In light of the growing number of traffic fatalities involving bicycles, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications is planning to amend a road law to require that cyclists wear helmets or face fines.
In a meeting presided over by Minister Tsai Duei (
This has prompted researchers from the ministry's Institute of Transportation to propose an amendment to the road safety law to require that cyclists wear safety helmets, the officials said.
In addition, the amendment would require that left turns be conducted in two steps by cyclists riding on roads, that cyclists ride within 1m of the edge of the road, and that bicycle makers be required to install lights and reflecting panels on new bicycles, the officials said.
Ministry officials quoted tallies compiled by the National Police Administration indicating that between 2003 and last year, traffic accidents involving bicycles resulted in 664 deaths and 7,131 injuries. Of the 664 killed, 483 -- or 72 percent -- died after being hit by a vehicle and falling.
Last year alone, 183 cyclists died in traffic accidents, with 118 of the deceased having died of head injuries, the officials said.
Researchers from the ministry's Institute of Transportation are expected to present a draft amendment to the road safety law by the end of this year with stricter safety regulations for cyclists, including the required wearing of helmets.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese