Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu (曾勇夫) yesterday said the ministry was considering increasing the penalties for drunk-driving offenses that result in severe injury or death.
Tseng made the remarks in response to questions from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Sun Ta-chien (孫大千) in a question-and-answer session at the legislature.
Sun said a proposal he put forward to increase the penalties for serious drunk-driving offenses had been rejected by the ministry, which decided it did not meet the principle of proportionality.
Sun proposed that drivers with a blood alcohol level of over 0.11 percent, roughly equal to an alcohol concentration of 0.55mg per liter on the breath, should be sentenced to more than one year in prison, but fewer than three years. Those who cause severe injury or death to their victims should be sentenced to more than one year, but fewer than 15 years behind bars, according to the proposal.
Sun said current regulations are no deterrent to drunk driving, and he called on the ministry to reconsider revising the law.
Under the current law, drunk drivers that cause severe injury or death to their victims are sentenced to under two years in jail.
Tseng said he had asked the ministry’s prosecution division to discuss the issue.
The debate was prompted by a traffic accident last week in which a drunk driver hit a firefighter who had her leg amputated because of the extent of her injuries. The incident has stirred public concern over drunk driving.
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