technological functions, reported CNA.
Chang argued that Taiwan adopts the "sawing off the arrow method" when dealing with traffic accidents. He said that authorities only deal with the results without exploring the real causes and compared their approach to surgically removing a tumor without trying to understand what caused the tumor to form.
He said that traffic accidents are the result of complex factors, some of which are structural economic problems, such as accidents caused by scooter riders rushing delivery orders, or a motorist who violates regulations by overloading a scooter. The scholar stated incidents are handled by blaming the driver for failing to heed traffic regulations, an obvious case of the "sawing off the arrow method" because the punishment meted out does not take into consideration the underlying causes of traffic law infractions.
The professor asserted that it's not that these people want to take risks, but those who live on the poverty line often ignore traffic safety in order to make a living. He said that these problems related to the economic structure are beyond the control and scope of the MOTC.
Chang emphasized that a safe traffic environment is one of the important indicators for judging a civilization and a country's modernization. "Every car accident has a broken family behind it, which is worth pondering," said Chang.
He said that a sound traffic environment is related to culture, education, law, law enforcement, and social welfare. He recalled an incident in which a wealthy Taiwanese person violated traffic laws and fatally struck a pedestrian, but was able to get out of jail with NT$20,000 (US$651) in bail, "So that means it's OK as long as you have power?"
Authorities often bring up the role of science and technology in traffic law enforcement, but Chan thinks that "only backward countries rely entirely on technology." To really improve traffic problems, it is necessary to find the root causes.
For example, the victim of domestic violence drives in a bad mood every day, and the poor engage in food delivery in order to get food and clothing. "How can we ask them to obey traffic laws?" asked Chang.
"When the granary becomes filled, people observe etiquette; when people become well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame," he said. Only after understanding the root cause of the accident, is it appropriate to supplement it with technology in a timely manner.
When it comes to the human factor, Chang believes that not just fines but also education, such as reducing insurance coverage for bad drivers, providing psychological counseling for drunk drivers, and getting help for people with disabilities from social welfare organizations.
Chang believes that, in terms of roadway problems, engineering design must be rigorous, the standards should be updated in due course, and the right of way on zebra crossings should be established. At the same time, information should be provided in a timely manner to prevent violations and disorder. For example, early notification of speeding camera sections should be used to remind motorists to slow down rather than to collect fines after motorists break the law.
During a speech delivered at the event, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材), said that in recent years, Taiwan has been more effective in the prevention and control of drunk driving, but efforts are still needed to curtail fatalities and injuries caused by motorcycle accidents and elderly people. He stated that his ministry is proposing seven major initiatives that need inter-ministerial cooperation and 21 improvements to road safety, including zero tolerance for drunk driving, amending traffic laws, upgrade projects, innovations in supervision, enhanced law enforcement, building a strong foundation in education, and strengthening of management and evaluation.
According to MOTC statistics, the number of traffic accident deaths in Taiwan has continued to rise since 2018, and reached nearly 3,000 in 2021. From January to September this year, the number of traffic accidents, deaths, and injuries all increased by 6% compared to the same period last year.
