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Lawmakers voice support for tougher drunk-driving law

Lawmakers across party lines showed their support yesterday for a bid by the National Police Administration (NPA) to tighten the law against drunk driving.

Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘), Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅), People First Party Legislator Lin Cheng-yi (林政義) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Kuo Tien-tsai (郭添財) held a joint press conference at the Legislative Yuan to promote the agency's proposal, which was announced last month but then dropped in the face of massive public criticism.

"Statistics show that there are more drunk drivers on the roads even though the police began conducting stricter crackdowns, including breath tests, against drunk drivers last year," Chen said. "I think it is necessary to protect the safety of innocent people on the roads by making the law stricter."

The most controversial part of the NPA proposal was the plan to fine the passengers of drunk drivers as well as the drivers.

Lin said passengers have a responsibility to stop someone who is drunk from getting behind the wheel.

"It is about respecting human lives," Lin said.

The controversial proposal to amend the Road Traffic Management and Punishment Law (道路交通管理處罰條例) was announced by the director of the NPA's Traffic Division, Ho Kuo-jung (何國榮), during a press conference on Nov. 18. Ho told reporters that Japan's laws had been the inspiration for the proposal.

The very next day, however, during a regular legislative meeting, Ho announced the agency was dropping the proposal because of adverse public reaction.

Chen also referred to Japan's strict traffic law during yesterday's press conference, saying those regulations could be a role model.

"A strict law like that will teach us how to respect human life and learn to take responsibility," Chen said.

According to the NPA proposal, drivers who test positive for alcohol in the breathalyzer test would be fined between NT$1,000 and NT$3,000.

Passengers over the age of 18 would be subject to fines ranging from NT$3,000 to NT$12,000.

Those who provided the alcohol to a motorist who was later stopped for drunk driving and whose breath test registered 0.25mg of alcohol per liter or above would face a fine of NT$12,000.

Current regulations state that drivers whose breath tests register between 0.25mg of alcohol per liter and 0.55mg per liter will be fined between NT$15,000 and NT$30,000. Police can also temporarily confiscate the vehicles of drivers whose breath test results are above 0.55mg per liter.

NPA's Secretary-General Huang Chun-hung (黃俊宏) told yesterday's press conference that it is now up to the Ministry of Traffic and Communications to decide whether to approve the agency's proposal and send it to the Legislative Yuan for review.
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