The number of drunk driving cases has declined in the nation in part due to tougher laws and stricter enforcement, but two recent cases suggest that there remains much to be done to eliminate the problem.
A 54-year-old plumber fell asleep at the wheel at traffic lights in Taichung’s Wufeng District (霧峰). When woken up by police officers, who thought the vehicle had broken down, the man, surnamed Lai (賴), said he had consumed three or four cans of beer before driving home from a construction site.
Lai told the police that he had no idea how he fell asleep in the middle of the road.
A Breathalyzer test estimated the man had a blood alcohol content of 0.84mg/L, well above the legal limit of 0.15mg/L.
The man’s car was impounded and he faces a one-year suspension of his license, a fine of NT$74,000 and possible jail time for endangering the public. The man is a repeat offender.
In another case, also in Taichung, a man who had been driving under the influence of alcohol attempted to deceive police at a drunk driving checkpoint.
Seeing the police check-point ahead, the man, surnamed Hsieh (謝), allegedly swapped seats with his wife, who was a passenger.
When the car was pulled over, officers manning the checkpoint smelled alcohol and noted the nervous-looking woman in the driver’s seat and a man sitting in the back seat with a child.
Officers asked the nine-year-old girl to tell them who had been driving the car. Her parents then admitted to switching places.
The man’s blood alcohol content was estimated to be 0.31mg/L. He is likely to face charges for endangering the public.
There have been fewer incidents of drunk driving and related deaths in recent years, but, the numbers remain high.
Last year, a total of 115,253 cases were recorded in Taiwan and 169 people died in road accidents related to drunk driving, 76 fewer than in the previous year.
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