Several new traffic regulations went into effect today, including one rule mandating the installation of ignition interlock devices in the vehicles of people repeatedly found driving drunk.
People who have their driver’s license revoked after three drunk driving convictions must now undergo a three-month program for alcohol addiction — with required attendance of at least seven sessions — and obtain a certificate from the program before being allowed to take a driver’s exam, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said.
Drunk drivers whose licenses have been suspended and need to retake the driver’s exam will now have to attend a 15-hour, NT$2,800 course on drunk driving, for which they must pay out of their own pockets, it said.
People retaking the driver’s exam whose previous license was revoked due to a drunk driving charge must now have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicle for one year and register themselves with their local motor vehicles office, the ministry said.
They must also visit the manufacturer of the device each month for its data to be downloaded, it said.
The device administers a breath alcohol test before allowing the vehicle’s engine to start and a second test five minutes later, the ministry said.
Every 45 to 60 minutes, the driver is prompted and given 15 minutes to pull over and undergo another test, it said.
Failure to comply would result in the engine shutting off and the steering wheel locking, which can only be remedied by towing the vehicle to the device’s manufacturer, it added.
People who meet the criteria for the device and drive a vehicle without one, or tamper with the system so it does not work as intended, would face a fine of NT$6,000 to NT$12,000 under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), the ministry said.
Having another person take the breath alcohol test to start a vehicle would result in a fine of NT$6,000 to NT$12,000 for that person, it added.
Also starting today, child seats on bicycles would be considered legal, the ministry said.
Child seats may only be installed on bicycles and electric bikes, not electric scooters, it said.
If the child seat is installed in the front, children must be aged one to four and weigh less than 15kg to ride, the ministry said.
If installed in the rear, only children aged one to six and weighing less than 22kg may ride in the child seat, it said.
If the rider of a bicycle with a child seat is a minor, or the age or weight of the passenger exceeds the limits, the rider would face a fine of NT$300 to NT$600, it added.
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
TRUST: The KMT said it respected the US’ timing and considerations, and hoped it would continue to honor its commitments to helping Taiwan bolster its defenses and deterrence US President Donald Trump is delaying a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure his visit to Beijing is successful, a New York Times report said. The weapons sales package has stalled in the US Department of State, the report said, citing US officials it did not identify. The White House has told agencies not to push forward ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), it said. The two last month held a phone call to discuss trade and geopolitical flashpoints ahead of the summit. Xi raised the Taiwan issue and urged the US to handle arms sales to
BIG SPENDERS: Foreign investors bought the most Taiwan equities since 2005, signaling confidence that an AI boom would continue to benefit chipmakers Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) market capitalization swelled to US$2 trillion for the first time following a 4.25 percent rally in its American depositary receipts (ADR) overnight, putting the world’s biggest contract chipmaker sixth on the list of the world’s biggest companies by market capitalization, just behind Amazon.com Inc. The site CompaniesMarketcap.com ranked TSMC ahead of Saudi Aramco and Meta Platforms Inc. The Taiwanese company’s ADRs on Tuesday surged to US$385.75 on the New York Stock Exchange, as strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications led to chip supply constraints and boost revenue growth to record-breaking levels. Each TSMC ADR represents
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said that it had confirmed on Saturday night with its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil suppliers that shipments are proceeding as scheduled and that domestic supplies remain unaffected. The CPC yesterday announced the gasoline and diesel prices will rise by NT$0.2 and NT$0.4 per liter, respectively, starting Monday, citing Middle East tensions and blizzards in the eastern United States. CPC also iterated it has been reducing the proportion of crude oil imports from the Middle East and diversifying its supply sources in the past few years in response to geopolitical risks, expanding
RSS