More than 12,000 children were injured or died as a result of traffic incidents last year, the third consecutive year that the number of child casualties rose in Taiwan, a National Audit Office report showed.
Last year’s 393,882 traffic incidents resulted in 2,950 deaths, including 366 pedestrian fatalities, the report showed.
That figure falls short of government targets to reduce road casualties and pedestrian deaths by 5 and 7 percent respectively compared with 2023, the study showed.
Photo courtesy of the Taichung City Government
Total deaths fell 2.41 percent, or 73 people, while pedestrian deaths dropped 3.68 percent, or 14 people, still higher than the goals set in a national road traffic safety plan the Cabinet approved on Feb. 7 last year.
In August 2023, the Executive Yuan approved a pedestrian safety policy framework and invested NT$40 billion (US$1.34 billion) over four years in a bid to reduce pedestrian casualties by 30 percent by 2030.
The highest number of traffic fatalities within 30 days of a traffic incident was in Kaohsiung at 311, followed by Taichung at 288, Taoyuan at 287, Tainan at 277 and New Taipei City at 269, the report showed.
Except for a drop in 2021, the number of child casualties in road traffic incidents has been steadily rising, from 8,705 in 2021 to 12,037 last year, it said.
Although a 2022 CNN article about Taiwan’s traffic situation and the viral Facebook group “Taiwan is a living hell for pedestrians” prompted the government to promote a number of road safety initiatives, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications must further work with local governments to implement more effective policies, the report said.
The ministry said it would continue to assist underperforming counties and cities by mobilizing government agencies and local authorities, while implementing policies specific to child safety.
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