Traffic Taiwan
Eugene Aubry
Due to enduring the Kafkaesque situation of having two accidents in 30 minutes, one involving an accident with an ambulance, I would like to share my personal experience. Both cases show the loopholes of Taiwanese law, which is a driving factor for the terrible traffic conditions in the nation.
The ambulance drove at a low speed with flashing lights on a four-lane road. When the ambulance slowly turned left, it was hit by another scooter. It was unthinkable that the other young man could not see it. He just considered his time to be more valuable. Bleeding and in pain, I had to wait for another ambulance while the second man was keeping the first ambulance busy. Time is relative and it passes more slowly when you are bleeding and in pain.
I stayed in the hospital for three weeks, but might recover in three months. My leg was at risk even after two operations and daily painful bandage changes. My wife and kids had no life during those few weeks, because they had to come to the hospital every day. The first man was not really under pressure, and he even asked my wife if we can help him to repair his car. He told us that he has no money for damages. The second guy was never seen again.
The second man? Nothing. In other countries, he might lose his driving license for a very long time. If he said that he did not see the ambulance with lights and a horn, he would prove himself to be unqualified for driving a scooter. I do not even mention his selfish and childish attitude when he prioritized saving time over the life of a person in an ambulance. Imagine if I had a heart attack or a stroke. Ten minutes could have meant life or death.
Actually, I often see drivers blocking ambulances, which is surprising for a developed country like Taiwan. It is a very developed country with nice people, but the traffic conditions are terrible and more comparable to Somalia.
Taiwan has to increase the penalties to a level that really hurts. Cars should be seized under some circumstances. Under the current law, both men would forget the accidents soon without changing their behavior. Two people not fit for driving are still on the road and sharing their experiences with their peers. In criminal statistics, young (male) drivers are over-represented. Taiwan has to require mandatory insurance for third party damages such as loss of income and personal suffering, at least for beginners.
Some parts of Taiwan that I would like to see are easier to cover by car, so I am seriously considering renting a car for part of my stay there. I've never driving in a place where the signs are not written with latin characters, so I Googled Taiwan road signs. This gave me an easy one to guess, but also some that I have no clue about. I can see that road names appear to be written with latin characters.
Taiwan uses the same road traffic signs, as are used in most Asian, European and African countries. You can find plenty of lists, examples and explanations of these on the internet. The meaning of a traffic sign must be obvious without knowing the local language. Any text on the sign should only provide additional details, which are not necessary to understand, to comply with the basic definition of the sign.
The stop sign is a red octagon, optionally with 'stop' (or similar in local language) written on it. It means that you have to stop the vehicle completely before entering the junction and yield for crossing traffic. It is the only sign with this shape.
The yield sign is an upside down, white triangle with a red border. It means that you have to yield for crossing traffic, but are not required to stop completely before entering the junction. It is the only sign with this shape.
The prohibiton of passing without stopping sign is a white circle with a thick, horizontal black line in the middle and a red border. The sign usually has additional text explaining the reason for why you have to stop (in your example it is a weight control), but even without understanding the text or the specific reason, you know that you for some reason are required to stop. The basic shape of this sign (white circle with red border) identifies it as a prohibition sign. Usually a pictogram in the sign tells you what is prohibited.
Wildlife trafficking is by its nature a transnational crime, and only a broad international effort will put an end to it. The global demand for certain wildlife products is threatening species including elephants, rhinos and tigers, while in Taiwan, there is significant trafficking in indigenous species such as freshwater turtles, pangolins, and even certain kinds of rare trees.
TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organisation working to ensure that trade in wild species is legal and sustainable for the benefit of the planet and people.
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Open-source ship-tracking website MarineTraffic illustrates the sheer volume of ship activity in the region in 2022, the most recent year with complete data available. The darker the hue of an area, the more densely packed the routes.
Taiwan sits at the nexus of shipping lanes providing raw materials to manufacturing powerhouses China, Japan, and South Korea. These three countries comprised nearly 40 percent of the world's manufacturing output in 2019. Nearly half of the world's 5,400 container ships passed through the Taiwan Strait in 2022, according to a November 2023 report by the U.S. Naval Institute.
The slideshow shown above shows real-time maritime traffic accessed Friday. Ship density around Taiwan is shown to dwarf that of Africa's Cape of Good Hope and even the Suez Canal, one of the world's most heavily trafficked shipping routes.
Coupled with Taiwan's strategic location is its central role in technological supply lines as the preeminent chipmaker. The island manufactures more than 90 percent of the world's advanced semiconductors.
"A disruption to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait would seriously damage the global economy, and the spillover would affect all economies around the world," a senior official in the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden said on background Thursday in a teleconference with the press centered on Taiwan's election.
The national elections will be held on Saturday. China has warned the electoral contests, which pit the Beijing-skeptic ruling Democratic Progressive party against its more China-friendly rival the Kuomintang, represent a choice between peace or war.
Though Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, it has maintained friendly relations with Taiwan, a de facto diplomatic presence, and regular arms sales, much to China's chagrin.
Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian security issues, and cross-strait ties between China and Taiwan. Send tips or suggestions to Micah at m.mcc...@newsweek.com.
Taiwan, a densely populated island nation, faces unique challenges in managing its traffic systems. According to the statistics report by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the country boasts a staggering 23 million vehicles, nearly one per person. This high vehicle density translates to a constant presence of cars and motorcycles on the streets, leading to potential safety concerns at intersections, such as: Red light violations. Illegal parking. Disregard for pedestrian safety. These challenges necessitate effective strategies to ensure the safety of all road users in Taiwan.
1. Enhance Law Enforcement Accuracy: In the past, traffic intersection violation identification was done by taking pictures with cameras in traditional way, such as CamShift algorithm. However, it has some limitations in tracking the desired target with the background of the same color. This would lead to misjudgments or repeated manual judgments. By implementing the NEXCOM TT 300-A3Q edge AI computing system, video footage and sensor data analysis can achieve high accuracy and speed, significantly reducing the likelihood of human error in identifying violations. Besides, it can also reduce labor costs and increase work efficiency in police office.
2. Optimize Traffic Flow: NEXCOM TT 300-A3Q edge AI Computing system can analyze real-time traffic data from various sources to optimize traffic flow. It can control traffic signals in real-time, adjusting signal timings based on actual traffic flow. This leads to reduced congestion, shorter travel times, and decreased fuel consumption. It also can suggest alternate routes in real-time, considering current traffic conditions. This minimizes delays and helps drivers avoid unexpected obstacles.
Taipei, March 23 (CNA) Local pedestrian rights group Taiwan Vision Zero Alliance and its supporters on Saturday took to the road around the Legislative Yuan to call for the rejection of Cabinet-proposed amendments to a traffic penalty act, which would remove some current violations and reduce penalties for others.
The proposed amendments in question were written for Taiwan's Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act which was initially greenlit by the Cabinet on March 7 before being taken to the Legislature for review.
The changes would mean that members of the public will no longer be able to report 10 "minor" traffic violations from an original list of 59 and would effectively ease punishments on traffic violations.
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