TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation on Friday unveiled a three-part road safety initiative aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety and improving traffic management.

The initiative includes widening the buffer zone between pedestrian crossings and stop lines at intersections, and upgrading lighting at provincial road junctions. It also involves reviewing regulations on vehicle window tint transparency, TTV reported.

Officials said increasing the distance between stop lines and pedestrian crossings will help reduce risks posed by large vehicles, which have higher driving positions that may obstruct their view of pedestrians. The ministry is evaluating a standardized clearance of two to three meters at intersections, replacing the current range of one to three meters.

Local authorities will be instructed to assess intersections where the stop line distance is less than one meter and develop improvement plans. Starting in the third quarter, the ministry will conduct random nationwide inspections to monitor progress and provide recommendations.

As part of the second measure, the ministry plans to improve lighting at 400 provincial road intersections this year. Drawing from human visual perception studies and previous trials, officials will implement a system using yellow lighting for roads and white lighting at intersections.

The upgraded lighting is expected to enhance pedestrian visibility at crosswalks. The Highway Bureau will complete upgrades at seven to 10 intersections by April 1 and monitor accident rates and other potential effects after the installations.

The ministry is also reviewing regulations on vehicle window tinting, citing concerns that overly dark tint can reduce driver visibility and pose safety risks.

Officials plan to introduce voluntary safety guidelines and promote the advantages of higher-transparency tint through public awareness campaigns. The government aims to build social consensus before considering legislation to impose stricter tinting regulations.