The National Police Agency (NPA) has recommended that the law be amended so that motorists watching video on smartphones that have been placed in holders be subject to fines, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said.
The Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例) says that motor vehicle operators who hold a handheld device, such as a smartphone or computer, and make a call or otherwise communicate be fined NT$1,000 to NT$3,000.
The agency said it hopes that the ministry would propose an amendment to prohibit the playback of video on mobile devices in holders, instead of prohibiting the “holding of phones and tablets” while driving.
Photo: Hung Jui-chin, Taipei Times
The recommendation is being made due to the increasing number of motorists using holders to skirt the law and using mobile devices while operating motorbikes, the agency said.
Amending the law would not be as simple as changing the wording, the ministry said, adding that it would need to discuss whether phone holders should be banned outright and how police would prove that motorists were watching a device in a holder.
Police officers have not made a dent in the use of mobile devices by drivers, the agency said, citing statistics.
Police in 2016 issued 36,438 tickets to operators of cars and motorbikes using mobile devices on the road, a noticeable increase from the 14,808 tickets in 2015 and 10,727 in 2014, it said.
The uptick that year was largely due a crackdown on drivers playing augmented-reality games, mainly Pokemon Go, it said.
After the crackdown, police continued to issue tickets to operators using devices: 27,563 tickets in 2017, 30,344 last year and 7,950 from January to last month, it said.
The number of tickets is expected to continue rising as smartphone usage increases, it added.
Foreign researchers have concluded that driving while using devices is a dangerous distraction on par with driving while intoxicated, the agency said.
Many drivers are apparently unaware that using a mobile device while waiting at a red light, is illegal, it said.
Nationwide, driving while using a device has led to 2,354 traffic accidents in which one or more people were seriously wounded or killed, it added.
The agency said that it believes the law takes an overly narrow view of mobile device use, as drivers have been known to play videos or games with a mounted device, which can be detrimental to road safety, but does not technically break the law.
As a result, the agency has asked the ministry to introduce an amendment that would broaden restrictions and eliminate dangerous road activity, it said.
The agency said it also recommended that regulations forbidding officers from filming traffic stops related to device usage should be amended, as it makes it difficult to prove in court that an infraction occurred.
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
‘POLITICAL GAME’: DPP lawmakers said the motion would not meet the legislative threshold needed, and accused the KMT and the TPP of trivializing the Constitution The Legislative Yuan yesterday approved a motion to initiate impeachment proceedings against President William Lai (賴清德), saying he had undermined Taiwan’s constitutional order and democracy. The motion was approved 61-50 by lawmakers from the main opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who together hold a legislative majority. Under the motion, a roll call vote for impeachment would be held on May 19 next year, after various hearings are held and Lai is given the chance to defend himself. The move came after Lai on Monday last week did not promulgate an amendment passed by the legislature that
PENTAGON ASSESSMENT: A US report said that even as China and Russia deepen their partnership, cooperation is hindered by a ‘mutual distrust’ of each other The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as of October had doubled the number of ships and airplanes deployed around Taiwan compared with the previous two years, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) said yesterday, a day after the opposition-controlled legislature voted against reviewing the government’s general budget for next year, including a NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.71 billion) special defense spending bill. The legislature’s vote against the Ministry of National Defense’s spending plans was regrettable, as the budget was designed to respond to the developing Chinese military threat, Hsu said on the sidelines of a legislative meeting on the general budget. Defense
RSS