TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The number of scooter and motorcycle accidents is increasing each year, and a report by Taiwan’s Audit Office attributes the rise to a lack of safety awareness and defensive riding concepts.
One way to improve these deficiencies is by increasing the difficulty of the scooter and motorcycle licensing exam, the Audit Office said. The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) has pledged to make improvements, but the pace of reform when it comes to training, examination, and managing the licensing system has been slow, per PTS.
According to MOTC statistics, from January to June, there were 998 scooter and motorcycle deaths, accounting for 64% of the 1,569 traffic accident deaths.
At the moment, the standard road test for scooters and motorcycles is conducted in a controlled environment where riders are asked to complete a simple course or loop. Examinees are tested for their awareness of the right of way, traffic signals, two-point turning, and balancing over a straight-line course.
Critics of the current road test allege that it should better resemble real road conditions, though this would require a complex regulatory change allowing unlicensed riders on the road. Another option would be increasing the difficulty of the written test and adding requirements for examinees before registering for the test.
Beginning in March, examinees are asked to watch situational videos and answer questions about road hazards. This requirement must be completed before examinees complete the licensing process.
"By the end of October, we have established a threshold for correct answers; for example, you need to answer 4 out of 5 questions correctly from these videos before you can make a licensing test appointment," said DGH official Wei Wu-sheng (魏武盛).
Due to these changes, the Directorate-General of Highways said that in recent years, the difficulty of the licensing exam has increased, and the passing rate of examinees has declined year by year, from 60% in the past to only 48.49% over the past five years.
To encourage the public to improve their road safety education, the government offers subsidized road safety training courses for those who have received their scooter or motorcycle license.
