The Directorate-General of Highways (DGH) plans to increase the difficulty of the driver’s license test for motorcycles, adding that soon, car driver’s licenses would no longer be valid for operating lightweight scooters.
Vehicle Division Director Lin Fu-shan (林福山) said that the agency decided to reform the driver’s exam to enhance the defensive driving skills of motorcyclists.
Statistics from the DGH showed that 1,819 people died in A1 category traffic accidents last year, with more than 50 percent of victims who died within 24 hours being motorcyclists.
Photo provided by the Directorate-General of Highways
Lin said the number of possible questions to be used in the test would increase from 634 to 1,606, including 682 multiple-choice questions and 924 true-or-false questions.
The test is also to be available in eight different languages: Chinese, English, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai, Cambodian and Burmese.
Lin said that 50 questions would be randomly selected from the question bank. Previously, only 40 questions appeared on the license test, which most exam takers can finish within five minutes.
The measure is to be implemented on July 1.
Lin said that the agency is studying the use of test questions that put test takers in different scenarios and ask them to identify the best course of action under those circumstances, adding that this type of question would be added to the study questions in January next year.
Meanwhile, people holding a car driver’s license will no longer be able to use the license to ride scooters with engines of 50cc or smaller, Lin said, as motorcyclists will only be able to secure licenses after passing both written and road tests.
Lin added that the new policy would take effect by the end of this year after the amendment of relevant regulations is complete. Those who disobey the regulation would face fines of between NT$1,800 and NT$3,600.
Lin said that the regulation would apply only to people obtaining a driver’s license after the policy takes effect. Drivers who get their license before the end of this year can still ride lightweight scooters with their license, he said.
DGH Director-General Chao Hsin-hua (趙興華) said statistics show that the main causes of traffic accidents are drivers failing to pay attention to the traffic situation ahead, yield to vehicles with the right of way and follow traffic signs, as well as drunk driving.
He said that the motorcycle license road test would include four new items, including making a hook turn if they need to turn left, changing lanes, negotiating right-angle turns and stopping at intersections. In a hook turn, motorcycles ride to the right side of the road they want to turn on and wait in a designated spot.
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