Police have recently begun enforcing heavy fines for drunk driving around the country. Media reports suggest the results are excellent.
What is worth pondering, however, is whether the imposition of fines of NT$150,000 on drunk drivers in itself means that the situation will get any better.
The answer is "no." Past experience has shown that drunk driving will not disappear just because heavy fines are meted out.
When the fine for drunk driving was increased to NT$60,000 many years ago, many considered that severe, yet the problem remained.
Complementary policies are necessary.
The major causes of drunk driving are social and cultural. It is the culture of social drinking that needs to be changed if casualties are to be reduced on the roads, because cultural habits are not likely to disappear just because penalties increase.
Imposing harsher fines on drunk drivers alone means leaving the problem with the police instead of addressing it at its roots.
There are two potential repercussions from this.
First, severe penalties for drunk driving may aggravate an already difficult enforcement battle for police.
Even if drunk drivers are aware of regulations, it is difficult to accept a sudden, hefty fine -- some officers have told me that they find it difficult to issue heavy fines -- and that this can lead to violence. The fact that drunk drivers are hard to reason with also puts frontline police in a tough situation.
Second, there are safety concerns for police and drivers. Because stricter regulations could cause suspects to attempt to evade detection or arrest, the death or injury of both parties could follow. Past examples include drivers upset after being constantly ticketed and ramming the Ministry of Transportation and Communications or police stations. The social cost hidden behind these concerns cannot be offset by a fine of NT$150,000.
There are, however, other means of reducing drunk driving.
Japan, for example, uses three methods to regulate or punish drunk driving.
First, the offender is punished, then the outlet selling alcohol to the offender is punished and finally passengers in the car are punished.
In 2003, Taiwan's National Police Agency proposed regulations that would fine passengers riding with a drunk driver, but perhaps because of social and cultural differences the bill wasn't passed.
In addition to protests from vested interests such as restaurants, bars and liquor dealers, members of the public also opposed any regulations.
We must not lose our resolve to develop complementary policies against drunk driving. There is a massive number of scooters and motorcycles in Taiwan, whose drivers often fall victim to traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers.
But the problem also involves a large number of other issues, such as road engineering and design, urban planning and electoral concerns, which complicates the situation.
The massive number of scooters is a huge concern. But the government has not come up with traffic policies or incentives to reduce the number of scooter and motorcycle riders.
The government must take the issue seriously. The problem with drunk driving-related accidents is not merely one of retribution; it also requires other, far-reaching measures.
Yang Yung-nane is a professor in the Department of Political Science and vice dean of the College of Social Sciences at Cheng Kung University.
Translated by Ted Yang
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