Under proposed changes to the penalty point system, motorists receiving six penalty points within one year would have to attend a mandatory road safety course, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said this weekend.
Under the current system, a driver would be given up to three penalty points in the following situations: speeding; failure to follow regulations while attempting to overtake other vehicles; weaving in and out of traffic; tailgating; running a red light; trespassing on railway crossings; driving a heavy motorcycle in unauthorized sections of the freeway; infringing load regulations; and refusing to enter weigh stations on freeways.
The system has proven ineffective in curbing traffic violations since it was enforced more than 20 years ago.
Photo: Cheng Wei-chi, Taipei Times
Although motorists’ licenses are suspended and they are required to take a road safety course after receiving six penalty points, and they can have their licenses revoked if their license is suspended twice within one year, their point system record is wiped clean every six months.
Data from the ministry showed there were about 1.75 million cases last year in which motorists were given penalty points on site after being stopped and given tickets by police.
Of the 4.64 million cases last year in which drivers received points after their traffic violations were recorded on cameras or other machines, only drivers of commercial vehicles were automatically given penalty points. The rest were only given points after they received their tickets from the police.
As such, only about 30,000 drivers’ licenses were suspended last year.
The ministry said it has identified several discrepancies in the current system. For example, drivers are fined NT$600 and given three points if they turn right illegally when they drive on regular roads. However, should they block the passing lane when they drive on freeways, they face a minimum fine of NT$6,000, but receive only one point.
In some more severe cases, such as parking a vehicle within 10m of a bus stop, drivers do not receive a point at all.
The ministry said that it proposed in a meeting in July that a driver’s record be wiped clean after two years, rather than six months.
If drivers have accumulated six penalty points within one year, they would be required to take a road safety course, and their licenses would be suspended if they accumulate 12 points within two years, it said.
Drivers would also receive points if they do not yield to pedestrians when they make turns, or cause accidents when they try to open vehicle doors or engage in parallel parking, the ministry said, adding that it is considering giving points to motorists whose illegal actions have been recorded on camera.
The ministry said that it plans to roll out the draft proposal next month.
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