TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei City Hall is preparing a new push to reduce traffic injuries among seniors by changing how safety lessons are taught and who delivers them.

At a road safety meeting on Tuesday, Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city needs a coordinated education plan that matches the realities of an aging population, including a heavy reliance on scooters by seniors. He called for training that goes beyond pamphlets and one-off talks, and asked agencies to prepare materials that reflect real crash scenarios, per CNA.

Chen Wan-hui (陳菀蕙), a transportation management professor at Tamkang University, said nationwide data show that more than 80% of senior scooter riders involved in crashes had identifiable contributing factors such as unsafe lane changes and ignoring traffic signals.  

Chen illustrated how uncertainty persists even among informed adults, using left-turn rules at multi-lane intersections as an example. Determining whether a two-step turn is required depends on signage, a detail many riders miss.

City officials said future courses should emphasize practice. Options under discussion include supervised on-road sessions and scooter simulators developed by universities.

Chiang instructed the Traffic Police Corps to compile crash footage for use in lessons. He also asked the Transportation Department to design a system to train instructors who would teach courses at district offices, community centers, and senior learning institutes.